A Hancock County 10 week team challenge for a Healthier Lifestyle Based on the book
“The Town That Lost a Ton”

The Numbers Are In
County Residents Drop Total of 1,500 Pounds
ELLSWORTH — Hancock County residents dropped the weight of a 12-foot dolphin over the past 10 weeks.

Or perhaps it was a large manatee they left behind.

Whatever: 215 area residents lost a total of 1,500 pounds.

Mary Cuskelly of Bucksport shakes the Lose and Win victory stick after her team, Tons of FUN, placed first in the group weight-loss challenge.—STAFF PHOTO BY CYNDI WOOD

The Fourth Annual Lose and Win program ended March 6 with a celebration of all participants had accomplished over the past weeks.

There was a little dancing and a lot of camaraderie as those involved reminisced about their experiences and committed to maintaining healthy habits.

Dr. Erik Steele, chief medical officer of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, was the guest speaker.

He urged members of the 29 participating teams to continue with their efforts and not let the program’s end deter them from their weight loss goals.

“You’ve changed the likelihood that you are going to enjoy your life,” Steele said.

He told participants that they had lowered their risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer and arthritis.

Their efforts could also have an economic impact on their lives, according to Steele.

“Severe ill health is becoming almost a kind of slavery in this country,” he said, citing medical debt as the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States.

Steele asked participants to share what tools were most helpful to them in reaching their goals.

A workout buddy, making exercise part of a daily routine, drinking lots of water and monitoring calories were among the suggestions.

One woman recommended calling exercise “activity.”

“Exercise is a swear word,” she said, drawing a laugh from the largely female crowd.

“You can call it ‘sex’ if you want to — whatever works,” Steele said with a smile.

Hancock County teammates logged more than 347 hours of physical activity over the duration of the program.

Lose and Win awarded prizes to the top three male and female weight losers.

The male winners hailed from the teams The Incredible Shrinking Women and Kevin, Night Moods and the String Beans.

The top-placed women were members of Tons of FUN, Bodacious Babes and Just the Two of Us.

Tons of FUN, a Bucksport team, was Hancock County’s top team overall.

In addition to awarding prizes to the winners, Lose and Win organizers raffled off several donated items, including free Jazzercise classes and T-shirts.

Healthy snacks were on hand for the event as well as health-conscious freebies such as water bottles and spa products.

Lose and Win is sponsored by Healthy Hancock, a coalition of organizations working together to improve the health of residents in Hancock County.