In July, the Associated Press reported the results of the latest data on the fattest states in the U.S., revealing that most of the heaviest states are located in the South. Last week, the annual report of the nonprofit Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was released showing that adult obesity rates increased in 37 states, while there were no decreases in any state.
Carole Lewis, national director of First Place 4 Health, a faith-based health program with groups in over 12,000 churches, is not surprised by these results. Instead, she offers a direction in how to solve the problem. “I have seen these same types of reports for years now, and I am always offended by the reasons given for obesity in the South. Habits are hard to change, and if your family always fried everything, it is natural to do the same thing.â€
Breaking free from unhealthy habits is difficult. Statistically, 95% of people who lose weight will gain it back again. But, with an alteration in mindset from merely weight loss to pursuing total wellness, lasting change is possible. For the past 27 years, hundreds of thousands have achieved lasting weight loss through First Place, a faith-based weight-management program. This revolutionary program uses everyday foods, includes a support and accountability component, and focuses on biblical health and disease prevention. Recently, the program has been completely revamped. The brand new version, renamed First Place 4 Health, has been written by Lewis. First Place 4 Health takes the program to the next level, shifting the focus from weight management to complete wellness. The entire health program focuses on balancing all aspects of life—the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical.
In a recent article, a statement was made by Nae Oyo Kwate, assistant professor of sociomedical sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, saying, “In today’s America, poor people tend to be obese. The cheapest foods tend to be calorie heavy, and stores offering healthier, and more expensive, food choices are not often found in poor neighborhoods.†Lewis does not feel that this statement is completely accurate.
Lewis states, “The truth is that junk food like candy, cookies, and chips are very expensive. There is not one fruit or vegetable that costs as much per pound as these high-sugar, high-fat snacks. I believe that the reason poor people are obese is the same reason that the middle class or the wealthy are obese.
* The desire for high-fat, high-calorie foods
* The need for instant gratification
* A lifestyle that does not include exercise
* Never “playing the tape to the end†(recognizing that these choices will end in disease and early death)
* No plan or goal to lose weight and get healthy
“The First Place 4 Health program is not just about helping you lose weight. It’s about helping you make the best choices to ensure that the positive changes you do make last your whole life,†Lewis concludes.
The foundation for this comprehensive program is the book First Place 4 Health: Discover a New Way to Healthy Living, which provides a framework for addressing wellness in each of the four areas of life. (It is available for purchase by itself or as a part of the member’s kit.) A key component of the member’s kit, the member’s guide delivers detailed instructions and helpful hints for everything from determining correct serving sizes to starting an exercise routine to memorizing Scripture. This updated version includes a simple, sensible new food plan based on the USDA food pyramid and new exercise guidelines as well.
