Johnson Asks Families to be Diabetes Aware in New Public Service Announcement PRINCETON, N.J. and LOS ANGELES, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Dwayne Johnson joins with Novo Nordisk, a world-leader in diabetes care, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, to encourage families to get active together as a means to help prevent diabetes. As an ambassador for the Diabetes Aware campaign, Johnson will appear in a public service announcement (PSA) to educate families about the prevalence of diabetes and the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle. The PSA is part of the ongoing Diabetes Aware educational campaign sponsored by Novo Nordisk and the EIF. The campaign aims to reach the 24 million Americans who are living with diabetes, as well as the estimated 6.2 million Americans who are unaware that they have the disease, to underline the importance of detection, monitoring and proper management of diabetes. A lifelong athlete and known for starring in family-friendly movies, Johnson recognizes the value of a healthy lifestyle in helping to prevent and manage diabetes for both children and adults. "I'm honored to serve as an ambassador to the Diabetes Aware campaign, and I want to encourage families to be active and eat right," said Johnson. "Small steps can go a long way in managing diabetes, its complications, and raising healthy, active children." With the launch of this new PSA, Johnson becomes the latest celebrity ambassador to join the Diabetes Aware program since its inception in 2004. Past ambassadors include Halle Berry, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline and Jon Lovitz among others. "We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation and believe Dwayne Johnson is a great ambassador for the Diabetes Aware program based on his dedication to reaching families, both on-screen and off-screen," said Andrew Purcell, Vice-President of Strategic Business Development at Novo Nordisk. "This partnership truly exemplifies Novo Nordisk's dedication to prevention and ultimately changing diabetes." For additional free patient education resources, visit http://www.changingdiabetes-us.com/. About Diabetes Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. About Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company with an 86-year history of innovation and achievement in diabetes care. The company has the broadest diabetes product portfolio in the industry, including the most advanced products within the area of insulin delivery systems. In addition to diabetes care, Novo Nordisk has a leading position within areas such as hemostasis management, growth hormone therapy, and hormone therapy for women. Novo Nordisk's business is driven by the Triple Bottom Line: a commitment to social responsibility to employees and customers, environmental soundness and economic success. With headquarters in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs more than 27,000 employees in 81 countries, and markets its products in 179 countries. Novo Nordisk's B shares are listed on the stock exchanges in Copenhagen and London. Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'NVO.' For global information, visit novonordisk.com; for United States information, visit novonordisk-us.com. Entertainment Industry Foundation The Entertainment Industry Foundation, as a leading charity of the entertainment industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars -- and provided countless hours -- to support charitable initiatives that address some of the most critical issues facing our society. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020404/NVOLOGODATASOURCE: Novo Nordisk CONTACT: Seth Fowler of EIF, +1-213-240-3927, ; or Susan Jackson of Novo Nordisk, +1-609-919-7776, ; or Shira Silberman of Biosector 2, +1-212-845-5612, Web Site: http://www.novonordisk-us.com/

Copyright