Many Americans want to lose weight, but few actually achieve their goal. This year, though, many Rhode Islanders are taking steps toward getting healthy - and they're counting them with pedometers.
Shape Up R.I., a nonprofit initiative in which citizens of the Ocean State will compete to lose weight, began this year's competition Jan. 29 with over 6,700 participants, including hundreds of University employees, according to Rajiv Kumar '05 MD'09, the program's founder.
The University is paying the $15 participation fee for each participating employee, covering expenses for materials such as pedometers and wristbands. That support has led to an increase in participation - last year there were 12 teams made up of about 100 Brown employees total, far less than this year's 431 employees participating, some of whom are members of the 38 official Brown teams.
In December, Kumar and the program's chief advisor, Ray Rickman, made a presentation to the Health Promotion Committee suggesting the University cover the fees in exchange for some information on how well their employees do in the competition.
"Shape Up R.I. will provide Brown with general information - no individual results - on employees' well-being and how much employees are participating. We hope we can positively impact everybody's health and wellness," said Drew Murphy, director of benefits in Human Resources.
Murphy, who is taking part in the general fitness and the pedometer step competitions of the program, said the Health Promotion Committee then recommended the University finance employee participation in the Shape Up program. He attributed the increase in participation by Brown employees to greater publicity for the program, not just the University's financial assistance.
Grouped in teams of 5 to 11 members, participants support each other while trying to win competitions in weight loss, total exercise hours and pedometer steps taken. In the program's debut last year, 205 teams lost a total of 5,911 pounds and logged 69,132 hours of exercise.
The program's team-building spirit is popular among competitors like Cynthia Yearwood, coordinator of learning, professional development and employee programs in the University's human resources department. "There is a fun competitiveness. We're all striving to reach our goals of losing weight, increasing exercise and being more aware of health, but there's a competitiveness to it too, of saying, 'We're going to win,' " she said.
Rickman credited this year's high participation in part to what he described as a greatly improved Web site. Its features include easier registration, a private weight tracker and an image of a person that moves across the screen to track progress. Participants also receive e-mail newsletters with health tips and are encouraged to attend healthy cooking demonstrations across the state.
Kumar has ambitious goals for Shape Up R.I.
"I'd love 15,000 people in the program next year. We'll keep expanding as long as people are excited," he said. He said there are plans to create a Shape Up R.I. for youth, which is currently being tested at several high schools and middle schools across the state that will promote healthy eating and physical activity for children.
Kumar is also eager to see the fruits of his labor.
"I can't wait to see the day when we can see the impact in the health statistics," he said. "When obesity is decreasing, we'll feel like we've succeeded, and we can see that in a place the size of Rhode Island."
In the meantime, he has to rely on anecdotal evidence to measure the program's success, but he said he's not lacking for inspirational stories.
"People who have never exercised in their lives now exercise four to five times per week. They have never been more excited, never been healthier, never looked forward to waking up in the morning like now," Kumar said. "One woman was able to opt out of gallbladder surgery because she lost weight. Diabetics decreased their numbers of medications due to losing weight. That's what really keeps us going - bringing the program to as many people as possible."
