First Place is a religious, faith-based diet that's been around since 1981 and is now practiced at 1000's of churches in the U.S. and in over a dozen countries. It was created by the First Baptist Christian Church in Houston, Texas. The foundation of the weight loss plan came from a congregation that pondered why God had blessed them in so many ways, but had not given them a way to control their weight problems.
The plan: 11-13 weeks per session.
1. Attend a group meeting each week.
2. Make one telephone call to a class member weekly.
3. Pray daily.
4. Read two chapters in the Bible/day.
5. Memorize a Bible verse/week.
6. Complete a 15 minute Bible study/day.
7. Follow their food plan, which is based on the food guide pyramid of balanced nutrition.
8. Keep a record of your food intake.
9. Exercise a minimum of three times/week.
They clearly state in their program that true weigh loss is achieved if the weight is kept off for 5 years. I would say that number of years should be indefinate, as in never gained back, but it is re-freshing to see a commercial weight loss program put plain focus on the long-term. The basics of First Place 4 Health weight loss program are good; they advocate motivation, healthy eating, support and exercise.
But, the costs make you wonder about their brand of Christian faith: the program is centered around a group leader who is required to purchase a "Group Starter Kit" for $179.99 and a "Healthy Leaders Guide" for $19.99. Each member of the group is required to buy a members kit for $89.99 and a couple of Bible study kits for $19.95 a piece.
As a Christian, I am not of the opinion that our leaders should direct our faith in a manner that derives large profits from our activities. Now, if the organization took those monies and used them solely for helping the sick and the poor, then I'm all for it. That's true Christian virtue. There seems to be less and less of that all the time from the superstar preachers with their multi-million dollar churches, Armani suits and lavish lifestyles.
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