NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 11/27/12 -- DietBet, a social dieting company that brings people together to lose weight and win money, today announced a new feature that lets players donate their winnings to a charity of their choice. DietBetters commit to losing four percent of their starting weight in four weeks and everyone who reaches their goal splits the pot. Now, with this new feature, players can allocate some or all of their winnings to charity. This lets people raise money for causes by simply losing a few extra pounds.

DietBet launched this feature with a $1,950 game for Hurricane Sandy relief. Half the pot will be donated to the American Red Cross; the rest will be split up among the winners. The game ends on December 12.

"We thought it was appropriate to use our new charity platform to help our neighbors who are still hurting from Sandy," said Jamie Rosen, founder of DietBet, which is based in downtown New York. "Normally players lose weight just for themselves. This is bigger. It's extra motivation for anyone looking to get in shape."

"I saw the devastation on TV," said Colin Baker, one of the players in the inaugural charity dietbet, who lives in Hong Kong. "Seeing a game that was raising money to help tipped me in favor of doing it. This has been a much more personally meaningful way to help with relief efforts than just writing a check."

"It's a new twist on walkathons," said Rosen. "We think charities of all sizes will see DietBet as a new way to engage their advocates and raise funds. With two-thirds of the American population overweight, it's not just helping the organization; it's also helping the organization's supporters."

Organizations can set up dietbets quickly and for free at: https://www.dietbet.com/charity.

About DietBet
DietBet is a social dieting company that is pioneering a whole new way to lose weight. It brings people together to lose weight as a community instead of the traditional way of dieting alone. And, it's working. With DietBet, 90 percent of players lose weight, with an average of over eight pounds in four weeks. The game is simple: lose four percent of your weight in four weeks and you win. DietBet was founded by Jamie Rosen and was launched in January 2012. DietBet players come from across the globe -- with more than 45 countries represented thus far. Find DietBet on Facebook and Twitter. A mobile app is also available.