Busy schedules tend to push people toward an unhealthy lifestyle. Thrive Allen County is trying to help turn that around.
Sept. 15 will kick off the fourth annual Allen County Meltdown.
The meltdown is an eight-week program focusing on weight loss through healthy eating and physical activities.
Thrive’s first meltdown was in 2009. The program had roughly 400 people join, but in the past two years it lost some popularity.
This year, committee members are working to revamp the program and also will encourage more men to join.
“We really want to make the meltdown big this year,” Thrive executive director David Toland said. “We really want to breathe new life into this.”
Each year the meltdown was made up of 12 percent men, and the goal for this year is to double that percentage, Toland said.
The program already has a good female following, but this year’s will be more “gender friendly,” Thrive program director Damaris Kunkler said. The fee will be $10 and participants will receive a T-shirt and access to free activities.
Though the committee is still in the planning process, a variety of activities will be held for people to attend, such as cooking, label reading, grocery shopping, dancing and other healthy eating and living interactions.
This year Kunkler and Toland would like to see teams formed because it gives the individual something to v for, in addition to themselves.
“We want people to make individual decisions as a community,” Toland said.
Losing weight is an incentive of the program, but the major reason to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Allen County’s health ranking is No. 93 out of 105 counties in Kansas — one being the best and 105 the worst. The county used to be ranked 94 and in two years has made progress in dropping down a rank, Toland said.
Thrive’s goal is to keep lowering that ranking until Allen County can comfortably sit at a healthy lifestyle.
