People take on city's weight loss challenge.
Dance music blared from loudspeakers Saturday, as Brownsville’s own version of NBC’s reality show the "Biggest Loser" kicked off at Linear Park.
For the next three months, residents will have a chance to participate in free events — from walks and runs to samba classes and yoga sessions — as part of the city’s weight loss challenge.
More than 500 participants have registered for the program put together by the Brownsville Health Department and the School of Public Health at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. But the events, held every day except Sundays, will be free and open to everyone in the community.
The event schedule will be posted Tuesday on the city’s Web site. It will also air on the city’s public access TV station, Channel 12, and the Brownsville Independent School District’s TV channel.
"Obesity has surpassed smoking as the number one risk in the United States," said City Commissioner Rose Gowen, one of the key organizers of the events.
The nation’s struggles with high obesity rates came to the forefront this week when first lady Michelle Obama announced her "Let’s Move" campaign to combat childhood obesity. And the national effort is particularly relevant in Brownsville, where about 50 percent of the city’s population is overweight or obese, making it one of the heaviest Hispanic populations in the country.
"One out of every five people in this community has diabetes — that is twice the national average," Gowen said.
The city’s "Biggest Loser" challenge then is not a contest.
"The emphasis is on the word ‘challenge,’ " said Gowen, adding a contest has a beginning and an end, while the lessons learned through this challenge should be for life.
The program will focus on teaching healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle to participants — and will "not foster the use of diet pills and other gimmicks."
"We are looking for a change in lifestyle and responsible weight loss," Gowen said. "That is the kind of weight loss that can be maintained."
Residents taking part in the program are recommended to lose only 2 pounds per week. At Saturday’s event, registered participants had their weight taken and were tested for insulin at various nurse stations.
"I am 50 pounds over what I should be for my height," said Ana Garcia, 31, who waited in line before one of the booths and joined the challenge to lose 20 pounds before New Year’s Day. " ... It has been hard to lose weight since I had my baby."
For Ben Medina, registering for the weight loss program is also motivating him to keep his goal to shed some pounds and stay fit.
"I do office work, have late meetings and a busy schedule. It is hard to have a diet plan," said the 50-year-old city planner. "(The challenge) is something that I want to do to get outside a little bit more."
After a struggle with breast cancer, Melody Serrato, 54, said, "I do not want to go through that again."
She registered for the weight loss challenge to learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, she said.
"Being in my 50s, I need to start working on me," said Serrato, who does community outreach for Su Clinica in Brownsville. "I’m on the go all the time. It is hard to keep healthy."
The program ends May 15, but Gowen said she wants participants to stay healthy for life.
"We are hoping this is only the beginning of the conversation with the community about health," she said.
