DaVita Inc., a leading provider of dialysis services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease, launched DaVita Diet Helper™ to make kidney-friendly meals easy to plan, prepare and track. This all-purpose online meal planning tool helps dialysis patients, their caregivers and renal dietitians and physicians plan proper nutrition based on 24 unique kidney-diet prescriptions. The tool also provides tasty, easy-to- prepare recipes, complete weekly meal plans, online grocery lists, and nutrition trackers that can be printed and shared with doctors and dietitians, making management of the renal diet more effective and improving patients' nutritional intake and quality of care.

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"The main goal of DaVita Diet Helper is to help patients stay healthy as evidenced by their lab results, fluid balance and good nutritional intake," said Sara Colman RD, CDE, DaVita® Nutrition Project Specialist. "DaVita Diet Helper is an easy way for patients to know what they can and can't eat and in what portions to keep their protein, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and fluids in check. Sticking to any diet is a challenge, but with DaVita Diet Helper it's a lot easier for our dialysis patients to stay on track."

Diet is an integral part of the treatment for managing chronic kidney disease and ensuring patients' overall health and quality of life. Because the kidneys can no longer filter and eliminate waste products and excess fluid, kidney diets are focused on maintaining adequate nutrition and keeping minerals and electrolytes in balance. Renal dietitians work closely with individual patients to create customized diet plans based on treatment type, disease stage and related conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

The renal diet can be difficult for patients who are accustomed to traditional beliefs about a healthy diet. Rather than focusing on fat and calorie intake, kidney patients need to focus on phosphorus, potassium and sodium intake, while getting adequate calories and protein, as well as limiting overall fluid intake.

Patients are finding the tool both easy and helpful. A patient and user of the tool, Bobbi, noted on the DaVita website that, "I've been on dialysis for four years, and food has always been an issue. This system has breathed new life in me! The recipes are not only fabulous, but there is such a variety! This makes it easy to stay on target!"

DaVita Diet Helper was developed in partnership with eDiets and took more than a year to complete. eDiets provided the customized nutrition analysis and tracking tools. DaVita dietitians helped eDiets dietitians create corresponding meal planning for the 24 unique renal diet prescriptions relating to differing amounts of phosphorus, potassium and sodium allowed in dialysis patients' diets. DaVita recommends that any patients interested in using this tool should consult with their healthcare team before changing their diet. DaVita Diet Helper can be accessed online at http://www.davita.com/diethelper.

In addition to DaVita Diet Helper, DaVita.com hosts a robust recipe section with more than 450 current choices that make it easier for patients to enjoy a variety of tasty food options. Recipes can be found at http://www.davita.com/recipes.

DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500® company, is a leading provider of dialysis services in the United States, providing dialysis services for patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita manages over 1,300 outpatient facilities and acute units in over 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 103,000 patients. For more information please visit http://www.davita.com/.

About eDiets.com

eDiets.com, Inc. is a premier online diet, fitness, and healthy living destination offering professional advice, information, products and services to those seeking to improve their health and longevity. Since 1997 more than 2 million consumers interested in weight loss and disease management worldwide have become eDiets.com members. In addition to more than 20 personalized nutrition and fitness programs, eDiets.com members gain access to both peer support and advice from a network of health experts. eDiets.com provides ultimate convenience with DeliciouslyYours, rated 2007's "#1 meal delivery service" by Epicurious.com. Working with brand-name companies in food, pharmaceutical, insurance, nutrition and fitness, eDiets.com also offers customized web-based programs to businesses. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL, eDiets.com operates websites at http://www.ediets.com/, http://www.deliciouslyyours.com/, http://www.efitness.com/ and http://www.edietscorporateservices.com/. For more information, please call (954) 360-9022 or visit http://www.ediets.com/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: LeAnne.Zumwalt@davita.com

SOURCE: DaVita Inc.