MUSC Weight Management Center offering FREE 10-week lifestyle change weight loss program to community
September 4, 2014
L.E.A.N. for Life, a FREE 10-week weight loss class lead by MUSC students and supervised by MUSC Weight Management Center staff, aims to help lower-income residents lose weight and get healthier
CHARLESTON, SC – In July, the MUSC Weight Management Center launched a training program to better educate medical and other healthcare graduate students in how to deliver an evidence-based obesity intervention. The culmination of this training program is for these healthcare students to provide a FREE 10-week lifestyle change program to lower-income Charleston residents.
The MUSC Weight Management Center understands the health problems and high costs associated with the rising rate of obesity, and that without better insurance coverage, individuals who arguably need obesity treatment the most are the ones who are least likely to be able to afford it. They also know that healthcare providers are often not adequately trained to effectively treat obesity in their patients. This program has dual missions of: 1) Filling a national gap by experientially teaching our future healthcare providers how to effectively treat one of the most prominent medical diseases they will face, and 2) Delivering a free community- and evidence-based obesity intervention to lower-income Charleston, SC residents.
The program will help participants lose weight and get healthier by teaching them to make healthy changes to their diets, activity, and other lifestyle behaviors. Participants will be assisted in developing healthier diets that consider cultural concerns, helped to develop personalized activity plans that are effective and convenient, and supported in making other sustainable lifestyle changes. We aim to have participants complete the program with increased confidence in their abilities to be active, eat healthier, and take control of their health.
The program will be offered at two locations and times:
- Saturday morning classes in West Ashley, starting September 6th from 10:30am-12:00pm
- Tuesday evening classes Downtown, starting September 9th from 6:00pm-7:30pm.
We are also able to provide transportation assistance (i.e., free CARTA bus passes) to those for whom transportation might be an impediment.
To be eligible, participants must be:
- 18 years or older
- Have Medicaid or meet Medicaid’s income requirement. For those who are unsure the MUSC Weight Management Center can provide a short screening assessment.
Those interested in participating in the program should call (843) 792-5431 and leave a message with their name and phone number. MUSC Weight Management Center staff will call prospective participants back to assess their eligibility and enroll them.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.7 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children’s Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit www.muschealth.com.
