HOPKINSVILLE, KY (1/23/12) – The 2nd Annual HopDown the Pounds event is now underway. This effort is designed to help residents of Christian County adopt healthier lifestyle choices at the beginning of the year.
The campaign is a project of the Healthy Community Coalition. The coalition is made up of representatives from the YMCA, Jennie Stuart Medical Center, Christian County Health Department, Purely Nutritious (Devon Jenkins) and the Christian County Extension Office.
Participants had their initial weigh-in on Saturday at Bradford Square Mall. For the next eight weeks, they receive guidance from experts in fitness, nutrition, cooking and wellness. Kevin Meacham, Senior Program Director with the YMCA, says it takes a comprehensive approach to live healthy, “We realize in order to be healthy it’s not just about exercise and coming to the Y or going out and running and riding a bike. You have to change the way you live and part of that is how you feed yourself.”
Meacham says a cross-section of the community has turned out for the program. Everyone from families with teenagers to senior citizens will be focused on healthy living over the next eight weeks. He says he hopes people are doing the event to get healthy, but he recognizes that the prize money is an eye-catcher. The top male and top female will each win $1,000 based upon percentage of weight-loss. Winners within each age-category will receive $250.
Meacham says the program helps provide motivation, “If you have an event, it creates, hopefully, a culture of keeping people accountable and motivated.” HopDown the Pounds continues with healthy opportunities until the final weigh-in on March 17.
David Bryant
SurfKY News
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