by Marisa Treviño of Latina Lista

Appearance will be at Wal-Mart on Garland Road as part of Smart Spot Dance! Initiative.

GARLAND — No secreto that too many Latinos suffer from being overweight, but Mario Lopez is going to help us all shed those unwanted pounds!

Yup, the same Mario Lopez who was Screech's buddy Slater on that 90s sitcom "Saved by the Bell." Lately, Lopez has been building on his popular stint on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars by traveling across the country promoting dancing as a fun and more effective way to exercise.

Of course, he especially wants to reach Latinos with this message. So, where is the one place in the DFW area he's going where he knows Latinos are?

Wal-Mart.

To be exact, it's the Wal-Mart on Garland Road in Garland. Lopez will be appearing at the store next Friday, September 28 as part of the national PepsiCo multicultural campaign Smart Spot Dance! Initiative. Lopez represents the part of the campaign that targets Latinos.

According to a study commissioned by PepsiCo, dancing is just as good, if not better, than walking as a way to burn calories. Anyone who has danced a cumbia knows that already, but the press release for the event says that the initiative "intends to empower and motivate the Latino and African American communities to adopt healthier, more active lifestyles." If that means they're going to show us how to dance past the candy aisle, the bakery, and the soda section, then I'm all for it.

But I have a feeling that the Latinas who show up will be more interested in helping Lopez wipe the sweat off his brow than really thinking about the benefits of dancing – especially at 6 p.m. at Wal-Mart.

However, on the chance that you really are looking to incorporate dancing into your fitness routine, and there's no way you can make it to see Lopez, there's a good alternative.

On the initiative's web site, there are two very cool features:

1. A downloadable dance exercise video.

2. The opportunity to create your own dance routine.

Of course, there's no substitute for seeing this Latino hottie who seems to be all over the flat screen these days. And if you're wondering what else he'll be up to while he's in town, you might want to check his "dance" blog.

To be eligible to take a lesson from Mario Lopez, you have to be at least 18 years old and register by calling 1-866-447-6988. Space is limited.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Wal-Mart

3159 Garland Ave

Garland, Texas

6:00-7:00 p.m.

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