"Delmarva's Weight Loss Challenge" to Enter Week 9

According to 51-year-old Quintin Dennis, the most outrageous thing he has every done is “get out of shape.”

Along with the 10 other active contestants of “Delmarva’s Weight Loss Challenge,” he’s working hard to get back in shape so that he can live a better, fuller life. Permanently disabled in 2001 due to blindness in one eye and the loss of a foot, Dennis had the deck stacked against him in this challenge.

But, he is holding his own and preparing for Week 9 of the challenge. With 20 pounds lost, Dennis is nearly a quarter of the way to his total weight loss goal and is shedding the weight slowly and steadily – the best method for long-term weight loss.

Dennis may not win the challenge, but he will be winning his battle against obesity if he continues to use the tools this contest has given him.

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“Delmarva’s Weight Loss Challenge” offers counseling on diet and exercise to its contestants, as well as free access to Olympia Fitness Clubs’ gym for the duration of the contest, meetings with a personal trainer two or three times a week, and ongoing encouragement.

Tiffanee Scott, with a total weight loss of 13 percent – or 37 pounds, is still holding first place in the competition.

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“Delmarva’s Weight Loss Challenge” is sponsored by Olympia Fitness Clubs, Healthy U, Atlantic General Hospital, ClearChannel Communications, and area merchants. The goal of the competition is to introduce a healthy lifestyle change to each participant as well as impact the lives of those around them.

The 12-week competition will end on Monday, September 17. An awards ceremony will be held at the conclusion of the Visions for Total Health Conference on Saturday, November 3, when the dietitian who helped the nation’s biggest losers reach their goals on NBC’s hit reality show visits the Shore to impart her wisdom on nutrition and healthy eating.

The conference, which is hosted this year by Stephen Decatur High School in Berlin, will include free screenings, exhibits, and 12 breakout presentations on a wide range of health topics. The keynote address will be presented by Cheryl Forberg, RD, highly sought-after food expert and consulting dietitian for NBC's The Biggest Loser.

For more information about “Delmarva’s Weight Loss Challenge,” contact Cody Mackie at Olympia Fitness Clubs at 410-543-9999.

For more information about the 2007 Visions for Total Health Conference or sponsorship opportunities, contact Dawn Denton, Atlantic General Hospital’s Community Education Coordinator, at 410-641-9268 or visit www.atlanticgeneral.org.