Adopt a new healthier lifestyle!

Improve your health and well-being!

 Increase your physical activity!

 Kick the "couch potato" habit!

 Share your successes!

 Work through your challenges!

 Motivate one another!

ENJOY A LITTLE HEALTHY COMPETITION!

Be part of something great! Communities all over the state are teaming up to get moving toward a healthier lifestyle.

This 12-week program kicks off with a health fair and information event. While you are there, enroll in a team competition. Here's what you do:

Get one to five people (co-workers, family members, and friends) who are ready to eat healthier and exercise more for their health.

Choose a name for your team.

Each week, attend an educational session and share the information with team members who could not attend. Members must attend seven of ten educational sessions, health screenings, and team meetings.

After 12 weeks, teams/members who meet the attendance, weight loss, activity and educational goals will be recognized.

RESULTS

Since January 2007, over 20 counties have been in full swing with 12,357 attendees in the weekly educational sessions. Results of participants completing the program (n=727) indicated significant (p<.01) decreases in pre-post BMI, blood pressure, blood glucose, body weight (p<.05), and significant (p<.01) increases in fruit and vegetable intake, water intake and physical activity.

The average weight loss was 5 pounds; however, participants in Tallahatchie and Wayne Counties lost an average of more than 9 pounds. Blood glucose levels decreased (p<.01) from 93.91 mg/dl at the beginning of the program to 78.31 mg/dl at the end of the 12 weeks in Hernando, MS, (n=35).

By the end of 2007, 1,205 participants lost more than 6,203 pounds and gained a new lease on life with overall improvements to their health. Consumers spend more than $35 billion annually on weight-loss products and services. While many weight-loss programs are costly, participants in MIM pay a nominal fee of $5.00, which funds the awards ceremony and prizes at the end of the program.

MIM is unique in that we piloted the program in 10 Mississippi counties, received funding to implement the program in 20 Mississippi counties and in addition, we have adapted the program successfully for 2 furniture companies in the state and 2 Mississippi universities.

Results for the worksites and universities are similar to findings in the counties. Participants in the worksites (n=202) and universities (n=283) experienced pre-post decreases in BMI (p<.01) and weight (p<.01), and increases in self-reported level of physical activity (p<.01), fruit intake (p<.01) and water intake (p<.01). Vegetable intake increased at the universities but not at a .05 level of significance. The worksites increased vegetable intake from less than 2 servings/day to more than 2/servings/day (p<.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Mississippi leads the nation in obesity. The MIM program is having a positive impact on improving the health of Mississippians. Twenty Mississippi counties, two worksite locations, and two Mississippi university campuses participated in MIM with favorable results. All three groups (counties, worksites, and universities) significantly decreased their BMI, and reported increases in fruit intake, water intake, and physical activity.

For the worksite settings, one of the keys to success was upper management support of MIM. It was important to schedule program educational sessions around production needs of the facilities. The sessions were incorporated into the employee lunch times which allowed for questions regarding food intake. The nature of the organizational climate facilitated the formation of “teams” of participants which provided motivational support to the individuals. Holding the sessions during regular working hours helped to maintain a high level of retention in the program. Another beneficial aspect of the worksite setting was the ability to create a supportive environment for positive health behaviors. The company managers allowed the posting of materials, such as banners and posters that displayed messages to encourage participants in the program.

MIM is a program that can improve the health of Mississippi county residents, industry employees, and individuals on university campuses by helping people increase their physical activity and develop healthier eating behaviors.