NATCHEZ — One year, 23 people and more than 500 pounds lost — those figures sum up the second Natchez-Adams County Diabetes and Heart Disease Prevention Program.

The 23 individuals who persisted through the entire yearlong program were outliers, as more than 100 participants signed up for the program.

Participants, who stuck with the program until the end, lost a combined 547 pounds with nearly half the group exceeding a 10-percent weight loss.

The woman who achieved the highest percentage of weight loss, resident Jane Washington, shed approximately 17 percent of her body weight.

“I was thrilled,” Washington said. “I actually had no idea that I had lost the most weight,”

Looking back, Washington said the program has helped improve her energy and has also relieved her back pain tremendously. Washington said she emphatically supports the program and said she wants more people to get involved.

“It is the best thing that has ever happened (to me),” Washington said.

For the past two years, Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus has hosted the program aimed to help an area where diabetes and heart disease are rampant.

The curriculum, guided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contained both educational and exercise sessions to help participants learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle, lose weight and maintain that weigh loss.

Washington and others who completed the course were honored last week with plaques presented by Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell at a city board of aldermen meeting.

But also during that meeting, the program’s coordinator, Getty Israel, announced that this would be her last year with the program. Funded for the last two year’s by Humana, the program would not receive funding for another year, Israel said.

If, however, people in the community choose to continue the program, they could find a way to make it happen, Israel said.

“This program is necessary. Don’t take it lightly,” Israel said. “Many people are dying and developing heart disease because they simply need to lose weight.

“If Natchez really wants to become known for something great, why don’t we make this the healthiest town we can possibly make it. One way we can do that is by supporting these types of initiatives.”

Aside from the impact of weight loss, Israel said the program helped improve participants’ mood and energy levels, lowered their blood pressure and helped some reduce the amount of medication they needed.

Though she is leaving, Israel said she would help the area find a way to continue the program if there is desire.

As one of the main beneficiaries of the program, Washington said she hopes this program continues as a fun, educational way to help Miss-Lou residents get healthy.

“Health-wise, it has made a total difference in a lot of people’s lives,” Washington said.

One of the program’s coaches, Demetric V. Felder, thanked Israel for helping Adams County citizens improve their health.

“The fire that burns inside the heart of that woman inspires others,” Felder said. “It inspires myself.”

Felder said he hopes that “fire” continues to burn — like fat.