Carra Almond, last year’s “Lighten Up 4 Life” winner. Photo: Urban News

More than 3,000 individuals and 200 businesses dropped ten tons of excess weight in the first two campaigns.

staff reports

As part of its efforts to educate the public on the importance of key health measures, Mission Healthcare System recently kicked off its 2009-10 “Lighten Up 4 Life” campaign. More than 3,000 individuals and 200 businesses dropped ten tons of excess weight in the first two campaigns; the more than 20,000 pounds lost reflected an average loss of 5.2 percent of body weight.

The Lighten Up 4 Life program was designed as a five-month weight loss challenge, creating teams of employees at area businesses and organizations who encourage and support each other to lose weight and become healthier.

“This year we are structuring the program a little differently,” according to Becky Brown, Mission’s Marketing Manager and co-coordinator for the Lighten Up 4 Life event. “In talking with participants we learned that five months is not enough time to completely change your lifestyles and eating habits. We want to be able to allow people a opportunity to be more involved in the program on an ongoing basis, so the lifestyle transition will be easier,” Brown says.

In this year’s campaign there will be three 16-week trimesters that will continue throughout the year, allowing people to participate in one, two, or all three. Carra Almond, who works at Emma Elementary School, participated in last year’s five-month, single-team campaign, and her loss of 70 pounds made her the biggest winner. Emma Elementary employees plan to enter two four-person teams this year.

Mission Healthcare System is also collaborating for the first time with other area hospitals, including McDowell County Hospital and Pardee Hospital in Henderson County.

For more information or to participate in the “Lighten Up 4 Life” weight-loss campaign, visit www.lightenup4life.com .

Donita Fleming, V.P. of Support Sevices, officially kicks off the annual “Lighten Up 4 Life” campaign at Emma Elementary School.  Photo: Urban News