Deemed as the best one yet, the fourth annual Tallahatchie Wellness Challenge was incredibly successful, full of fun and excitement, and led to marked changes in weight and biometric measures for the majority of participants.
Conducted by the James C. Kennedy Wellness Center and Tallahatchie General Hospital (TGH) with funding provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Challenge began with two opening registration days, Jan. 8-9, at the Wellness Center.
While we rang in the new year and New Year’s resolutions were made, the timing of the Challenge was perfect as it provided a way for many of us to stick with and achieve our goals for the new year.
With help from the University of Mississippi intern students, Wellness Center and TGH personnel, the registration days ran smoothly and 297 participants signed up for the 2016 Wellness Challenge.
A total of 233 females and 64 males signed up, ranging in age from 15 to 86 years with an average age of 43.44 years old. Occupations of the participants ranged from teachers, farmers, nurses and social workers to law enforcement officers, pastors and insurance agents.
Although 297 people registered for the Challenge, in order to be considered a participant, individuals had to attend at least two Wellness Challenge workshops (participants had to attend at least four of the 20 workshops to be eligible to win) or attend both the weigh-in and the weigh-out. Given that criteria, 135 people participated in the challenge while 109 completed it, representing an 80.74 percent completion rate.
The 12-week Challenge cost $5 to enter and participants received a comprehensive baseline health assessment on the day of registration, as well as at the final weigh-out. Further, participants received a discounted Wellness Center membership for the duration of the challenge, as they were able to join for $5 a month.
The health assessment measures included height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percent, resting metabolism, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist to hip ratio, blood pressure, a cholesterol panel (including total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides) and blood glucose. Participants were also able to attend various health education and wellness workshops as well as cooking demonstrations over the course of the Challenge.
Workshops were offered twice a week. Topics ranged from nutrition, sleep and exercise to personal health behavior skills, financial wellness and weight management. Participants also had access to a daily group fitness class, a personal trainer, health coach and registered dietician.
Participants continually expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the Challenge, in which they learned a lot about health and wellness.
On the final weigh-out days, held April 1-2, 109 participants attended and had final measurements taken.
Excitement and enthusiasm filled the Wellness Center multipurpose room as participants anxiously awaited their final results, spoke of their experiences and discussed who the winners might be. Among the 109 participants who weighed out, a total of 1,042.60 pounds were lost — an average of 9.57 pounds per person!
Regarding waist and hip circumference, which are indicators of an individual’s level of risk for various chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and high cholesterol, waist circumference was reduced by 287.05 inches overall (an average of 2.63 inches per person) and hip circumference was reduced by 261.9 inches overall (an average of 2.49 inches per person).
In terms of improvements in blood pressure, 72.5 percent of participants’ blood pressures were reduced. To illustrate a few of the improvements in blood pressure observed, participants’ blood pressures went from 150/89 to 120/70, from 174/119 to 144/78 and from 172/86 to 144/58. Many participants moved from the categories of stage 1 or 2 hypertension to pre-hypertension while others moved from stage 1 hypertension to prehypertension and normal.
With regard to cholesterol profiles, 81 participants’ total cholesterol level was reduced and several moved from high cholesterol levels to normal levels. Cholesterol was reduced by a total of 1,396 points, which is an average of 17.23 points per person. A few examples of the changes in total cholesterol levels observed among participants included reductions from 258 to 162, from 238 to 154, from 247 to 198, and from 244 to 189. Blood sugar was reduced in 82 participants, totaling a reduction of 1,061 points — an average of 12.93 points per person. A few highlights include the following blood sugar changes: from 335 to 203, from 307 to 246 and from 199 to 137.
The Challenge was incredibly successful and will be something that is offered annually in Tallahatchie County as one way to work alongside residents to improve health, wellness and quality of life, as well as to prevent disease, manage existing disease and to reduce rates of chronic disease in the county. It is our hope, as Wellness Center staff, that we can continue to work with participants and other community members to improve their health and reach optimal levels of wellness.
The Challenge concluded with a phenomenal and fun finale ceremony on Monday, April 4. The celebration began with a group walk around the Challenge Trail on the Path to Wellness, followed by a delicious and mostly healthy dinner, catered by Angie Davis and Mandi Brown, as well as the TGH Dietary Department and a salad made by Sassy Mauldin using fresh vegetables and lettuce from the Tower Gardens at the Wellness Center. Following opening remarks and a prayer led by Sassy, everyone ate and enjoyed themselves and we socialized and spent time in fellowship with one another. Following dinner, winners were announced and prizes and awards were given out.
The first-place male and female winners of the Challenge received $1,000, second place $750 and third place $500. The first-place team won $1,500 and second place won $1,000 to be split among all team members.
Winners of this year’s Challenge were: Jon Taylor and Angie Taylor, first place; Charles Clolinger and Cassondra Raney, second place; and Mike Griggs and Geannie Green, third place. The first-place team was “In It to Win It” featuring Diane Leavy, Stephanie Townes and Rosetta Hamlett. The second-place team was the “Tallahatchie Cougars,” whose members included Valarie Madkins, Rita Friga, Valarie Buckley and Brenda Wilson.
Additional prizes awarded included two runners-up for most overall improved wellness ($250 each) and most overall improved wellness ($500) as well a number of other recognitions with awards including $25, $50 and $100 gift cards, Nutri-Ninjas and Wellness Center towels, T-shirts and free one-month memberships.
Rosetta Hamlett won the Most Improved Overall Wellness Award. Runners-up were Eula Johnson and LaWanda Herron. David Dunn and Sevelda Taylor won Most Committed and Most Faithful Gym Member; Patty Applewhite and Phyllis Griggs won Most Committed Group Fitness Attendee; Bridgitt Anderson won Best Motivator and Team Player; Cynthia Cashaw won Most Jovial and Most Positive Attitude; Angela Collins and Carolyn Tyler won Best Workshop Attendance; and Irene Fisher won Most Inspiring and Likely to Continue to Succeed. Twenty others won a variety of door prizes that were drawn randomly and given out at the end of the finale ceremony.
Next year’s Challenge will begin in January and it is hoped even more people will participate. It is our goal each year to improve upon the Challenge and offer more to participants as part of their participation. Get excited, because it just keeps getting better!
For more information about the Wellness Challenge or James C. Kennedy Wellness Center, contact Dr. Catherine Woodyard by email at cwoodyard@mytgh.com or by phone at 662-625-7240 or 501-276-5459. Also like and follow along on Facebook by searching for the James C. Kennedy Wellness Center at TGH Facebook page.
Catherine Woodyard is director of the Wellness Challenge and of the James C. Kennedy Wellness Center.
The top three individual finishers in this year’s Tallahatchie Wellness Challenge are pictured above. From left, they are first-place winners Jon Taylor and Angie Taylor, second place-winners Charles Clolinger and Cassondra Raney, and third-place winners Michael Griggs and Geannie Green. For their feat, these winners received cash prizes ranging from $500 to $1,000. (Photo special to The Sun-Sentinel)
