TAMC introduces on-site TOPS chapter
PRESQUE ISLE — The county’s largest employer is striving to be one of the healthiest workplaces as well, becoming the first health care organization in Maine to incorporate the Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) philosophy into its employee wellness program.
TOPS is a non-profit organization with a mission to help its members achieve sensible weight loss and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. TAMC is now one of several “at work chapters” of the TOPS program in Maine.
“Life seems to be going at a rapid pace and employees may not have the time to attend a TOPS chapter that is not affiliated with their workplace,” said TOPS Field Representative Rick Danforth. “By having a TOPS chapter in its workplace, TAMC allows employees easy access to the support needed to achieve sensible weight loss.”
The TOPS program, which began at TAMC this past year, involves regularly scheduled meetings where members participate in confidential weigh-ins, updates from individuals, information dissemination, weight loss tips, advice and sharing news stories.
Each member develops his or her own weight loss program, almost always in consultation with a health care professional. Together they establish goals and often a timeline. Danforth says most of the time allotted in a meeting centers on group discussions.
“Topics for discussion, which are available from our website (www.tops.org) or from our magazine, TOPS News, range from sound nutrition to sensible exercise. The weigh-in provides the necessary accountability and the program helps members discover various methods to help them with their weight loss,” said Danforth. “They can share their success and difficulties with real people like themselves.
“TOPS has created and offers a great support system, which is there to help members change habits, become more active and cope with everyday stress,” he said. “Obesity is one of the country’s biggest health challenges, and TAMC employees showed an interest in improving those numbers within their organization.”
TAMC’s TOPS Leader and Manager of LiveSafe/Communications Center Judy Hennessey said the hospital is committed to helping the employees meet their own health goals.
“On our last TAMC Health Risk Assessment, 77 percent of respondents expressed an interest in losing weight. As a health care organization, we feel it’s important to offer those employees an avenue to assist them with their weight loss goals,” said Hennessey.
“The key objective of TOPS at TAMC is to provide the support it needs to help employees achieve sensible weight loss as they strive toward a healthy lifestyle,” said Danforth. “As employees attend the meetings at work and begin to have success, this will have a ripple effect among other employees as the support network continues to develop beyond the set meeting time. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce and will have a positive effect on reducing health care costs.”
