Biggest Loser Community Challenge Informational Meeting February 1

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Published on January 20 2016 4:25 pm
Last Updated on January 20 2016 4:25 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

Need motivation to stick to that New Year’s Resolution you made to lose weight? Then join the “Biggest Loser Community Challenge,” sponsored by the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. The Biggest Loser Community Challenge focuses on healthy people, healthy companies and healthy communities. This fun, health and wellness challenge will get you moving, eating better, having fun and losing weight, while also competing against each other for exciting prizes!

This 8-week challenge kicks off February 15 and runs through April 8.  Teams of four register for the challenge on the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce Web site, at the cost of $100 per team. During the eight weeks, team members will receive:

·         Individual Private Wellness Account

·         Online Community

·         Unique Challenges each week

·         Challenge Mobile App

·         Dynamic Leaderboards

·         Motivation from Celebrities

·         Interactive Health Tools

·         Weekly Prizes

And so much more!

Participants will earn points for each minute of activity they engage in. The focus of the challenge is not weight loss but overall wellness. However, positive side effects may include weight loss!

To launch this exciting community wellness activity, there will be a free kick-off event on Monday, February 1 at the Richard E. Workman Sports & Wellness Complex, from 5 to 7 p.m.  The special guest speaker for the event is a previous “Biggest Loser” contestant, Sonya Jones!  Jones, whose hometown is Springfield, competed in the 16th season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” At the start of her season, this physical education teacher and coach weighed 283 pounds, but lost 144 pounds on the show, reaching 139 pounds before she was eliminated.  Jones will share her story and encourage the community as they begin this challenge. HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital worked with Prairie Heart Institute of Illinois to bring Jones to the community for this event.

In addition to Jones’ presentation, the kick-off event will include pre-challenge health screenings including blood pressure, weight and body composition, and a 15-20 minute group walk. No reservations are required.

To conclude the 8-week challenge, the Chamber will sponsor an End-of-Challenge and Celebration event on Friday, April 8 at Noon at the Richard E. Workman Sports & Wellness Complex. At this event, post-challenge screenings will be conducted including blood pressure, weight and body composition, to determine everyone’s health improvement.  Door prizes drawings will be held.

To learn more or to register for the challenge, visit the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce Web page at  http://www.effinghamcountychamber.com/. You can also go to

 http://www.biggestlosercommunity.com/thechallenge to register. For more information, contact the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce at 342-4147.