Butler Memorial Hospital employees who are in an in-house weight loss program have shed about 3.5 tons since the start of the program in June 2001.

Butler Health Systems, in conjunction with Weight Watchers, offers the program to employees as a way to create a healthy workplace.

The program was started in response to requests by employees for weight loss suggestions. Each program is 12 weeks long. The

cost of the program was not available.

Meetings are lead by Weight Watchers employees.

Meetings are scheduled for the convenience of employees. They are currently offered at noon Tuesdays and 7:30 a.m. Thursdays at the hospital. However, participants can attend any Weight Watchers meeting anywhere.

Participants set a weight-loss goal for themselves at the end of 12 weeks. If they do not have a set goal, their goal becomes to lose 10 percent of their body weight.

Meetings consist of a private weigh-in, sharing and support. Participants are weighed each week, but that number is not shared unless it is by them. Participants then take time to share experiences, recipes or other ideas.

To date, participants in the BMH program have lost 7,465 pounds.

Joyce Klann, Tom Grosick, and Judy Serafine still participate in the program. They are life members of Weight Watchers. To become a life member, a person must reach his or her goal weight and maintain it.

Each has a story to tell.

Klann joined the program because of the convenience of it being at the workplace. For her, the hardest part of the program is to maintain her weight.

"Once you reach goal, you get lazy," she said.

The best part of the program for her is that it provided a book with all the tools needed to lose weight.

"It was nothing extreme," said Klann, "It was all common sense."

She lost 57 pounds after 28 weeks in the program.

Grosick joined the program in January 2002 after a doctor told him to lose weight. The program was convenient since it was at work.

The hardest part for him was being around his friends while on the program.

"You'd go to a cookout with your friends, and there's beer and hot dogs," he said. "You can still enjoy the cookout, but not eat as much."

For him the best part of the program is that it worked.

Grosick lost 70 pounds and reached his goal in July 2004.

Serafine was encouraged to join when a group of co-workers decided to join.

"Going with a group was more comfortable than going alone," she said.

The hardest part was getting her family to accept that she was in a weight-loss program and support her.

The meetings were good because they were led by people who had been where she was and had succeeded. She also enjoyed listening to what other people had to share and seeing how she could fit their suggestions into her own plan.

Serafine lost 30 pounds since joining the program.

This trio had suggestions for people trying to lose weight. They all agree that being mentally ready to lose weight is important. There has to be a motivator involved, whether it is for family, for health reasons or something else.

They also say to expect weight loss to be slow.

"It won't happen overnight," said Serafine.

All three attribute the success of the program to the hospital.

"The hospital gets the credit," said Grosick.

BMH provides meeting rooms for the program as well as other benefits. The cost of the program can be a payroll deduction, which saves worrying about writing a check or having the money.

Another incentive is that if a person meets his or her goal in the 12 weeks of the program or less, they receive a $50 bonus.

There also have been occasions when the program did not meet the 30-person minimum per meeting. To keep the program going, the hospital contributed the funds so that both meetings could continue.

Chris Walter, a nurse in the health services department and a former participant in Weight Watchers, said there are many reasons for the success of the program.

"The directors are willing to provide time, there is payroll deduction and the dietary department and cafeteria have been very supportive," Walter said.

Walter said the cafeteria has embraced the program by labeling all food with the point system used by Weight Watchers. It also provides a meal option for those who participate in the program.

"Even those who aren't in the program get involved," said Walter, "They see the points and know what is better for them and choose that option."

Walter also gives credit to Stephanie Roskovski, the coordinator of the Weight Watchers program. She's also the special assistant to the president of the hospital for a healthy workplace.

"She has taken the program on her shoulders and really helped it stay strong," said Walter.

This year, Walter said Roskovski is hoped to implement the "10,000 Steps" program, which will provide pedometers to interested employees with a goal to reach 10,000 steps. Pedometers record the number of steps a person takes.