By Heather Jensen Weekend Anchor/Reporter
News 3 On Your Side
Chantelle Morgan is stepping on the scale, hoping to scale back her weight. News 3 On Your Side
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Stumble It!“My pants are getting a little too tight,” she laughs, “and I didn't want to buy anymore. So I just said, 'I’ll lose weight instead of spending more on clothes.'”
Morgan is a nurse at East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC). She and three of her co-workers are part of a team taking part in the statewide weight loss program Scale Back Alabama. It challenges teams of four to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks.
“Simply losing 10 pounds can greatly decrease your changes of heart disease, your chances of diabetes. There are lots of chronic diseases linked to being overweight and obese,” says Kathie Briggs, Health Promotions and Disease Management Manager with EAMC.
The program provides information about what to eat, how much to put on your plate, and how to get active.
“I printed off the 80 ways to lose weight, and I’ve highlighted what fits me and I’m trying to go by that,” says Morgan.
She can start her activity at work by parking farther away from the door, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or simply walking over to talk to her co-worker instead of sending an email.
But the program is about more than extra steps. It’s about changing daily habits. Alabama ranks high when it comes to adult obesity.
“Alabama is one of the top 3 in the country,” Briggs laughs nervously. “Yeah us!”
Getting an entire state to jump on the scale and shed the pounds is no easy task. So it's also about the money.
“If all four of the team members lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks, then their team is entered in the drawing for $1000 per person,” says Briggs.
If the team doesn't make the weight loss goal collectively, individual team members that lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks can enter to win $250.
The cash incentive, and the desire to weigh less and feel better, could push those in Alabama away from obesity.
Chantelle Morgan hopes her team will do the same for her.
“I’ll need some pushing too!”
It’s not too late to weigh in.
East Alabama Medical Center will hold weigh-ins Thursday, January 10 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m. CST) and Friday, January 11 (8 a.m. – noon CST) at the Diabetes Treatment Center.
To find a participating location nearest you, go to the Scale Back Alabama website.
To see what Georgia's doing about obesity, check out the state's 10-year Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan.
For more on your state's health (including obesity rankings), visit the Trust for America's Health website.
