N-Lighten Nebraska
In 2003, the Nebraska Sports Council began a team wellness program called N-Lighten Nebraska for participants with the goals of healthy weight loss and increased physical activity. The program was begun as an antidote to rising obesity rates in Nebraska and across the nation and to satisfy the Council’s mission to promote healthy lifestyle choices. Fitness tips, designed to motivate and educate participants, are provided over a four-month period.
More than 1,200 participants lost 7,000 pounds in the first year. An accumulated activity division was added in 2004, when more than 6,000 Nebraskans registered for the program, logging more than 1.77 million activity miles and losing more than 16,500 total pounds. Participants came from 87 Nebraska counties and nine other states. For its success in making Nebraska healthier, N-Lighten Nebraska earned the 2004 NAHPERD 2004 Service Award.