rss
mobile
Feeds
But one local shrink, a man who lost 150 pounds and a Hilton Head Island church want to help Lowcountry residents find the motivation to make wellness a lifestyle.
On Jan. 14, the health ministries team at First Presbyterian Church will launch "Inspiring Wellness," a community health initiative led by Hilton Head clinical psychologist Dr. Howard Rankin and healthy lifestyle advocate Gary Marino, whose epic coastal trek helped him drop dozens of pounds. The program will include the local premiere of "Million Calorie March," a wellness beachwalk and an eight-week series of health and lifestyle-change seminars -- all for free.
"The overall theme of this is the idea that wellness is more than just health or diet and exercise. It's recognizing the fact that there is a motivational dimension to it that one has to develop," said Max Judge, facilitator for the Inspiring Wellness program and a member of the health ministries team. "You don't have to look around very much to see the need, even in an upscale area like this. We are trying so hard to make this a community outreach."
The wellness program will kick off with a free showing of "Million Calorie March" on Jan. 14 in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church. The documentary, which received a Freddie award in the nutrition and diet category at the 34th annual International Health and Medical Media Awards, is about Marino's 1,200-mile walk from Florida to Massachusetts to raise awareness about America's obesity epidemic.
"There's information, there's tools and skills, and there's also inspiration. Information alone doesn't change people. My view is that people learn more when they hear stories like Gary's than when they just hear from an expert," said Rankin, who has run wellness campaigns across the country with Marino. "A lot of our behavior is guided by what we see other people doing, so if we want to make a healthy community we have to work together to help each other move toward a common goal."
Among the topics that Rankin plans to discuss at the seminars, along with several other local health professionals, are how to develop motivation, manage temptation, enhance energy and maintain behavior change. Basic information about nutrition and exercise also will be presented.
Other groups that have partnered with Rankin and First Presbyterian Church in the effort include First African Baptist Church, Providence Presbyterian Church, All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Regional Health Care, Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Eat Smart: Move More SC-Lowcountry and Beaufort Jasper Comprehensive Health.
Depending on the success of the first Inspiring Wellness initiative, Rankin said he views the series as a platform for more programs and activities related to health and wellness in the Lowcountry.
"Awareness is the precursor for change. If you're not aware of what you're doing, you're never going to change it," Rankin said. "We're taking money and any other agenda out of it and just saying, 'Let's, as a community, help each other to better health.' This effort is to the benefit of everyone."
Watch the movie trailer
To view a trailer of Gary Marino's "Million Calorie March," go to www.
millioncaloriemarch.com/movie.
