“Scale Back Alabama” is an eight-week program where teams compete to try to lose the most weight. Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital and its Wellness Center took part in the statewide health initiative.

This is the third year for the hospital to take part in the program.

Participants formed four-person teams and began the program with a weigh-in during the week of Jan. 10-16.

Over the eight-week period, teams would exercise, eat better and take part in Scale Back classes at the Wellness Center.

In 2008, some 280 participants lost more than 1,500 pounds. The totals for the 2009 program were not yet known.

The winner of the grand prize draw this year was the team called Thinspiration. Each of its members — Michelle Bumgarner, Debbie Green, Reyna Ybanez and Betty Hambright — won $1,000. The four-person team scaled back a total of 49 pounds.

Five other teams qualified for the grand prize, with each of its members losing at least 10 pounds. Those teams included The Airforce Four, Jimmy’s Angels, Naughty or Nice, Hungry Hippos and the Downsizers. Naughty or Nice had the greatest total weight loss of 64 pounds, and consisted of Karen Flowers, David Davidson, Kevin Horne and Sarah Barnhill.

Winning a blind draw for $100 individual prizes were Sophia Ward, Rebecca Walker, Wilma Edwards, Pat Braggs, Barbara Lewis, Elmyra Lowe, Sarah Barnhill, Dave Davidson, Chrissy Brooker and Jennifer Overstreet.

Earning recognition for logging in more than 1,000 minutes in the Wellness Center were Annie Young, Chrissy Brooker, Tommy Johnson, Madeline Caldwell, Don Sprewell and Tina Hamrick. Caldwell logged in almost 2,000 minutes.

Throughout the program, a trophy was passed around among the teams. Each week, a team earned the trophy and got to keep it for that week.

Thinspiration won the trophy for the best overall team name, while Vanilla Puffs won for having the most weight lost up to that point. The Downsizers won for the best participation at the Wellness Center for that week, while the Happy Hopefuls also won for the best participation for the week.

The Fabulous Four won for the trophy twice for the best class participation, while the Downsizers won for the most weight loss for that week. The Fabulous Four also won for being the first team to complete the scavenger hunt, and kept the trophy at the end of the program for holding the trophy the most during the program.