Doctor Feel Good

Rajiv Kumar is a man on a mission: to help Rhode Islanders become the biggest losers (of weight, that is) and, in the process, get hooked on healthy living.

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Rajiv Kumar wants to play a game.

We’re in a conference room at the Rhode Island Foundation in downtown Providence. It’s a nice place with a view of Waterplace Park and the state capitol, but neither he nor those who have come to hear him seems to notice. Our attention is fixed on Kumar. We’ve been told this will be fun.

A slide pops up on the projector screen that says, “I’m cuckoo for…”

“Cocoa Puffs,” we answer.

The next slide says, “They’re Grrreat!”

“Frosted Flakes,” we say.

“Melts in your mouth, not in your hand.”

“M&Ms,” we say.

“I’m lovin’ it…”

“McDonald’s,” we say.

“Congratulations, you got all the answers correct,” Kumar tells us. But, of course, that’s not the point, and we know it. We’re here to learn about Kumar’s plan to get Rhode Islanders off the sofa, away from junk food and hooked on a healthier lifestyle. The program is Shape Up RI, a competitive, team-based weight loss program that has motivated thousands in Rhode Island—a state where 61 percent of all adults are overweight or obese—to exercise regularly, eat more healthily and regain their self esteem.

The twenty-four-year-old Kumar started the program two years ago as a new medical student at Brown University with a modest budget and little idea how his vision would play out. Much to his surprise, about 2,000 people signed up, formed teams and competed against each other to see which squad could shed the most pounds or log the most hours of exercise. Now, as Shape Up RI begins its third year in February, Kumar expects 15,000 Rhode Islanders to battle their bulges and sweat and step their way into better shape.

“I realized…that losing weight is very personal,” he tells his audience, which includes  representatives from the state attorney general’s office, Lincoln High School, Thundermist Health Center, Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and area businesses. “We do it alone. But the problem is when we get alone, it’s easy to get frustrated.”

He adds: “I figured there must be a better way.”