Hospital CEOs Put Weight Behind Losing Effort

It's spring, and the annual playoffs for the nation's professional basketball and ice hockey leagues are well underway. Millions of Americans will be latched on to their televisions in the coming weeks and months to see how the games play out.

Running along a concurrent timeframe, however, is a much smaller competition in Sioux City, Iowa with which many of us who are gravitationally challenged can more closely identify.

Bob Peebles, CEO of Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City, and Peter Thoreen, CEO of nearby St. Luke's Regional Medical Center have entered into a friendly contest to see if they can lose 10% of their body weight over three months.

The Sioux City Journal reports that the contest began on March 27 when Thoreen and Peebles weighed in at 222 pounds and 242 pounds, respectively, at a ceremony in the City Council Chambers. When the contest ends on June 27, the loser writes a $500 check to the winner's favorite charity.

If there is a tie, the CEO who has lost a higher percentage of body weight will be declared the winner. That could tip the scales in Peebles' favor.

"We are both cheap. Neither one of us is going to want to give a $500 check to the other," Peebles told The Journal. "And we're a little bit competitive as CEOs. So I am looking forward to this challenge. I'd like to set the stage in this community and how important it is to change lifestyle and be more healthy ... also setting the stage for all our associates in the entire community. We are healthcare executives. We need to set the example."

There is much to like about this contest.

We know about the problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 65% of Americans are overweight or obese. In Iowa, the CDC reports that one in four people is obese. The misery and cost of treating obesity-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardio-vascular issues, and bone and joint damage are staggering.

And it affects just about everybody everywhere. In fact, there is some evidence that overweight and obesity are more prevalent among healthcare workers than in the general public. A recent study in Journal of Nursing Administration examined survey data from 2,103 female nurses and determined that 55% of them are obese.

By putting themselves on display in a weight loss contest, Peebles and Thoreen have personalized and de-stigmatized obesity and overweight in a way that will encourage others to examine and change their own unhealthy habits.

The two CEOs are telling the world how much they weigh. Many people would be mortified to publically divulge that information about themselves. This simple act by two well-known community leaders is as disarming as it is empowering.

Acknowledging that you are overweight is the first step in addressing the problem. An honest self-assessment is often accompanied by a will to change. As the saying goes, you can't manage what you can't measure. 

The weight loss strategy the CEOs have adopted provides a sensible roadmap, rather than a silly or dangerous fad diet. It took decades for them—and us—to eat our way into this predicament, and the solution won't be found in a fad diet or a temporary exercise regimen.

Anyone who has dieted will attest to the difficulty of losing weight. It is even harder, however, to keep the weight off. Even worse, it is discouraging for many people who work hard to lose weight only to see it return after they stop dieting because they haven't made any other adjustments in their lives.

Peebles and Thoreen will both use the Blue Zones diet plan, which stresses smaller portions of healthier food, exercise, and other lifestyle choices.

We will continue to follow the contest as it wends along toward the June finish. Perhaps then Peebles and Thoreen will be willing to tell us how much they've lost and how much they've gained.