August 1, 2007, Meriden, Conn.

Last spring MidState Medical Center added a new program to its lineup of Bariatric classes designed to promote weight loss and healthy living. The six-week series, For the Health of It, attracted such a good response that the team decided to run the program again this September.

“This program is really for everybody. Participants learn how to develop healthy relationships with food,” said Karen Darley, program developer and Clinical Social Worker at MidState.

The For the Health of It Series is a comprehensive weight-loss program consisting of six components including three on emotional factors, two on nutrition, and one on exercise.

Darley teaches three weeks of the program, focusing on the psychology of change, the mind-body connection, and stress management. In the psychology of change module, she explains how to manage triggers, which are those things that may cause us to overeat like a particular situation, emotion, person, or environment. We ultimately have much greater control over how we respond to these things and learning healthy, alternative strategies is key to coping most effectively, said Darley.

Darley also intuitively illustrates the relationship between how a person feels and what that person might choose to eat. “People may manage anger by eating crunchy food,” she said.

One participant, Meg Cavanaugh, of Meriden, enjoyed the class so much the first time around that she plans on taking it again. She said, “The psychology piece was incredible. It was like Karen was inside my head. I really believe for me it’s the piece that was missing.”

There is one point that is stressed throughout all of the three emotion-centered modules: mindfulness. Most people don’t eat with awareness; they don’t taste or really experience the foods they are eating. Meals are often completely finished in 10 or 15 minutes. Darley tries to change that, however, with a unique demonstration.

“I go out and buy the best strawberries I can find - big, juicy, red ones. Every person gets a strawberry, but they have to look, feel, and smell it before eating. The level of satisfaction is greater when you actually taste your food,” said Darley.

For the next two weeks, registered dietitians teach participants how to eat healthy. They learn tips for dining out and how to eat on vacation, how to shop for groceries, and sample meals that are easy to prepare on a daily basis. Basics like the food pyramid and food journals are all discussed.

In the final installment on exercise, a clinician from the Eastern Rehabilitation Network instructs participants on how to find an exercise regimen that works for them. The clinician also takes participants to the hospital’s wellness center to demonstrate how to work the cardio equipment and the safe way to lift weights.

Many times, people have a fear of the gym because the equipment seems so complicated and daunting. The program infuses practical elements like the gym demonstrations to enhance everyone’s comfort level.

Cognitive restructuring, or changing the way a person thinks, is the key to a successful exercise program. Darley commented on the need get people to think different about exercise saying, “I think they know they hate it [exercise], so you have to find something you like to do.”

Overall, the program incorporates several factors needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “The program put me in the right direction - I’ve lost 27 pounds,” Meg said.

The For the Health of It series begins on Wednesday, September 19 and runs consecutively until October 24. The entire series will be held at MidState Medical Center from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Speakers include Anne Young and Lisa Pranger, Registered Dietitians; Keith LaChance, Physical Therapist; and Karen Darley, Clinical Social Worker. Call Karen Darley at 203 694 8343 to register.