GNC Partners With St. Jude Children's Research Hospital(R) on the 5th Anniversary of the Thanks and Giving(R) Campaign

PITTSBURGH, PA--(Marketwire - October 27, 2008) - GNC announced today that it has once again partnered with St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital® for the 5th anniversary of the Thanks and Giving® campaign. In its third year participating in the Thanks and Giving campaign, GNC asks employees and customers at its more than 4,900 retail locations to "give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not." Consumers who shop with GNC during the campaign, which begins October 31, will have the opportunity to make a donation at point of purchase to benefit St. Jude. GNC joins many of the nation's leading brands and most respected companies and their customers as they help St. Jude to fulfill its mission of finding cures and saving the lives of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

"We are delighted to join St. Jude once again to support this amazing outreach program, and after having toured the St. Jude facility, I am even more dedicated to supporting this fantastic organization," said Tom Dowd, Executive Vice President, Store Operations & Development. "GNC believes that giving to the Thanks and Giving campaign is one of the best ways that all of us can step back and do something important to help children this Holiday season."

"The children of St. Jude, their moms and dads and I are thrilled to welcome back GNC to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Thanks and Giving campaign," said Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director for St. Jude. "GNC's dedication to this holiday campaign helps ensure that St. Jude can continue the lifesaving research and care that has brought hope to so many families."

Customers are encouraged to participate by:

--  Shopping where you see the St. Jude Thanks and Giving logo -- a
    magnifying glass set against a bright green background, which symbolizes
    the ongoing search for cures at St. Jude.  Visit www.tg.stjude.org for a
    list of participating partners.
--  Adding a donation at the check-out counter.
--  Purchasing specialty merchandise at participating partners to benefit
    St. Jude.
--  Donating online at www.tg.stjude.org or by calling 1-800-4STJUDE.  You
    can also make a donation in memory or honor of a loved one and send a
    special Thanks and Giving holiday tribute card.
    

About St. Jude

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is the nation's leading pediatric cancer research and treatment center and the only one that covers all of the costs of medicine and treatment. Children come to St. Jude from across the country and around the world, and St. Jude covers the cost of food, travel and lodging for the patient and a family member. Eighty-five cents of every dollar received supports the research and treatment at St. Jude. Pioneering treatments at St. Jude have driven the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer, from 4 percent when the hospital opened in 1962 to 94 percent today. The research findings and treatment protocols developed at St. Jude are freely shared with the global scientific and medical communities.

About Thanks and Giving

The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® Thanks and Giving® national campaign is an unprecedented union of celebrities, media, retail and corporate partners that ask consumers to "Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not." The Thanks and Giving initiative was created in 2004 by Marlo Thomas and her siblings, Terre and Tony Thomas, children of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas. Funds raised by the campaign support the lifesaving work of St. Jude -- to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. St Jude impacts the lives of children in communities across the country. Consumers are asked to shop at companies where the St. Jude green magnifying glass logo is displayed; donate online at www.tg.stjude.org, where a list of fundraising partners is available, or call 1-800-4STJUDE.

About GNC

GNC, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, is the largest global specialty retailer of nutritional products, including vitamin, mineral, herbal and other specialty supplements and sports nutrition, diet and energy products. GNC has more than 4,900 retail locations throughout the United States (including 978 franchise and 1,358 Rite Aid store-within-a-store locations) and franchise operations in 49 international markets. The company -- which is dedicated to helping consumers Live Well -- also offers products and product information online at www.gnc.com.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Beth Johns General Nutrition Centers 412-288-8361