Perhaps the name says it best. While “L.E.A.N.” itself is not an especially unique name for a weight-management program, broken down, it becomes a formula for success. Learning Exercise And Nutrition, a health incentive program created by the Paine Webber Health & Fitness Exchange, educates members about maintaining a healthy weight with proper eating and exercise, not diets or food restrictions.
Unlike many weight-management programs, L.E.A.N., which was implemented by the corporate fitness center last spring, was marketed to fit and deconditioned clients, emphasizing healthy habits for a lifetime. “Traditionally, weight-loss programs are catered to an overweight population and can become dangerous when individuals of normal body weight pledge to lose weight,” says program manager Sherry Faucher. “With L.E.A.N., anyone interested in improving their daily nutritional intake and learning the roles that both exercise and nutrition play in weight management can participate.”
Participants were organized into teams and “competed” on both an individual and team basis. Points were awarded for completing three exercise sessions a week, completing bi-weekly food diaries and for participating in special weekly activities.
According to Faucher, the pressure of competition was eliminated by allowing all who participated a chance to earn a winning score. “When weight management is made into a ‘game,’ the barriers of frustration and intimidation are broken down,” Faucher says, adding that one of the best outcomes of the program was the connection between staff and members.
Twenty-five percent of the facility’s membership participated in L.E.A.N., making it Paine Webber’s most popular incentive program to date. In addition to an increase in regular exercise, the facility has enjoyed an 8-percent increase in membership adherence.
