YMCA Ararat trainers work with The Biggest Loser contestants in the community

With the latest series of Channel Ten's The Biggest Loser focussing on obesity issues in the town of Ararat in western Victoria, YMCA Ararat personal trainer Lauren Armstrong has been working with contestants as they return, one by one, to the local community.

With the series having made extensive use of local fitness facilities, including those of YMCA Ararat, the YMCA offered all 14 final contestants the opportunity to continue their post The Biggest Loser health and wellness journey with the Y, with 12 months of personal fitness training and gym memberships to all.

As a result, Armstrong one of three young personal trainers at the Ararat YMCA, explains "it's been an amazing experience.

"I have got to work with a range of fitness levels as each contestant left the house and that has really pushed me as a personal trainer".

YMCA Health and Fitness Coordinator Peter Harrison is another Y employee currently working with the eliminated contestants.

Harrison, who moved to Ararat to be a part of The Biggest Loser experience, explains "it is a fantastic opportunity to train these people.

"Very rarely do we encounter people who are this motivated to lose weight."

After been dubbed one of the fattest towns in Australia, both Armstrong and Harrison each hope that the community of Ararat will continue to support the contestants after the series ends.

Armstrong adds "the YMCA is playing a huge part in supporting the town and the evicted contestants.

"We are trying to address the root cause of the town's obesity and have started to pilot healthy eating programs in our Kindergartens."

What Armstrong, Harrison and the rest of the team at the YMCA of Ararat has learned about how to help people who are obese - and their particular obstacles and challenges - will be of interest and benefit to the wider YMCA Movement, with the latest IBISWorld research on fitness 'Gyms and Fitness Centres in Australia' naming obesity as one of the few growth drivers for the industry, which the market research firm defines as being in a mature and saturated phase.

More importantly, helping people overcome obesity is described by a YMCA spokesperson as being "central to the YMCAs of Australia's vision to make a positive difference, by providing each and every person with opportunity to be healthy, happy and connected."

The YMCA believes that people living with obesity can be among highly vulnerable, and, the spokesperson adds "the YMCA with our welcoming, inclusive philosophy, needs to help create more pathways for the obese to feel welcome and comfortable in gym environments."

In addition to training contestants on their elimination from The Biggest Loser, the YMCA was also involved in the local community challenge initiative that encouraged 500 inactive people into regular activity over 12 weeks with outstanding health and wellbeing outcomes.

Looking forward, Harrison concludes "Ararat is certainly not unique in the obesity factor.

"The difference is that we have embraced it and are doing something to change."

11th February 2014 - IBISWORLD PREDICTS FLAT GROWTH IN FITNESS INDUSTRY THROUGH 2014

19th January 2014 - VICTORIA’S ‘FATTEST’ TOWN IN THE BIGGEST LOSER SPOTLIGHT

14th August 2012 - YMCA SAYS AUSTRALIA TOPS WRONG LEADER BOARDS