A Quesnel man find himself at the top of TOPS.
International not-for-profit weight-loss organization Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) announced their B.C. loser leaders for the past year. Those are the people who cut down their pounds compared to their starting weight. These annual standouts are referred to as royalty, within the TOPS incentives program.
Lesley Thomas of Kamloops, who lost 78.2 pounds, and Jeremy Schroeder of Quesnel, who lost 56 pounds, are the 2022 British Columbia queen and king.
According to the organization, TOPS provides an individual approach to weight loss and overall wellness. Consistent group support, health education, and recognition are all key components to successful weight management. British Columbia has an adult obesity rate of 23.1 per cent. During 2022, TOPS members in British Columbia lost a cumulative 10,301 pounds.
“We are tremendously proud of our TOPS members’ weight-loss accomplishments,” said TOPS president Rick Danforth, who has maintained a 100-pound weight loss for nearly 20 years. “Through their TOPS membership, these individuals are able to celebrate their own life-altering accomplishments, as well as of other members and those that have come before them. By continuing their commitment to personal lifestyle changes, a hallmark of TOPS’ winning formula, TOPS members utilize the tools they are given and the assistance from their peers to achieve their weight loss goals.”
Visitors can attend their first TOPS in-person meeting free of charge and are encouraged to try more than one chapter, since they’re all a little different, the organization said.
Membership rates start at $59 annually in Canada, plus nominal monthly chapter fees. There are three active chapters in Quesnel.
For information on the support organization, local leader Linda LeComte suggests their website at TOPS.org for a basic introduction, and if you’re interested in attending a meeting in Quesnel, contact her at 778-414-0711 for times and places.
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