Shaking off excess weight? Want a little company? Consider joining the 50 Million Pound Challenge.
Concerned about Americans' battle with the bulge, Chicago-based Dr. Ian Smith started the fitness campaign last year with the help of sponsor State Farm. The effort, which involves free online membership, team tracking, weigh-ins, diet and exercise tips, pedometer kits and fitness events in 14 cities, lit like fire in churches, sororities, fraternities and families nationwide.
To date, 2,360 individuals and 60 group teams in Minnesota have joined the challenge (www.50millionpounds.com), including the Minnesota Movers and Shakers, Minnesota Mommies and Minneapolis Apples.
Nationwide, 650,000 participants have dropped 2,514,480 pounds so far. Craig Nash in Chicago went from 390 to 192 pounds after finding an online community that gave him support 24/7.
"His story is phenomenal," said Smith. His other favorite success story is State Farm's marketing vice president, who first suggested her firm sponsor his program. She lost 50 pounds. "She is exuberant. She started off at 217 and she's doing great," Smith said.
Other successes are mounting. Rita Johnson-Mills, who works in Minnetonka, signed up, hired a personal trainer and has lost 28 pounds since February. "It was the 50 Million Pound Challenge that got me motivated and keeps me motivated," she said.
State Farm spokeswoman Melissa Bailey said such feedback is constant. "It a very viral thing. Once people find the website, they tell other friends. And that is the way it should be, people helping other community members get healthy."
Some trends are emerging. "We have found that people who are on a team are losing 25 percent more weight than the people who are not on a team. That is a significant difference," Bailey said. "The teams are a proven success."
