More than a hundred Front Range Community College students and staff in the first two weeks of the fall semester have joined a statewide movement to improve their health.
The program is called Weigh and Win, a free Kaiser Permanente program that encourages healthy choices in activities and eating. Participants sign up for free at a kiosk that records their weight. The kiosk at the Larimer Campus is in a privacy area inside the Longs Peak Student Center. It is available to the public when the center is open. More than 50 kiosks are located throughout Colorado.
Once signed up, participants receive daily emails with an exercise program, health tips, and diet suggestions, including suggestions for vegetarians. Participants have access to other online resources, such as the opportunity to call or email a certified personal trainer.
“Our mission at FRCC is to enrich lives through learning,” said Elaine Milligan, fitness and wellness coordinator. “Giving students and staff an opportunity to learn ways to improve their diets and wellness is a good fit for our mission.”
Participants who begin the program at an unhealthy weight are eligible for quarterly cash rewards for percentage weight loss and maintenance. All participants, regardless of weight, are eligible for prizes
The average weight improvement for successful Weigh and Win participants after one year in the program is 17 pounds, or an 8 percent weight loss. For someone who is overweight or obese, a 5 to 7 percent weight loss can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
“Our program focuses on helping participants make small changes in their lives and educating our population in making the healthy choice, the easy choice. Eating healthier, moving more, and turning those small changes into habits, can result in a large impact on your health,” said Lia Schoepke, Weigh and Win program manager.
About Front Range Community College
FRCC offers nearly 100 degree and certificate programs from locations in Boulder County, Larimer County, Westminster, and Brighton, and online.
FRCC is a member of the Colorado Community College System, the state’s largest system of higher education. CCCS serves more than 162,000 students annually. The system oversees career and academic programs in the 13 state community colleges and career and technical programs in more than 160 school districts and six other post-secondary institutions.
