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Can you be biggest loser? County residents challenged to start shedding weight Staff Writer Do you have what it takes to be Crow Wing County's Biggest Loser?
The Crow Wing County United Way, along with support from area businesses, hospitals and chambers, is coordinating a county-wide weight loss challenge, a fun way for friends, families and co-workers to get in shape together as a team.
While all the details have yet to be finalized, the nine-week weight loss challenge will run from April 18 to June 22, said Heidi Funk, United Way executive director.
Teams of 12 participants will weigh-in together wearing shorts and T-shirts and no shoes on a large scale on April 18 - just after Easter so that they can get one last large holiday meal in before the challenge, said Funk. Free events will be organized for participants each week, such as group walks along the Paul Bunyan Trail, a free 45-minute fitness class at the Brainerd Family YMCA gymnasium and presentations on health and fitness. Health education will be a key component of the challenge, said Funk.
Participants will be able to access healthy recipes, weight loss topics and other information on the United Way's Web site. On June 20, the teams will meet once again on the large scale and weigh-in as a team. On June 22, the teams will celebrate their successes and the winning team that lost the greatest percentage of weight will be announced at a Brainerd Blue Thunder baseball game.
Funk said the idea for the challenge developed from the community needs assessment survey last fall. A survey of 2,500 residents found that the top four concerns were affordable health care, affordable housing, livable wages and meth education. Sixty percent of Crow Wing County residents are considered to be obese and the county-wide weight loss challenge will be a way to attempt to cut down on the obesity rate in the county while providing residents with tools to get active and lose weight.
Fun is the biggest part of the challenge, said Funk.
"It's got to be fun to lose weight," said Funk.
Funk said team members should weigh-in at home and report their weight loss each week to their team captains so the total reported weight loss for each team can be reported on the United Way Web site, to serve as encouragement - and a healthy dose of competition - for everyone.
The Hallett Community Center and the Brainerd Family YMCA both plan to offer special nine-week membership packages for people who would like to work out there during the challenge. Natalie Saatoff, YMCA resource and marketing director, said the YMCA will offer nine-week reduced memberships for challenge participants. Hallett also will offer a special nine-week membership for participants but details are being worked out.
Saatoff said YMCA personal trainer Anita Travica will be offering presentations related to physical fitness and there will be a few free fitness classes offered at the YMCA gym for weight loss challenge participants.
Funk is hoping that other businesses will offer discounts or host special events for weight loss challenge participants, such as a healthy meal offered at a local restaurant.
Cost will be $25 per person, which will help pay for prizes and T-shirts. A portion of the fees will help sponsor community health-care initiatives in the county, said Funk.
Funk said team members can include co-workers, family members or groups of friends. There also will be open teams that individuals can join if they don't have a team of 12. Businesses may sponsor teams of employees. Funk said studies have shown that healthy employees make better employees.
"Let's do it," said Funk. "Let's get this whole community into this. Let's have some fun in the community."
More information will be available in a few weeks on the United Way's Web site, www.unitedwaynow.org. Registration forms also will be available online and at participating businesses.
For more information, call the United Way at 829-2619.
JODIE TWEED can be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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