Churches put faith at center of weight loss program

The First Place 4 Health program encourages participants to include their faith along with fitness and nutrition to lose weight.

Mississippi may be first on the national obesity index, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. While some people are adopting new diet and exercise programs, a group of Mississippians are also incorporating their faith into a new, healthier lifestyle.

First Place 4 Health, offered at several area Baptist churches, puts Christ first in a program that includes bible study, scripture memorization and prayer. It addresses choices for health made by the individual, which they call the four-sided person.

A second priority of the program is shown in the shape of a cross, which represents a person’s heart, soul, mind and strength, with Christ at the center. And finally, the program focuses on community, providing support and accountability in the form of small groups.

“First Place 4 Health has been around longer than you think,” said Joyce Ainsworth, longtime leader of the group at Crossgates Baptist Church in Brandon.

It began as a ministry at Houston, Texas’ First Baptist Church in 1981, and now has groups all over the country, with half a million members. Ainsworth said Crossgates currently has 98 people enrolled in its summer session, which meets on Thursday nights.

The next session begins in September, with sign-up scheduled the first week in August. Anne Land, who coordinates the program at Raymond Road Baptist Church, said she also hopes to begin a session this fall at her Byram church.

“I have a deep concern about the obesity in Mississippi and the health issues related to obesity,” Land said. “First Place is a wonderful program and with all of the statistics about Mississippi, it is one that fits in with not dieting but learning to eat healthy foods.”

According to the First Place 4 Health Web site, individuals are encouraged to find their areas of weakness and strength, and through studying God’s word, interaction with fellow members of the group and a sensible diet and exercise plan, they can bring balance into all areas of their lives.

Sherry Boyd has led the First Place program at Pearl United Methodist Church since 2007. She tells a story of right about the time she first started the program and someone was reluctant to attend church services because of her weight. She had nothing to wear.

Boyd said she knew in her heart that this program was God’s will for her life, and she knew this woman would benefit from the program. The woman was there the very next Sunday, joined the program and lost 25 pounds before she relocated.

Susan Dabbs, currently a Crossgates member, attended the program at her church in Richmond, Ind., more than 10 years ago and lost 48 pounds.

When she left the program she gained back the 48 pounds she’d lost, and an additional 30. After years of dealing with the extra weight, she attended a church service at Crossgates for the first time, sat down, opened a bulletin and saw that a First Place program was being held that same morning.

She started attending the program again and lost weight, but more importantly, she said, was the change that occurred with her relationship with Jesus Christ.

“He is the difference in this program,” she said. “He is the reason I can do this. He is the reason I choose to do what it takes to be healthy.”

For more information about the First Place 4 Health program, visit http://www.firstplace4health.com/wps/wcm/connect/first_place/internet/Ho....