Big loss can be big gain for charity

BENTON — In about two months, one lucky charity will gain a large donation from a bunch of losers.

Four central-Arkansas fitness centers, including Fitness Unlimited in Benton and Hot Springs Health & Fitness, will hold an eight-week weightloss competition beginning Monday. Teams of four will compete to see who can lose the highest percentage of weight. Entry fees are $200 per team, and registration is open through Friday.

The winning team will get to donate all of the funds raised through the entry fees collected from all four fitness centers, minus minor expenses, to its favorite charity.

Each team must have at least two female members. The entry fees will give contestants two months of access to the exercise equipment, including weights and cardio machines, at one of the four health facilities. Besides Fitness Unlimited and Hot Springs Health & Fitness, teams are eligible to join the competition at Fitness Premier in Little Rock and Anytime Fitness in North Little Rock.

Te a m m e m b e r s m u s t

choose one facility at which

to work out and conduct their

weigh-ins, said Kim McClen

don, manager of Fitness Un

limited. That will allow for a

contestant’s records to be kept

at one facility, she said.

Weigh-ins will be held ev

ery other Monday, with the

first weigh-in taking place

this Monday at the respective

fitness centers.

While one charity will ben

efit from the competition, Mc-

Clendon said that for her, the

challenge is more about help

ing people become healthier

rather than the competition

itself.

“Our main goal is to bring

awareness to a health crisis,”

McClendon said. “Obesity is

an epidemic that is getting

out of control. We want to

help people get kick-startedand show them that they can do it, that it is possible [to lose weight].”

She said that obesity is a growing trend across the United States and that Arkansas is“one of the heaviest states.”

“My biggest thing is that you can lose weight,” McClendon said.

In an additional effort to help contestants lose weight, team members will have the opportunity to meet with a food coach from Thin and Healthy’s Total Solution, whowill work with contestants on ways to select healthy foods and lose weight in a healthy fashion. McClendon said it is recommended that contestants visit with a coach at least twice a week and keep a food diary.

But McClendon said she realizes that having fun will helppeople stay more involved and lose more weight. She said the fitness centers are trying to get school districts and businesses involved, as well as encouraging challenges between teams.

“We are just trying to find ways to make it more fun,” she said.

In addition to the overall prize for the winning team, there will be individual prizes. McClendon said the person who loses the largest percentage of weight will win tickets to an Arkansas Razorbacks football game this fall. Other prizes are in the works as well, she said.

For more i n for mat ion about the competition, call Fitness Unlimited at (501) 778-2571 or Hot Springs Health & Fitness at (501) 525-8446 or (501) 525-4900.

Staff writer Donnie Sewell can be reached at (501) 918-4527 or dsewell@arkansasonline.com.