They reside in Maine communities large and small. From Lewiston and Portland and Bangor, to places most Mainers have never even heard of, like St. Agatha’s, Wallagrass, and Cornville, residents of the Pine Tree State are registering to compete in Lighten ME! Maine’s statewide team weight loss and get fit competition.
Teams of between two and 10 adults are already making an early commitment to improving their health and helping their co-workers, family, and friends do the same through this program offered by the Maine Games starting next month.
From Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, to the Fat Free Radicals, to the team known as Happy New Rears, more than 25 teams have already registered for the fourth year of this ground-breaking health initiative.
“This time of year you can’t pick up a newspaper or watch a newscast without seeing stories about how America has an overweight, obesity and inactivity problem,” says Maine Games executive director, Jeff Scully.
“More than 65 percent of all Mainers are overweight or obese, and more than one in three admit they have no exercise or physical activity in their daily lives,” says Scully. “Lighten ME! addresses these problems head on with a proven method of motivation and success.”
Nationally, the numbers aren’t any better, but programs like Lighten ME!, the Mass Shape Up (Massachusetts), N-Lighten Nebraska, and the Show-Me-State Shape Up (Missouri), have emulated the success of Lighten Up Iowa, which began in 2002. Since 2004, more than 3,000 Mainers have lost more than 21,000 pounds and logged more than 750,000 miles of exercise. These Lighten Up America programs are offered by member organizations of the National Congress of State Games.
In 2001, two former Iowa governors approached the Iowa Games and asked them to consider offering some sort of program which encouraged weight loss and more activity as a means to improve the health of residents of the Hawkeye State. The result was Lighten Up Iowa. In their first year, 1,400 Iowans took part. By 2006, more than 40,000 Iowans took advantage of the annual competition which offers incentives and motivation to lose weight and add exercise to daily routines. To date, Iowan’s have dropped more than 305,000 pounds and logged millions of miles of exercise through Lighten Up Iowa.
Because Lighten ME! is entering its fourth year, the proof of its success may be seen in the number of teams which are coming back for a second, third or fourth year. “Some of the participants change from year to year, but the same team captains and team names are starting to show up again for 2007,” says Scully. “It’s something they are starting to look at as an annual thing.”
Twenty-seven teams from Fort Kent alone, competed in 2006, and many of them have already registered again for 2007.
Scully’s goal for Lighten ME! is 2007 is to register more than 200 teams and at least 1,500 Mainers. He estimates that participants could lose as much as 10,000 pounds, and log more than 300,000 miles of exercise.
Registrations are now being accepted and the program runs from Jan. 22 through May 2 (102 days). More information is available at: www.lightenme.org.
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