Local Groups Lose Over 5,200 Pounds to Help Fight Hunger

The group was inspired to take action when they learned startling statistics; more than 1.6 BILLION adults worldwide are overweight; and 862 million people went underfed in 2007.

Food Drive Coordinator & Weight Watchers Staff Member, Gloria Carter sorts through 1,158 pounds of food for the Marion Polk Food Share. Courtesy: Shereelynn Manlangit

(SALEM, Ore.) - Weight Watchers groups from Salem and Keizer have teamed together to join the fight against two global epidemics – hunger and obesity – by participating in the Lose for Good Campaign.

According to Feeding America, 99% of food banks surveyed experienced an increase in the number of low-income American’s turning to soup kitchens and food pantries for assistance this year. Even the nation's most affluent areas have been affected; thirty-nine percent of the adults requesting emergency food assistance in the last year were gainfully employed.

As part of Lose for Good, the Weight Watchers groups coordinated food drives – donating food for each time members lost weight - to support the Marion Polk Food Share. The food share collects, sorts, stores and distributes over 4.8 million pounds of food each year to a network of 73 local service providers who distribute food to hungry people in their neighborhoods.

Within six weeks, the groups lost 5,224 pounds and collected a total 1,158 pounds of food. “We all made a commitment to help those who are less fortunate than we are,” said Gloria Carter, Food Drive Coordinator and Weight Watchers Receptionist.

“These are tough economic times, but we all made commitments to contribute one way or another. There are so many people who are less fortunate than we are. Just stop and imagine how many mouths we could feed if we all gave just a little bit.”

The group was inspired to take action when they learned startling statistics; more than 1.6 BILLION adults worldwide are overweight; and 862 million people went underfed in 2007.

"It’s amazing to see how acts of charity and kindness, in addition to getting healthy, really motivated our group to keep up with their weight-loss efforts," said Carter. "The members are excited that their losses will do so much good – not only for themselves but those in our community. Our loss is truly someone else’s gain."

On a national level, Weight Watchers tracked each pound their members lost over the last six weeks, and donated the cost of a pound of food – up to 1 million dollars - to Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger.

These organizations will use the funds to enhance existing programs that feed the hungry in America and troubled parts of the world. In addition, Weight Watchers locations all over the country used this campaign to take a step further, and coordinated over 2,000 food drives to address hunger in their hometowns. The result – over 4 million pounds lost by Weight Watchers members and over 1.5 million pounds of food collected for local hunger. For more information, check out LoseforGood.com. To find out how you can donate to the Marion Polk Food Share, visit MarionPolkFoodShare.org.