UnitedHealthcare and Bronner
Bros. are hosting the third annual “Hair Fitness” competition for
exercise-friendly hairstyles at the Bronner Bros. International Hair
Show, a trade show that draws 60,000 hairstylists from across the nation.
Dr. Reed Tuckson, UnitedHealth Group; celebrity stylist Elgin Charles, Amy Hilliard, James Bronner and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin celebrate with winning stylist Jason Griggers and his model at the 2011 Bronner Brothers International Hair Show (Photo: Russell Kaye).
The Hair Fitness competition will take place Sunday, Aug. 5, during the
Bronner Bros. International Hair Show at the Georgia World Congress
Center in Atlanta and is designed to promote styles that help
African-American women look great while staying fit.
The event will kick off at 10 a.m. ET with the “Stylin’ Healthier
Futures” class. Celebrity stylist Elgin Charles and Bronner Bros. master
hairstylist Sherita Cherry will demonstrate hairstyles that balance
beauty and an active lifestyle. In addition, a health professional will
teach stylists how to introduce healthy-living practices to their
customers.
At 2 p.m. ET, UnitedHealthcare will host the “Hair Fitness Competition,”
in which hairstylists compete to create stylish, exercise-friendly
hairstyles. The grand-prize-winning stylist will be awarded $5,000, and
the winning styles will be publicized nationally in Upscale Magazine and
online. Attendees include Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., Surgeon
General of the United States; celebrity hairstylist Elgin Charles, known
as the “Emperor of Hair” and star of VH1’s Beverly Hills Fabulous;
WNBA Washington Mystics player Ashley Robinson; and Reed Tuckson, M.D.,
Executive Vice President and Chief of Medical Affairs at UnitedHealth
Group and former Public Health Commissioner for the District of Columbia.
The Hair Fitness competition is inspired by studies that have shown many
African-American women avoid certain kinds of fitness activities in
order to maintain their hairstyles, citing the time and cost involved,
as well as by the alarming rates of obesity among African Americans.
According to the 2011 edition of America’s Health Rankings®, the
prevalence of obesity among African Americans in 36 states and the
District of Columbia exceeds 30 percent, which outpaces obesity rates
for whites and poses serious health consequences, including diabetes and
heart disease.
“We believe people should never have to choose between their health and
a great look,” said Dr. Tuckson. “There is a way to have both, and
that’s why we’re grateful for the opportunity to again partner with
Bronner Bros. and stylists across the country to showcase the latest
fit-friendly styles.”
The Bronner Bros. International Hair Show Hair Fitness competition will
include three categories: low-impact workout, which involves little to
no sweat and requires only one shampoo/condition per week;
moderate-impact workout, which involves modest sweat and requires 1-2
shampoo/conditions per week; and high-impact, which involves profuse
sweating and requires 2-3 shampoo/conditions per week. The stylists will
be judged on the technical execution of the styles, originality,
suitability and head contour, and new ideas. The hair show will give
stylists in attendance ideas for clients who are looking to become more
active and health-conscious, while maintaining their hair regimen.
“Worrying about your hair should never be a reason not to exercise,”
said Charles. “As stylists, we have an important role to play in
educating our clients not only about how to manage their hair, but also
how to make their hairstyle support a healthy lifestyle. My hope is that
through this contest, we’ll help women everywhere understand that they
don’t have to sacrifice their health to look great.”
UnitedHealthcare recognizes that stylists represent a powerful force for
enhancing African-Americans’ health. UnitedHealthcare launched a Stylin’
Healthier Futures pilot in Milwaukee last year to encourage healthier
lifestyles among local African-American women and their families. It
includes training and engaging stylists to create exercise-friendly
hairstyles, and has reached more than 300 people in Milwaukee’s
African-American communities. The pilot has shown that stylists are
willing and able to learn new styling techniques and health tips and
encourage their customers to maintain both their hairstyles and their
exercise regimens successfully. Based on this success, UnitedHealthcare
is planning to expand the program to other cities.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to
helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health
care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and
sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers
the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers
and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with
more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals
nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 38 million people and is
one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified
Fortune 50 health and well-being company.
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