Scale Back Alabama, a 10-week statewide weight-loss contest, kicked off Monday in Chilton County.

Scale Back Alabama is designed to help Alabama fight its battle with obesity by encouraging participants to develop lifelong health habits.

The program, which is free and targeted to adults 18 and older, primarily focuses on the workplace and utilizes other local organizations as weigh-in sites.

“This contest really helps hold people accountable,” said Paige Scruggs, weigh-in coordinator at Chilton County High School.

To enter the contest, individuals must visit an official Scale Back Alabama weigh-in site during the week of Jan. 18-24 to register and do their initial team weigh-in.

Both Anytime Fitness in Jemison and Chilton County High School are weigh-in sites in Chilton County.

Scruggs said those wishing to participate must be in a team of four individuals with each team having a captain.

“If one member of the team decides to quit then your team is disqualified,” Scruggs said. “When people come in to weigh they have to be willing to be on a team and I have to have everyone’s weight recorded by this Friday.”

Approximately one-third of all Alabamians are considered obese. Obesity can lead to health problems such as increased risk of diseases, cancer and heart disease, as well as problems with bones and joints.

Obesity is also costly, with medical expenses for an obese employee estimated to be 42 percent higher than a person with a healthy weight. The annual health care cost estimate is as high as $147 billion a year.

Last year 27,000 Alabamians participated in Scale Back and lost almost 130,000 pounds.

Scale Back Alabama is sponsored by the Alabama Hospital Association and the Alabama Department of Public Health, with generous underwriting from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.

Anytime Fitness is located at 24571 Highway 31 in Jemison. Weigh-in times at Anytime Fitness will be Jan. 20-23 from 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. and Jan. 24 from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

For more information about the Anytime Fitness location, call 688-5060.

Scruggs said there is no specific time for weigh-ins at Chilton County High School but those wishing to weigh-in should come during school hours, which are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Chilton County High School is located at 1214 Seventh St. S. in Clanton. For more information, contact 280-2710.