Local & State Headlines

Family drops weight, wins big

• The Claud family dropped a total of 77 pounds during the three-month Albany-Savannah Weight Loss Challenge.

J.D. Sumner

ALBANY — No one ever told the Claud family that slimming down could fatten their family's bank account, but Thursday night, that's exactly what happened.

The Clauds were named winner of the family category of the Albany-Savannah Weight Loss Challenge, a three-month initiative designed to promote healthy living through fundamental lifestyle changes.

Carlita Claud, who lost 29 1/2 pounds during the competition and 17 more after, said that the challenge improved the overall health of her family while bringing them into a closer family unit.

"I'm just so excited," Claud said. "It was very challenging but changed our lifestyles and manage to bring our family closer together in the process."

For their efforts, the Clauds were issued a $2,500 check.

Mayor Willie Adams, who initiated the challenge with Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson, said that losing weight was a great goal, but that ultimately, the contest was about helping people get healthy.

"We thought that this would be a good idea from a health standpoint," Adams said. "There are no losers when it comes to trying to live a healthy lifestyle."

Poppi Kramer, the at-home winner of NBC's "The Biggest Loser" reality program, praised the participants for "making a commitment to changing their lives for the better."

"Y'all are doing it the right way," she said. "Y'all aren't losing 1 pounds a week, you're doing it slowly and surely."

In addition to the Clauds, organizers recognized the individuals who had lost the most weight in the adult and youth categories, the people who had spent the most time at the gym and the person who had lowered his or her blood pressure the most.

Claud, an avid shopper, said that shedding the pounds had an added benefit: more shopping time.

"If I keep dropping, I can keep shopping," Claud said.

More Headlines>>