Anna Green

The Pike County division of Scale Back Alabama is gearing up for weigh-outs on March 16-19 after a ten-week long weight loss effort by participants.

Each participant in Scale Back is part of a team of four members, whose purpose is to motivate one another and provide a support system for each person.

Christy Hill, the Pike County project director for Steps to a Healthier Alabama, said that team members set their own individual weight loss goals.

“The teams are set up to help each participant, but team members make their own individual weight loss goals. The overall goal is to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks,” Hill said. “Even if every member hasn’t lost the 10 pounds, the members that have will still go into a statewide drawing for prizes.”

Hill said that interest in Scale Back Alabama has grown tremendously since its start three years ago.

“This is the third year we have done it, and interest has grown tremendously. The Alabama Department of Public Health saw a huge jump in the amount of people that weighed in this year,” Hill said. “We will see how many people come to weigh-out, and then we will have a better idea of how much the program has grown.”

Weigh-outs will start Monday, March 16 from 9:00 a.m until 4:00 p.m. The Tuesday and Wednesday weigh-outs will start at 9:00 a.m. and go through 12:00 p.m. The final date to weigh-out is Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.