The Student Activities Board Current Issues Awareness committee is hosting a Biggest Loser Competition on campus this semester.
The 12-week program began on Jan. 20 and will end on April 7 with the announcement of the "biggest loser."
The winner of the competition will receive an as yet undetermined sum of cash and a gym date with fitness instructor Scott Herman, who was on MTV's Real World: Brooklyn.
The winner is determined by the amount of weight lost in pounds.
"The Biggest Loser Competition is not only about losing weight, it's also about eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle," Kyle Warren, assistant dean of students for student activities, said.
Roslyn Mofsensen, who runs a similar program for adults, offers a 30-minute information session every Wednesday evening throughout the competition.
Each session will begin with a private weigh-in for each competitor followed by information about nutrition and healthy eating habits.
This portion of the competition is in a group setting. Participants are able to go to the gym on their own if they so desire.
According to Warren, any member of the Seton Hall community may participate in the program. Current Issues Awareness Co-Chair Shemeeka Greaves added that competitors may sign up at any time as well as indulge in whichever aspects of the program that they would like; nothing is mandatory.
"Everything is up to you, if you don't want your picture taken, you don't have to; if you don't want to do the weigh in, you don't have to," Greaves said.
At the start of the program each competitor has the option of having his or her picture taken in order to witness before and after changes.
Warren, Greaves and Current Issues Awareness Co-Chair Kerry Bocchetto decided to offer this program now as a way to help with New Year's resolutions regarding weight loss.
"After winter break everyone is at the gym because a big resolution is to lose weight and a lot of times people falter around spring break," Bocchetto said. "We wanted to do a thing that would last all semester so they can make good on their resolutions and overall just be healthier."
Greaves added that the fact that beach season is coming up was another factor in having the competition now.
While the program shares a name with a reality TV show, it is actually not so similar.
"Although there are weigh-ins and a winner at the end, the difference here is the education the students will receive," Warren said.
Bocchetto agreed when she said one of her main reasons for wanting to put on the program was for the educational experience.
"They're really, really going to learn about nutrition," she said.
Bocchetto stressed how hard it can be to find something healthy on campus.
"We have enough to worry about with papers that I want people to realize how simple changing your diet can be," Bocchetto said.
Warren also said he hopes participants just "walk out knowing a lot more than when they walked in."
Although Gourmet Dining Services has hosted challenges in the past regarding eating healthy and staying in shape, this is the first time Seton Hall has had an extended program geared towards students getting in shape and losing weight.
"We are pioneering this thing, and speaking to colleagues from different institutions, it's something they might try based on our success," Warren said.
Because the program is typically geared toward adults, there were some changes made to accommodate a college campus.
"No one will have to pay to be a part of the program and the meetings are shorter than they would be for adults," Bocchetto said. "We wanted to make it accessible to everyone…so you should come out."
Jenna Berg can be reached at jenna.ber@student.shu.edu.
