December 9, 2005

Be Fit progress report: Life changes made

Bob Gallagher of MGH Buildings and Grounds knows how to eat right — his wife is a nutritionist after all. But he didn't always eat the way he knew that he should, especially when he was at work and didn't have his wife's advice. That all changed when Gallagher joined the hospital's Be Fit program last January as part of the first phase of the comprehensive nutrition and exercise initiative. Since then, he has lost 30 pounds and is determined to keep it off. Sponsored by The Clubs at Charles River Park and MGH Nutrition and Food Services, the Be Fit program teaches participants how to eat healthier and exercise more with the guidance of registered dietitians and physical trainers.

Similar stories are being told by other Be Fit "survivors" — former members of the first, second and third phases of the program. Edward "Doc" Emde of Environmental Services lost 26 pounds and credits the program with changing his life. "My wife had lost 200 pounds with Weight Watchers," he says. "I couldn't relate to what she had gone through until I started with Be Fit. Now we eat together and exercise together. My experience with Be Fit has improved my marriage and changed my family life. I have a wonderful life now."

Eighteen departments have participated in the first three phases of the program, for a total of 317 participants. The first phase included teams from Environmental Services, Buildings and Grounds, Materials Management, Human Resources, Nutrition and Food Services and The Clubs. The second-phase teams were from Patient Care Services, Nursing, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Social Services, Speech Therapy and senior administration. The third phase included Police and Security, the Cancer Center, Cardiology, Radiology, Research and a team of employees who are trying to quit smoking. All of the groups from each phase have lost a combined 1,499 pounds, have worked out a remarkable 9,917 times and consumed almost 3,000 Be Fit meals, which are offered in the hospital cafeterias.

Many of the Be Fit survivors have stayed with the program by getting together for daily walks, maintaining their personal exercise programs, continuing to eat Be Fit meals while at work and following good nutrition guidelines at home.

"The commitment of the Be Fit survivors has been remarkable," says Jeff Davis, senior vice president for MGH Human Resources and founder of the Be Fit program. "As we hoped, these employees are building a lifelong habit of exercise and healthy eating. We look forward to adding even more components to the program and making improvements based on feedback from the survivors."

Phase IV of the Be Fit program kicked off Dec. 6 with teams from Urology, Bulfinch 2 and 3 secretaries, the Knight Nursing Center for Clinical and Professional Development, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Information Systems and Transportation.