Patterson team loses big to win as Biggest Loser

NEWMAN -- And the winner of West Side bragging rights for the next year is … the city of Patterson.

A 10-member team representing Patterson won the Westside Biggest Loser contest, an annual eight-week weight-loss effort sponsored by Stanislaus County's Westside Health Care Task Force.

Weigh-in was Thursday afternoon, with the usual good-natured ribbing among contestants:

"Hey, you're wearing flip-flops. Weren't you wearing boots at the first weigh-in?"

"Sucking in your gut doesn't lower the number on the scale."

And, after stepping off the scale, which was provided by the county's agriculture commissioner's office: "Anybody got a doughnut?"

Stanislaus County Supervisor Jim DeMartini, who leads the task force, was a member of Patterson's winning team, contributing 5 pounds to its overall 75-pound loss.

For DeMartini, the loss was also a personal victory. "I kept off the 12 pounds I lost last year, then lost 5 more," he said.

In all, the Patterson team lost 3.9 percent of its collective weight.

"That's good weight loss," said Milton O'Haire, assistant agriculture commissioner, who oversaw the weigh-in.

Results were delayed a bit in the interest of criminal justice: A Newman police officer who helped represent that city got a call just as the weigh-in began.

In addition to being a spirited competition among teams representing Gustine, Newman and Patterson, the contest is aimed at inspiring longer-term changes among West Side residents. The sponsoring task force was formed to increase access to health services and information on the West Side.

Bee Breaking News Editor Patty Guerra can be reached at pguerra@modbee.com or (209) 578-2343.