Biggest loser round two

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sean D. Smith
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Last year's biggest loser competition at the 5th Medical Group had 38 participants with a combined weight loss of more than 400 pounds. The competition was a success, but the 5th MDG has found a way to make it even better. 

"This year we changed it into a team competition," said Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Stiles, 5th MDG superintendent. "The focus isn't just on weight and fat loss, it's on physical exercise and personal health."

The competition is a simulated race from Minot to Key West and then back again. The miles of journey are calculated through a system of points that are assigned for different exercises and activities. For example, twenty minutes on an elliptical is worth six points. An hour of volleyball is worth four.

"Every member at the start of the competition gets their body weight and body fat percentage measured," Stiles said. "And then on April 15, tax day, they will see how they did, and their weight and fat loss will be added to their team's score."

The teams' scores are tracked on a map that shows each team's progress across the country.

"It's been awesome because it's been everybody participating," Stiles said. "Officers, enlisted, civilians, contractors - it's been nice because everyone is exercising. You could come over to the med group at noon and see people running, just trying to rack up points." 

The competitive angle drives participation, Stiles added.

"They're all pushing each other. You don't want to be the low person on your team that week when you're reporting your numbers," Stiles said. "Now that we're eight or 10 weeks in, you can see it in the building. We have a lot of people whose ABUs are fitting better, and they're feeling better - but they're not starving themselves. It's healthy."

This year, the biggest loser competition has more than a hundred participants.

"I have learned to set new goals, motivate my team members, and we come together to share ways to improve our overall health," said Jacqueline Sparks, 5th MDG physical evaluation board liaison officer. "My team members and I have been able to push ourselves beyond our own limits, and it feels amazing."

In addition to exercise, attending personal improvement classes like those offered by the Health and Wellness Center or fitness classes at the gym are converted into points for teams.

The competition will have multiple winners, and while the focus is on bragging rights, there will also be tangible prizes like gift cards.

"People look at us like we're strange when they come into the med group and see us working out," Stiles said. "But it means that when they come in they're seeing us practicing what we preach."