Feb. 14 weigh-in to Launch ‘Lighten Up Wisconsin’ on campus

Lace up those sneakers: for the first time, the University of Wisconsin – Madison will lend encouragement to students and staff participating in Lighten Up Wisconsin.

Teams across the state will compete in periodic challenges and friendly competition to lose the most weight or accumulate the most physical activity, aiding members in making healthy decisions and setting personal goals.

Although the competition officially started on Jan. 15, teams may register until March 15, 2007. However, members of the campus community may wish to put together teams before UW’s kickoff on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center (the Shell), located at 1430 Monroe St., the event showcases campus support for the program through activities including a mass weigh-in. Teams of up to 10 people can get on a large scale at the same time to see their team weight.

“UW-Madison is such a huge part of the community and people really look to the campus as part of what is going on in the city as a whole,” says Jordan Bingham, the coordinator of Lighten Up Wisconsin. “If the campus can take on a wellness program like this and can make small changes in eating habits and exercise, it can be a really great example for the rest of the state.”

Each individual paying the $10 entry fee (either on-site or online) will receive a t-shirt, weekly exercise and nutrition tips, healthful recipes, and a handbook filled with ideas for healthy eating and exercise. While participants are eligible to win a variety of prizes and recognitions for their efforts over the next four months, the resulting “small, realistic and permanent changes” in members’ lifestyles encourage healthier living for years to come.

In 2006, program participants lost 18,000 pounds and logged more than 371,000 miles of activity.