FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Many of us have packed on the pounds during the long holiday season, and it’s now time to pay the piper. That’s where Scale Back Alabama comes in. The joint project of the Alabama Hospital Association and the Alabama Department of Public Health, with underwriting from Barber’s Dairies and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, was begun to help us put the brakes on an unhealthy lifestyle by eating better and exercising more.

Statistics indicate this is the second fattest state in the nation, and two out of every three Alabamians are overweight or obese. We also rank fifth for death rates caused by heart disease, seventh for stroke, and 10th for diabetes — all obesity-related diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Roger Shultz, a contestant on the fifth season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” is the head coach and cheerleader of the effort this year. The southeast Alabama resident said losing weight is easier when put into perspective.

“First and foremost, you've got to realize it’s important to you,” Shultz said during a recent phone interview. “Until you decide, it’s not going to happen.”

He said hearing others constantly preach about the need for you to lose a few pounds might do the trick, or it could be the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.

Whatever the case, it’s important to take weight loss one step at a time, Shultz said, and Scale Back Alabama encourages that by setting the goal of team members losing 10 pounds each (one pound per week) during the program’s time frame.

The kickoff for the free statewide program is Jan. 8, with the first weigh-in taking place the week of Jan. 10-16. The weigh-out is March 14-20, and the final celebration is April 1.

“There are steps and tools to (lose weight),” Shultz said. “Take every day. It didn’t come on in a week, so it’s not going to come off in a week.”

To get involved in Scale Back Alabama, you only need a team of four, to be age 18 or older and have the desire to become healthier.

Each team that completes the program, with every member losing at least 10 pounds, will be entered into a drawing for one of three grand prizes. The first team drawn will win $250 per team member, the second will win $500 each and the third team drawn will win $1,000 per team member.

All individuals who lose at least 10 pounds will be included in a drawing for one of 50 achievement prizes of $100 per person, regardless of their team’s achievement.

Everyone will weigh in the third week of January and weigh out the second week in March. Between then, there will be opportunities to learn valuable lessons such as simple ways to make better food choices, how to ease into exercising and how to squeeze walking into a busy workday.

Shultz said, “Some people think that to lose weight you’ve got to stop eating, but that’s not true. You’ve got to have a little self control. Eat only half of that cinnamon roll. Don’t beat yourself up.”

Teaming up with others during the campaign, the prizes and the pride of possibly winning the 10-week contest are incentives, as well as the beauty behind Scale Back Alabama.

“You’re held accountable and receive all the feedback,” he pointed out. “What people like most about it is they lose with somebody. If you’ve got others relying on you, you don’t want to let them down.”

Shultz broke the “Biggest Loser” record during the last season by losing 164 pounds — the most weight lost in the show’s history. The ex-football player for the Alabama Crimson Tide wasn’t shy about revealing his weight or appearing shirtless on national television.

He said, “It didn’t really bother me. I knew how much I weighed. Hell, I was on the beach without my shirt. People kept calling Sea World, sending me back. At least I got a few free trips to Orlando.”

Bart Benson, manager of the Thomas Hospital Wellness Center in Fairhope, said, “Scale Back Alabama creates a lot of awareness about the prevalence of being overweight — not just in this state, but in the country.”

According to the results of a study published in the March/April 2002 issue of Health Affairs magazine, obesity is a greater trigger for health problems and increased health spending than smoking or drinking. People who are obese have 30 to 50 percent more chronic medical problems than those who smoke or drink heavily.

“This helps everybody get back into a program where eating right is important,” Benson said. “A pound a week is a safe amount.”

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, even a weight loss as modest as 5 to 15 percent of total body weight by a person who is overweight or obese reduces the risk factors for some diseases, particularly heart disease. Weight loss can also result in lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar and improved cholesterol levels.

Benson said, “When you have a goal that’s important to you, you shoot for it. You learn what’s important and how to lose weight. Anybody can do anything for a certain amount of time. There are ways to learn how to eat. You can often lose weight by eating more because you’re eating smarter. You feel like you’re not eating that much less, but you keep it under control.”

Maintaining your weight after losing a considerable amount can certainly be a challenge. Shultz said, “It’s all about diet and exercise. If I’m going to work out that day, I eat a little bit more.”

Weight training has helped Shultz keep his weight off. The 41-year-old noted the more muscle a person has, the faster they burn fat.

“I never thought I’d be walking down Michigan Avenue in Chicago, looking for skinny jeans to wear on the Oprah (Winfrey) Show,” he said about his own weight loss, adding, “Doing it for the right reason is important.”

There are several places in Baldwin County that are taking part as official Scale Back Alabama weigh-in and weigh-out points. They are:

•Thomas Hospital Wellness Center

212 Hospital Dr. (corner of Morphy Avenue and Greeno Road) in Fairhope

Weigh-in: Jan. 12-15, 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Jan. 16, 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

•Curves of Daphne

28567 County Road 13, Suite A (corner of County Road 13 and Lawson Road, across from Daphne High School)

Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-noon and 3:30-7 p.m.; Saturday, 8-10 a.m.

•North Baldwin Infirmary

Bay Minette

(call for times)

•South Baldwin Regional Medical Center Rehab Services

1701 N. McKenzie St. in Foley

Across the parking lot from ER ambulance entrance

Weigh-in hours: Jan. 13: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Jan. 16: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Weigh-out hours: March 17: 8 a.m.-4 p/m.; March 20: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

•Baldwin County Health Department

23280 Gilbert Dr. in Robertsdale

Weigh-in hours: Jan. 14, 8-11 a.m. and 1-4:45 p.m.

•Curves of Fairhope

413 Johnson Ave.

Weigh-in Jan. 10: 9-10:30 a.m.; Jan. 12-15, 7:30 am-noon and 3:30-6:30 p.m.; Jan. 16: 7:30 a.m.-noon and 3:30-5:30 p.m.

For more information about Scale Back Alabama, visit www.scalebackalabama.com.