News - Friday, January 2, 2009

Stopping hunger by losing weight
Programs encourage 'altruistic weight loss'

by Karla Kane

Shedding weight is a common New Year's resolution, and countless diet plans focus on watching calories. But Pounds for Poverty, a new Palo Alto-based weight-loss program, is taking a different approach — the idea that generosity, compassion and mindfulness can lead to weight-loss success.

The plan is based on three goals: developing a personalized, long-term healthy eating and exercise plan, learning tools for training the mind to make better choices and making a commitment to support hunger-relief charities, program founder Elad Levinson said.

The concept of altruistic weight loss is simple — when the urge to overeat strikes, instead of grabbing an unhealthy snack, take a moment and instead make the choice to donate the cost of that junk food to an organization fighting hunger. When such a choice is made, everyone benefits, Levinson said.

Giving to others boosts self esteem, which makes it easier to keep on a healthier and more positive path. Pausing to think about consequences of an action, then deciding on a better choice, is a basic yet critical step in transforming attitudes and habits, said Levinson, a licensed clinical social worker and corporate consultant.

"Most people know what's good for them, but it often takes more than just information to make someone change their behavior," Levinson said. He said contributing to the needy can be a powerful motivator to make better eating choices because it benefits the greater good rather than selfish desires or self-harming practices.

Giving to those truly in need can satisfy an emotional hunger, which he said often leads to overeating and unhealthy choices.

Pounds for Poverty is not the only program to incorporate charity with weight loss. Weight Watchers embarked on a national six-week "Lose For Good" campaign last fall, with a goal of donating a million dollars to the organizations Share our Strength and Action Against Hunger. Weight Watchers donated the equivalent of a pound of food for every pound lost by its members, nearly 4 million pounds in total.

Levinson, who himself lost 100 pounds 38 years ago, said his long-term success has come from developing a sense of objectivity about his eating habits, which allows him to channel impulses that could be destructive in more positive ways. Pounds for Poverty is rooted in his own experience, as well as in his nearly 40-year counseling career, including as a life coach and a staff member at an alcoholism treatment center. He has also worked as a consultant in social responsibility for corporations.

He's previously offered similarly themed workshops, including one called, "What is the hunger food cannot satisfy?" He said his workshop methods are based in "mindfulness-based stress management."

His program co-founder, wife Maryann Marks, who recently earned a counseling degree, is the program's original success story. "Maryann has struggled with her weight since she was a teenager. When I had the idea for Pounds for Poverty, she began to experiment with it and her habits changed. She no longer has compulsive thoughts about food, which is really remarkable," Levinson said.

Pounds for Poverty will be offered as an eight-week workshop. The first session begins Jan. 20. Participants will learn techniques and exercises each week to help them better recognize their behavior patterns. As they work with these mental-health tools, they will also be encouraged to donate money to one of Pounds for Poverty's four partner charities — Heifer International, Second Harvest, Whole Planet Foundation or Amma.org, all of which support hunger relief in some form.

"We have a formal partnership with Second Harvest and Whole Planet Foundation and are in talks with Whole Foods about sponsoring the program," Levinson said. "But if participants have another favorite organization they'd prefer, that's fine too. It's about making a difference and being engaged."

Levinson and Marks will encourage participants to develop healthy lifestyle plans (including charitable donations) that fit the individuals' needs, and see their workshop as a unique way for people to meet their weight-loss goals as part of an overall transformation to better emotional and physical health.

"The program is a social venture," Levinson said. "We think of it as a business with a higher purpose."

The charitable donations are strictly voluntary, and participants are not obliged to share details at the workshop meetings. However, Levinson said talking about the experience of being charitable fosters pride and self-confidence. Exchanging overeating for altruism, according to the program's website (www.poundsforpoverty.com), "empowers us to impact in a positive way two epidemics — obesity and hunger."

Editorial Assistant Karla Kane can be reached at kkane@paweekly.com.

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