With today's launch of http://www.grapefruiteveryday.com , users can learn how to get a beach-ready body by joining the 90-Day Swimsuit Challenge -- a dietary regime that includes eating half a grapefruit or drinking an 8-ounce serving of grapefruit juice with each meal. Incentives, such as new swimwear from apparel retailer Everything But Water, are offered to the online community to keep Challenge participants motivated throughout the ninety days leading up to swimsuit season.

Guided by "Gigi," a virtual hostess, the website offers:

-- Comprehensive results and details about the grapefruit diet
-- Profiles of successful grapefruit diet participants
-- Healthy diet tips & delicious recipes
-- Details on how to enter the 90-Day Swimsuit Challenge
-- A-Z facts about the healthful benefits of grapefruit and grapefruit juice
-- Prizes and incentives for taking the 90-Day Swimsuit Challenge such as $15 off swimwear from Everything But Water and a portable bottle in which to carry grapefruit juice

"The incredible results of the grapefruit diet study prompted us to create a fun, simple and informative way for people to learn about the positive effects that grapefruit has on overall health and, of course, how it helps women and men lose weight," said Nicole LeBeau, marketing communications manager, Florida Department of Citrus. "Everybody wants to shape up for the summer and by joining the 90-Day Swimsuit Challenge they don't have to do it alone."

The grapefruit diet pilot study was led by Dr. Ken Fujioka of the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, CA. During a 12-week period the study monitored weight and metabolic factors, such as insulin secretion, of 100 men and women who participated in the grapefruit diet study. On average, participants who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost 3.6 pounds, while those who drank a serving of grapefruit juice three times a day lost 3.3 pounds without making any other lifestyle changes. However, many patients in the study lost more than 10 pounds.

Based in Lakeland, Fla., FDOC is a state agency devoted to promoting Florida Citrus products. Florida is one of the world's leading producers of oranges, grapefruits and specialty citrus fruits, with more than 90 percent of Florida oranges being made into orange juice. The economic impact of the citrus industry on Florida's economy is $9 billion, and the industry employs about 90,000 Floridians.

Contact: