It’s back.  The biggest loser contest at CHS will return this winter and run into the spring –  from the beginning of this January until the end of April.

“We had 15 weeks,” said physics teacher Robert Laux, the winner in the male category from the last contest.  “We weighed in at the beginning and every two weeks.  Whichever person had the biggest percentage of weight loss was rewarded a certain amount of money.  At the very end, the biggest percentage of weight loss for the male and female categories got a reward.”

Last time it was held, this contest of the race to become the biggest loser fostered a sense of community among the teachers and brought out the competition in everyone.

Health teacher Melissa Hobick is responsible for organizing the contest.  Hobick explained that the purpose of holding this contest is to make being healthy fun.  She also said that there are studies that show if someone or something is holding you accountable for weight loss, you are more likely to stick to it.

According to studies of winter health, people usually gain a whopping seven to 12 pounds during the holidays.

“This event gets a lot of people thinking and doing more than they may have on their own.  I believe it helps promote healthy habits.”

Hobick said that she was very pleased with the results of the contest in the spring of 2010.  She felt there was a good level of participation among the faculty, many of whom lost a significant amount of weight and learned some healthy lifestyle changes as well.

Laux echoed that sentiment.  He said that because he was exercising regularly and eating the right foods, he felt good because he didn’t have the “food coma” feeling.  Laux said he no longer needed caffeine to pick himself up in the morning, and he generally felt a lot better in a lot of ways.

“This [the holidays] tends to be the time when people overeat and don’t work out,” said Hobick.  “Most people make some sort of resolution to get healthy and lose weight, so I hope this contest will help them stick to it.”