Losing their marbles — and their weight

Observer photo/Mike Lange  LOSING THEIR MARBLES — Office Coordinator Margaret Towle is pictured by the chart that explains the “losing your marbles” weight-loss program at Reddy Health Center in Dexter.

By Mike Lange

Staff Writer

 DEXTER — Some patients at the Reddy Health Center in Dexter have been losing their marbles lately as well as losing some weight.

 According to America’s Health Rankings, 29 percent of Maine’s population is obese, the highest percentage in New England. Obesity often leads to an increase in diabetes, hypertension and other serious health problems.

 But convincing people to take off pounds — even for their own good — is a challenge for medical professionals.

 So Margaret Towle, the office coordinator at Reddy Health Center, and Secretary Karen Buzzell came up with a fun method to help patients lose weight. “It all started with a $2 bag of marbles,” she said.

 When someone makes a commitment to take off some pounds, they’re weighed at certain intervals and drop one marble into a jar for every pound lost. There are separate jars for ladies and men.

 From May 1 to June 29, patients have dropped 233 marbles into the jars with ladies outpacing men by 40 pounds.

 They don’t have to make an appointment to be weighed, Towle said. “They can drop in anytime. When we’re not busy, we’ll put them on the scales,” she added.

 Buzzell said that people “love to hear the clink of the marbles going into the jar. It’s a tangible thing that keeps them motivated.” She also stressed that they’re not penalized if they add a pound or two. “We don’t make them take marbles out, but we encourage them to try harder,” she said.

 The Reddy Health Center also has information posters on body-mass index that shows the desired weight of males and females in various age groups. “We have 20 to 25 participants so far,” Buzzell said.

 Reddy Health Center even has a small patient-maintained vegetable garden near the parking area. “This is just one way to convince everyone to eat healthier,” Buzzell said.

Other medical practices have also shown interest in the program, said Towle. “We had some staff members from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor visit us recently and they really liked the idea,” she said. “I hope it catches on everywhere.”

 But at least at Reddy Health Center in Dexter, “losing your marbles” is a good thing.