Reaching their goal

Kenneth Cassout rides his bike 10 miles a day now. He's lost 71 pounds in the 20 weeks he has been following the Starting Point program, a weight loss program offered by Southeast Missouri Hospital's HealthPoint Plaza.

At their last meeting of the program, Cassout's fellow members unofficially declared him the valedictorian. The group has slowly dwindled to eight in the last week of the Starting Point program. But for those eight, sticking with it has paid off.

One woman no longer needs diabetes medicine and has reduced her blood pressure medication. A male participant's cholesterol is at 184. He had to buy new glasses because the old ones were too stretched to fit anymore.

They have lost anywhere from 20 to 71 pounds each, but said they have gained many benefits.

"I'm happy," Cassout said. "I don't think this program is for everyone. The first thing is you have to make your mind up."

Globally, more than 300 million people are considered obese, according to the World Health Organization. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. BMI is a ratio of body mass to height squared. Above 30 is obese; 25 to 29.9 is overweight; 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal; and underweight is below 18.5 percent.

Cassout and the other members of the Starting Point group decided to remove themselves from the obese category and join a nutrition program. The group has been meeting every Tuesday at noon for motivational meetings and to check in with "coach" Raina Childers, the dietitian charged with monitoring their weight loss and encouraging lifestyle changes.

"Support is really, really a huge factor with the group," Childers said.

The first phase of Starting Point -- the Foundations Session -- aims for behavior modification and teaching accountability, meal planning, physical activity and understanding the consequences of food decisions.

The Foundations Session initially replaces grocery store food with low-calorie meal replacements. The program recommends five meal replacements a day, providing 800 calories, 75 grams of protein and 125 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals. Around the middle of the program, participants begin phasing food back into their diets.

"We're a lot more aware of things like what's different in salad dressings and what type of meat to eat," Betty Landre said.

George Landre, Betty's husband, visited his doctor for the second physician check up that all the Starting Point dieters are required to have at the end of the program. His cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose levels had all gone down dramatically.

"It's like I'm not even the same dang person," he said. The Landres plan on participating in the second phase of the program, the Ongoing Practice phase, because the motivation is helpful, he said.

The Ongoing Practice still meets once a week and reinforces the nutrition education and proper choices dieters learned in the Foundations Sessions.

"In phase two we build a lot more off of that [knowledge]," Childers said. She said the group makes meal plans and talk about restaurant meal nutrition and she will even bring in a whole meal and they have to estimate how many calories are in it.

Ongoing Practice lasts for as long as the person wants to attend classes. Ongoing Practice meets once a week and group members can participate and opt out at anytime.

People who finished the program said it was well worth the price. The Foundations Session adds up to $625 plus $90 for the before and after lab work. The Ongoing Practice is $40 a month.

One group member didn't mind the cost of the program. She said she was spending $90 to $100 a month on medications before losing weight with the Starting Point program.

According to the American Heart Association, obese adults under age 65 have annual medical expenses 36 percent higher than those of normal-weight adults.

charris@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 246

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JENNIFER FREEZE

After (Fred Lynch)

Weight loss to date: 27 pounds

Before

Question: Have you gone to all the meetings?

Answer: No

Q: Why did you miss/stop going?

A: I missed four meetings due to traveling for work and vacation.

Q: Are you going to participate in the next phase?

A: Most likely. I think participating in the next phase will help me stay motivated to loose more weight and keep it off! It will also help me stay accountable if I continue to weigh in with Raina on a weekly basis.

Q: What are some of the biggest things you learned?

A: I learned a lot about counting calories and reading nutrition labels.

Q: How do feel now as opposed to before the program?

A: I definitely have a better image of myself. It was nice to go into summer looking a little bit more in shape!

Q: What was your favorite part of the program?

A: My favorite part of the program was definitely the bond the other participants and I formed during the past 20 weeks. We offered each other support, suggestions on what works and what didn't, as well as tons of laughs!

Q: Overall, what was the worst part of the program?

A: Going to the bars downtown and drinking water for 20 weeks.

Q: Any other thoughts or statements?

A: When I started this program 20 weeks ago, I had my doubts about how it worked. Like a lot of people, I went into the first meeting with the thought that I was going to be on a "liquid diet" for about five months. But that wasn't the case at all! The meal replacements took some getting used to but I never once felt deprived of any food. I also feel like I gained so much valuable information about health and nutrition that I can use for the rest of my life.

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GEORGE LANDRE

Before (Kit Doyle)

After (Fred Lynch)

Weight loss to date: 31 pounds

Q: Have you gone to all the meetings?

A: I missed one because I was out of town.

Q: Are you going to participate in the next phase?

A: Yes. It helps to keep motivated.

Q: What are some of the biggest things you learned?

A: You are what you eat. Exercise works. Pills do not work.

Q: How do feel now as opposed to before the program?

A: I feel that there is hope.

Q: What was your favorite part of the program?

A: The support from my wife Betty and Coach Raina Childers

Q: Overall, what was the worst part of the program?

A: Overall, I'm very pleased with the program.

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After

DIANE RUNNELS

Before (Kit Doyle)

Weight loss to date: 30 pounds

Q: Have you gone to all the meetings?

A: Yes, except for vacation and work in Phoenix.

Q: Are you going to participate in the next phase?

A: Yes, for the support and accountability.

Q: What are some of the biggest things you learned?

A: Portion control. It's OK to slip, but get back to my plan. Learn to balance calorie intake and activity output.

Q: How do feel now as opposed to before the program?

A: I feel much better. Did not want to turn 60 and be overweight and unhealthy.

Q: What was your favorite part of the program?

A: Being successful! This program worked for me.

Q: Overall, what was the worst part of the program?

A: There was no "worst part." Even the cost of the program and food packets was balanced by not having to purchase food.