Wellness Challenge

In a friendly race where each team hopes to lose the most, Tinker and union leaders join on a truck scale to record their weight for the beginning of a wellness challenge last month. Teams hope to lose more weight than the other, and provide a reminder to employees to also take the challenge in getting fit. Tinker management hit the scale at 3772.3 pounds. Union officials weighed in at 5109.4 pounds on day one of the competition. (Air Force photo by Margo Wright)

Wellness challenge underway; Tinker senior leaders and union officials vie to lose weight

Published Jan. 11, 2008
By Brandice J. Armstrong and Kandis West
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Eleven days into the New Year and healthy lifestyles are seemingly a top priority. Forty Tinker senior leaders and union officials are no exception. Yet, their motivation sparked in November and will likely extend through May.
   Spearheaded by James Schmidt, American Federation of Government Employees Local 916 President and John Over, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center executive director, OC-ALC management, the AFGE Local 916 and International Association of Fire Fighters Local F-211 are vying against one another in the Partnership Wellness Challenge.
   "The wellness challenge began in November as way to continue to foster a collaborative relationship between the management and the union," Mr. Over said. "Another objective is to promote wellness and increased activity in the work force."
In December, nine of the 20 union team members tipped a truck scale at 2,580 pounds . Their weight plus absent members made a grand total of more than 5,100 pounds.
   When 14 of the 20 management team members stepped on the truck scale, the weight equaled more than 2,800 pounds . Altogether, the management team weighs more than 3,700 pounds.
   Between now and May, the teams will try to lose as much weight as possible in a healthy manner and improve their overall fitness. To help achieve their goals, classes are offered at the Tinker Health and Wellness Center. Class topics include nutrition, exercise, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, arthritis, men's health, women's health, back pain, tobacco cessation and aging.
   Non-challenge ALC civilians may aide a team by attending HAWC classes or logging into the FitLinxxx systems (www.fitlinxxx.com) at the base gyms and donating points to the teams.
   "The challenge is an opportunity for both ALC and union leaders and employees to take control of their health," said Karen Blackwell, Health and Wellness director. "The reason it's important is because obesity compromises our ability to execute our mission (and) puts Airmen at higher (risk) of disease and injury as well as the risks for our civilian population."