What is the MyHealth Weight Race?
What is a Fitness for Life Champion?
What are the rules governing weight loss?
How are the weigh-ins conducted?
How are the winning teams determined?
What is the MyHealth Weight Race?
The University of Pittsburgh is launching the MyHealth Weight Race, a 12-week challenge for University faculty, staff, and their spouses/domestic partners who are looking to make healthy changes. The Weight Race will be administered by UPMC Health Plan. Graduate Students from the University's Department of Health and Physical Activity will conduct the weigh-ins.
Teams should consist of five faculty or staff members. Spouses and domestic partners can be an extension of a five-person team for a maximum of 10 participants. Each team will designate a Team Captain from among its members. The Team Captain acts as a point of contact and administrative lead for the team. You can register as an individual or with two or three others, but you will be automatically assigned to others to form a team of five before the start of the race. After registration closes on January 18, your final team assignments will be reported to you.
Teams should ideally ontain a sponsor - a Dean, Director, or Department Chair. The role of the Team Sponsor is to lend his or her name to the team and provide senior-level support.
The names of the team should play off the Team Sponsor's name(e.g. Fals's Fabulous Five, the Young and the Restless, etc.). Team names should be lighthearted but not offensive. You may want to adopt a creative name or use a name that plays off of your department (e.g. The Benefit Beauties and the Beast).
What is a Fitness for Life Champion?
Colleagues across the campus have volunteered to be champions to support Fitness for Life, including the Weight Race. They will provide information and support in your wellness efforts. For a list of champions, visit www.hr.pitt.edu/fitness/.
UPMC Health Plan Members:
- Go to upmchealthplan.com and log in to MyHealth OnLine.
- Select the "Weight Race" link in the "MyTools" box and follow the instructions.
- Or Call 1-888-499-6885
Non-UPMC Health Plan Members
- You will need to register by telephone by calling 1-888-499-6885
What are the rules governing weight loss?
Weight management goals should not exceed a loss of 25 pounds per participant during the 12 weeks. Anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18.5 is encouraged to participate but should not set a weight-loss goal. A BMI index can be found on the Fitness for Life web site.
Official weigh-ins will be held at the beginning, middle and end of the challenge at various sites on the main campus and at each of the regional campuses/locations. The sites will be announced after registration.
Weigh-ins are confidential and will be privately conducted by graduate students within the Department of Physical Activity on the Oakland campus and by physical activity or health care professionals at the regional campuses.
Participants must self-report their weights weekly.
It's important to weigh-in at all three official weigh-ins, which will be held in private on Pitt campuses at the start, midpoint, and end of the race.
- Initial weigh-ins: January 29, 30, 31, and February 1.
- Midpoint weigh-in: March 4, 5, 6 and 7.
- Final weigh-in: April 15, 16, 17, and 18.
For the weeks without an official weigh-in, you are responsible for reporting your weight each Thursday by 5 p.m. online or by phone. Each week you report your weight, you will be entered into a drawing for a $250 gift card. Drawings will be held at the mid-point and end of the race. You must participate in the official weigh-ins to win the raffle prize.
How are the winning teams determined?
Teams that achieve the highest percentage of their members' weight loss goals will be the event winners. Prizes will be awarded to the top 10 teams on the Oakland campus and top 4 teams on the regional campuses. If multiple teams tie for the percentage of weight lost, the top 5 teams will be chosen randomly.