Area doctors are putting their weight behind a new community initiative to combat obesity.
The Summit County Medical Society is launching a Weight Loss Challenge to encourage residents to get active and shed those extra pounds.
Anyone 18 and older who lives or works in Summit County can sign up for the three-month program, which challenges participants to improve their health while winning prizes by losing the largest percentage of body weight.
Area doctors decided to start the program to educate the public about the importance of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
“Our concern has been obesity,” said Dr. Todd Beyer, an ophthalmologist in Tallmadge who is serving as president of the medical society. “It’s an epidemic, in my opinion, and it is affecting very young children, too.
Beyer is among the estimated 80 people who have signed up so far for the competition. He’s trying to lose about 15 pounds.
“We need to start getting people in our community involved in wanting to do something about it,” he said. “Our goal is to create awareness.”
Nearly three in 10 Summit County adults (28 percent) are considered obese, according to a study by the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The region’s obesity rate has ballooned during the past decade. According to data from the Ohio Department of Health, about 20 percent of Summit County adults were obese in 2001.
Organizers of the Summit County Weight Loss Challenge say everyone can win by losing weight.
“If you improve your overall health, lose weight, diet and exercise, you can reduce the likelihood of getting diabetes, heart problems, high cholesterol, glaucoma and even certain cancers,” Summit County Medical Society Executive Director Kari Mancuso said.
Participants in the Summit County Weight Loss Challenge will attend monthly weigh-in events at the University Park YMCA to document their weight-loss progress.
The person who loses the largest percentage of body weight will win a free week’s stay at a condominium in Cozumel that is being donated by one of the medical society’s members, Mancuso said. Another top prize is a free evening at a loge at Canal Park donated by PNC Bank.
The program’s winners will be announced at the annual Docs Who Rock event in October at E.J. Thomas Hall.
There will be registration from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the University Park YMCA, located at 477 East Market St. on the Summa Akron City Hospital campus.
Other sign-up opportunities will be offered weekly until the first weigh-in in mid-August. More information is available by visiting http://scmsoc.org or the Summit County Weight Loss Challenge page on Facebook or by calling 330-773-7267.
The registration fee is $20; Akron Area YMCA members get a $10 discount.
Participants receive a free goody bag from PNC Bank, a weekly email with tips and support, and free health talks presented by area doctors and Summa Health System during the monthly weigh ins.
YMCA members who complete the program requirements are eligible to have their monthly membership fee waived in November, said Doreen Vanchoff, marketing director for the Akron Area YMCA.
“We’re encouraging our Y members to participate in the Summit County Weight Loss Challenge,” she said. “It’s an excellent partnership with the Summit County Medical Society and Summa and the Y to address the health and wellness needs of our community.”
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
