- July 18, 2012
- 11:15 am
- Steve Christensen
Weight Watchers program proves effective at LUC
Interested in dropping a few pounds this summer? Loyola’s Weight Watchers program is here to help.
Loyola has partnered with Weight Watchers as part of their Wellness Initiative for 2012. Since the start of the program, the 15 employees in the program at the Lake Shore Campus have lost 180 pounds all together in 17 weeks, says LuAnn Jones, the Weight Watchers leader. “At the Water Tower Campus (WTC), we are seeing similar results,” she adds.
Although the program has been running for less time at WTC, Catherine Kearns, the leader at the Water Tower Campus, says that the 18 employees enrolled in the program have lost 134 pounds all together. Though all campuses have seen success, the Health Sciences Campus employees in Maywood have seen the most weight loss and most program participation: collectively, the 40 employees enrolled in the program have lost a whopping 1,200 pounds.
Employees are encouraged to sign up for Weight Watchers at a discounted rate and after attending 12 sessions, Loyola reimburses them for half of their fee. Employees have the opportunity to participate in the program right at work with weekly meetings held at each campus. One employee and participant, academic advisor Ronald Matthews, says the on-campus meetings have been a motivating factor. “The location is very convenient and I do not have an excuse not to go,” he says.
Instead of using the calorie system, Weight Watchers has developed the PointsPlus system, which is based on each participant’s personal characteristics (gender, age, weight, height, and physical activity), which is a selling point for some participants. “The point system is easier to keep track of, rather than having to count calories,” says Matthews.
Depending on their personal characteristics, the participants are given a set amount of points to eat in a day, access to a guide, and Internet sources to find all the information about the points. Members are encouraged to attend meetings where they share personal achievements and get motivation and mutual support handling challenges that they encounter. Matthews says “meetings give you accountability and it helps you stick to your commitment. Also, it is a place where there is no judgment on what you say or how you look.”
For more on the program, click here.
