Weight Watchers of Maine has announced its "Fit To Rescue Me" program which offers free Weight Watchers Meetings to Maine policemen, firemen, and emergency medical technicians. General Manager of Weight Watchers of Maine Jackie Conn says this is their way of saying thanks and giving back to the community.

Jackie and I chatted this morning about the program and she explained that she's not trying to say that emergency personnel are necessarily overweight. But they often find themselves in situations where they sit for long periods of time, or perhaps don't have a wide variety of healthy foods available when it comes to meal time. Weight Watchers can help them to make better choices, so they be in shape to handle the physical demands of their jobs.

The advantage of going to meetings rather than doing the program online, Jackie told us, is a sense of community. You get to meet with others who are working the same program and facing the same challenges. They can offer you support, as well as tips on how to get past your latest obstacle.

She says the idea for Fit to Rescue ME came about when her daughter's friend lost her firefighter Dad to a heart attack. He was snowblowing during a blizzard at the time. "The tragedy made me realize just how much the public depends on the people who serve in these positions and how important it is for them to take the best care of themselves possible to be able to do their jobs," Jackie said, adding "I wanted to help."

Fit to Rescue Me will allow any active responders (policemen, firemen, and emergency medical technicians) to attend Weight Watchers meetings free of charge until he or she reaches their personal weight goal. Free enrollment will be accepted May 19th through June 1st, 2013. For more information, call Jackie Conn at 1-800-651-6000, extension 405, or log onto the Weight Watchers Maine website.

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