Biggest loser returns to Chester Grade School
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The "Biggest Loser" competition has returned to Chester Grade School for the second semester of the 2008-09 school year. The friendly competition is designed to provide motivation and a positive level of accountability for interested teachers and staff members at CGS to achieve weight loss.
The second annual event kicked off on Monday January 15, 2009, the first day back from Christmas vacation. All contestants had a weigh-in to begin the competition which lasts for 15 weeks. The end of the competition is Friday, April 17.
Each Friday, or the last day of each school week, each contestant has an official weight recording to document progress. Office secretary, Sheri Marks is the official weight recorder and witness. She also maintains the records of progress for each contestant.
Upon beginning the competition each contestant contributed $20.00 to the "Biggest Loser" treasury. If a contestant gains weight at the weekly weigh-in, he or she must pay a $1.00 penalty fee. The total amount of money collected at the end of the contest period on April 17 will be awarded to the contestant who loses the most weight.
Coordinator and originator of the event is Alisa Kennedy, second grade teacher. She took part in last year's "Biggest Loser" contest and was very successful in her quest to lose weight.
This year's "Biggest Loser" group consists of a total of 15 contestants, 14 females and one lone male staff member. The first weigh-in was Monday, January 9 and all contestants recorded a successful weight loss for the first week of the program.
The biggest percentage of body weight loss recorded was 3.73 percent while the smallest percentage was .93 percent. The entire contest is fun in nature and is designed to be a friendly way to support each contestant and encourage compliance with the weight-loss program.
To date all contestants are doing fine and are recording successful weight loss. Periodic reviews of progress will tell who will be the "Biggest Loser" come April.