DEMOPOLIS &045; Monday Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial hospital is expecting an influx of people at is Wellness Center, though most won’t be coming in to workout. The extra traffic is coming to weigh in for the Scale Back Alabama weight loss program.

The hospital has been asked to host an official weigh-in station for the program, which is trying to get Alabamians to lose weight. Betsy Adams, at the center, said she doesn’t know how many people to expect, but she said there would be quite a few.

The hospital was contacted to host the weigh-in station for the area to save people from having to drive to Birmingham. Adams said the physician scales at the center make it a good point for people to come to get their weight taken.

Adams said the teams need to come in together for the weigh in. She said there is still time to go online and register a team before the weigh-in begins.

The program is sponsored by Alabama hospitals, the Alabama Department of Public Health and Barber Diaries. Program directors have set a goal of a total weight-loss of those enrolling in the program in Alabama at 10 million pounds over an eight-week period.

Teams will compete to lose the most weight through the program and a grand prize of $1,000 per person on the winning team has been set to entice Alabamians to join the program. Program organizers said the target weight for the event could be reached if every obese Alabamian loses 10 pounds.

Participants of the program will follow eating and exercising tips provided for the program online to lose weight during the program. They will record their benchmark weight at the weigh-in and return to the hospital March 19 to record their final weight.