Members Unite to Share their Stories in the Fight Against the Obesity Epidemic
MILWAUKEE, WI / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2018 / TOPS Club Inc.® (Take Off Pounds SensiblySM), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, has unveiled a collection of national TV and radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) featuring some of its most successful members. The PSAs inform listeners and viewers that TOPS is an affordable, proven-effective program to combat obesity, which affects one in five Canadian adults1. Members also share their experiences and tips for making lasting lifestyle changes.
Member Don Whiting of Ottawa, Ontario, lost 125 pounds with the support of TOPS. In these compelling testimonials, Whiting shares, ''When I was 350 pounds, I was pretty much a shut in. I call it my lost decade. As I lost the weight, I started thinking that I could accomplish anything. I found my life.''
Michelle Petitpas of Windsor, Nova Scotia, who lost 77 pounds, emphasizes that, ''I decided as the numbers went higher and higher on the scale that I couldn't do it alone. Now, I'm strong, I'm healthy - and I'm going to keep living.''
Adele Dechaine, who resides in St. Lina, Alberta and lost 78 pounds, notes, ''TOPS gives you all the tools, and the support is huge. It's not a quick fix. You are worth it!''
In these informative, unpaid testimonials, Whiting, Petitpas, and Dechaine share their stories about overcoming obesity, and taking and keeping off pounds sensibly.
The members belong to one of the more than 1,200 TOPS chapters in Canada. TOPS offers an individual approach to weight loss and overall wellness. Consistent group support, health education, and recognition are all key components to successful weight management. TOPS members in Canada lost nearly 110,000 lb. combined last year.
Founded in Milwaukee, Wis., in 1948, TOPS has been leading the charge in preventing and managing obesity internationally since starting its first Canadian chapter in 1955. Part of that includes supporting obesity research through scientific awards and scholarships for Obesity Canada (formerly the Canadian Obesity Network). Since then, TOPS has donated more than $9 million to medical research in Canada and the U.S.
Independent university studies show that TOPS works. According to research published in Obesity, the official journal of The Obesity Society, TOPS works as well as commercial programs but costs less2. Participants experience a clinically significant weight loss2. Another independent 7-year study shows people who stay in TOPS keep their weight off and continue to lose3,4.
TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is the original weight-loss support and wellness education organization. Founded more than 70 years ago, TOPS is the only nonprofit, noncommercial weight-loss organization of its kind. TOPS promotes successful weight management with a ''Real People. Real Weight Loss.®'' philosophy that combines support from others at weekly chapter meetings, healthy eating, regular exercise and wellness information. TOPS has about 125,000 members - male and female, age seven and older - in thousands of chapters throughout the United States and Canada.
Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. Membership is affordable at just $32 per year in the U.S. and $44 per year in Canada ($46 in 2019), plus nominal chapter fees. To find a local chapter, visit www.tops.org or call (800) 932-8677.
1 Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (2014).
2 Determining the Effectiveness of Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), a Nationally Available Nonprofit Weight-Loss Program. Obesity Journal Intervention and Prevention. Volume 19, Number 3, March 2011. Nia S. Mitchell, L. Miriam Dickinson, Allison Kempe, & Adam G. Tsai.
3 Up to 7 Years of Sustained Weight Loss for Weight-Loss Program Completers. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. May 29, 2015 Nia S. Mitchell, MD, MPH, Sarit Polsky, MD, MPH , Victoria A. Catenacci, MD, Anna L. Furniss, MS, & Allan V. Prochazka, MD MSc.
4 Reach of Effective, Nationally-Available, Low-Cost, Nonprofit Weight Loss Program in Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). Journal: Journal of Community Health. First online: 14 June 2015, pp 1-6. Nia S. Mitchell, Ariann F. Nassel, & Deborah Thomas.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Kimberly Greene • TOPS Club Inc.
414-409-3924 x48 • [email protected]
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We encourage you to air any of the following PSAs. For more information about TOPS, download the Media Kit. Please contact us for images and b-roll, or if you would like to speak with any of the members featured or a local representative from TOPS. For more information on the TOPS chapters in your area, visit www.tops.org.
SOURCE: TOPS Club Inc