Enter to Lose, and Win!

(January, 2008) Losers could be winners in a new contest sponsored by the SouthtownStar newspaper and the Southland Health Alliance.

Ingalls Family Care Center in Flossmoor is participating as a weigh-in location, along with four other Southland hospitals, in a 10-week healthy weight loss challenge. Our goal is to help our neighbors improve their health status by achieving a healthier weight

“Lose to Win” combines all the elements of a healthy weight-loss program -- nutritional information, fitness tips and peer support -- with the added incentive of cash prizes. Two grand prize winners will receive $500 each, and smaller weekly prizes will be awarded for winners at each site.

“A lot of people made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight,” said Mike Waters, co-publisher of the SouthtownStar. “They know good health is important.

“But, let’s face it, losing weight is not easy, especially if you try to do it alone,” Waters said. “With Lose to Win we’ll try to make it more fun by making it a shared experience.”

Lose to Win officially kicks off with registration and an initial weigh-in Jan. 29 to 31.

• Tuesdays from 10 am to noon;
• Wednesdays from 10 am to noon and 5:30 to 6:30 pm; and
• Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. each week for your weekly weigh-ins for 10 weeks.

Contestants can pre-register by phone starting Jan. 14 (the first 50 to register at Ingalls will receive a free HealthyFit meal.)

You must weigh in at the same location to be eligible to receive any cash prizes. At the initial weigh in, you will be asked to show your photo I.D. and to write about why you want to choose a healthy lifestyle in 50 words or less to use in a news story if you are a winner and in the event of a weight loss tie.

Each of the five sites will award $25 weekly cash prizes to one man and one woman who lost the highest percentage of body weight in the past seven days. To qualify for a weekly prize, contestants must have weighed in on the same day at the same site the week before.

The $500 grand prizes will be awarded to one man and one woman who lost the highest percentage of body weight among the contestants at all five sites. The final weigh-in will be April 8-10. To be eligible for the grand prize, contestants must weigh in on the same day of the week as their initial weigh-in.

(Contest is subject to official rules also posted on this Web site. Entrants are strongly encouraged to consult a physician prior to participating.)

Fitness and nutrition experts will be on hand at weigh-in locations to offer diet and workout advice and to answer questions.

The SouthtownStar will help keep participants motivated with regular features on nutrition and fitness, as well as weekly updates on the progress of the successful participants.

To learn more, and to register at the Ingalls Family Care Center location, please call 708.915.LOSE (5673).

Click here to view the "Lose to Win" Rules.

The Southland Health Alliance is a consortium of health care organizations in the SouthtownStar readership area that work together to promote fitness, nutrition and disease prevention through education and community outreach.

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