Thursday, March 20, 2008

Every day we are bombarded with information about the obesity epidemic in America and its related health consequences. Recent data from the North Carolina Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System shows North Carolinians are among some of the heaviest in the U.S. More than 60 percent of adults in New Hanover County and 63 percent of Brunswick County adults are overweight or obese.

In January of 2008, The Obesity Prevention Initiative of Cape Fear Healthy Carolinians(located at the University of North Carolina Wilmington) received a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation to implement a free weight loss program to women in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties. The Weight Wise Women initiative will focus on cooking healthy and nutritious meals, making healthy food choices and encouraging physical activity in daily routines. Those who are interested in participating must be low-income women, age 40-64 years, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or above.

Participants will be randomized to determine whether they begin the program in May or September of 2008. The program is 16 weeks long, with one two-hour class per week. Participants that start in May will receive maintenance classes (one two-hour class per month) for an additional eight months after the initial 16-week intervention. Participants that begin in September will receive maintenance classes for four months after their 16-week intervention. Participants will be required to go through a health and fitness assessment in April 2008, specific date and time to be determined. The Obesity Prevention Initiative is committed to improving healthy eating and physical activity in our community by encouraging people to make simple yet permanent lifestyle changes that will help them move toward a healthier weight.

For more information about the Weight Wise Women program, please contact Erin Cummings at 910.962.2133 or 910.962.7964 or by e-mail, cummingse@uncw.edu. For more information on how to stay healthy, visit our Web site at www.capefearhealthycarolinians.org and click on Obesity Prevention.