Vitality Challenge - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC

On Friday, Sept. 2 and Friday, Sept. 16  doctors answered questions about weight loss and health in general.

You can go back and review the questions and answers from each chat!
Check out the web chat from Sept. 2 !  | Check out the web chat from Sept. 16!  

On Saturday, August 27th, the community came out and joined WBTV for the challenge kickoff at Johnson C. Smith University for the national Vitality Challenge.

The community will collaborate and compete to lose a goal of 1,000,000 pounds of body weight together in one year. This campaign is intended to create a counter-epidemic of weight loss to address obesity.

The Vitality Challenge and its weight-loss program was developed by Dr. Art Ulene, NBC's "Today" show family doctor for 23 years and a leader of nationwide health campaigns since 1975. The Vitality Challenge is supported by Johnson C. Smith University and Presbyterian Healthcare.

This Internet-driven campaign encourages participants to:

• choose specific weight-loss
  behaviors
• check the Vitality Challenge
  website daily, www.buckapound.com
• monitor progress weekly
•  participate in community activities by
  posting comments or visiting a website chat room at least twice weekly

As a participant, you will:

• receive regular emails with motivating
  tips and information
• be asked to rate the behaviors you have used
• have the opportunity to trade in the behaviors
  that have been unsuccessful or hard to follow
• receive updates on progress with the pilot program

Everyone who registers to participate in the campaign by Sept. 1, 2011 will have a free month of access to the Vitality Challenge program. Those who want to continue will pay $9.95 every four weeks and subsidies are available to those who cannot afford the participation fee.

Enroll Now! -- Use the CODE below!

To register for the Vitality Challenge and for more information, visit www.buckapound.com and complete a personal profile.

Follow these simple steps to register:

• - Go to www.buckapound.com
• - Click the Sign Up Now! button
• - Follow the instructions until you get to the page that asks for a CODE
• - On that page, enter the following code exactly as show here in the box provided: WBTV99
• - Enter the code a second time in the second box provided for confirmation
• - Click "enter code"
• - Explore the site and have fun!

Those beginning a weight-loss or exercise program should first consult their personal physicians to determine whether there are any health risks that should be managed as part of their plan.