State’s largest weight loss challenge begins Monday
Published 6:45 am Saturday, January 18, 2020
Alabama consistently ranks as one of the most obese in the nation, resting in the sixth-highest place as of 2018, but health officials hope 2020 will be the year Alabamians earn a healthier ranking.
Scale Back Alabama is a free annual campaign that encourages those 18 and older who live or work in the state to lose at least 10 pounds in 10 weeks. As extra motivation, those who accomplish the goal have a chance to win cash prizes.
“Scale Back Alabama is a 10-week, free and fun way to fight obesity and chronic disease head-on,” Samford University dietetic intern Tammie Brown said. “This year’s challenge encourages participants to set small goals that lead to big changes.”
The 2020 theme for the challenge is “See Healthier, Be Healthier.” Now the largest weight loss and physical activity challenge in the state, SBA kicks off its 14th consecutive year with the free weigh-in week Jan. 20–26.
To participate, individuals must visit scalebackalabama.com/join and register as a two-person team. They must then visit one of the official public weigh-in sites next week to log their starting weight, do their best to lose 10 pounds or more and return to a weigh-in site during the week of April 6–12 to log their ending weight.
Teams that successfully shed the pounds will be entered into a random drawing. Three teams will win $1,000 per team member, three will win $500 per team member, and three will win $250 per team member. Individuals that lose the weight and do not win a team prize are eligible to win one of 40 $100 prizes.
Brown said SBA, which has helped Alabamians lose more than 1 million pounds since its inception, encourages participants to focus on nutritious eating, safe and age-appropriate physical activities, and healthy lifestyle tips. To that end, the SBA website offers health tips for each week of the challenge and resources to maintain a healthy lifestyle year-round.
As of Friday, only the Limestone County Health Department at 20371 Clyde Mabry Drive, Athens, was registered as a public weigh-in site in Limestone County. However, the Alabama Department of Health encourages individuals and teams to check the SBA website often, as new sites are added regularly.
