Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find frequently asked questions from people considering joining The Challenge.

The Challenge

What is The 50 Million Pound Challenge?
How can I sign up and participate in The Challenge?
Can anyone sign up for The Challenge?
Is the program exclusive to African Americans?
How will we keep track of the 50 million pounds?
How can I start losing weight right away?
When are we aiming to meet the goal?
If I participate, how will I find out if we met The 50 Million Pound Challenge?
If I’m already involved in a weight loss program, can my weight loss be counted towards The Challenge?
Can I report and track my progress weekly? Or do I have to wait until I reach my goal to report the pounds lost to The Challenge?
What if I regain some of the weight that I lost for The Challenge? Do I need to report it if I do?
What happens at The 50 Million Pound Challenge events? Who can attend? Is there an admission charge?
Where will The 50 Million Pound Challenge events be held? What dates and times are the events?
Do I need an email address to join The Challenge?
What is in the free Challenge Kit?
Can I get more than one Challenge Kit?
What are the age requirements to participate in the 50 Million Pound Challenge?

Dr. Ian Smith

Who is Dr. Ian Smith? Why is he challenging the African-American community to lose 50 million pounds?
Do I need to buy The Fat Smash Diet by Dr. Ian to participate?
If I attend an event, can I meet Dr. Ian? Will he be signing autographs?

State Farm

Why is State Farm® sponsoring The 50 Million Pound Challenge?
How can I locate a participating State Farm agent?
Do I need to be a State Farm customer to participate?
If I lose weight, how will this affect my life insurance or health premium?
Will information I provide be used for underwriting or rating purposes?

The Challenge Web site

I am registered, but I cannot log in. What can I do?

Challenge Teams

What is a Challenge Team?
What kinds of Challenge Teams are available to join?
What are the age requirements to participate in the 50 Million Pound Challenge?
How do I find a team to join?
How do I join a Challenge Team?
Can I join more than one team?
What is the difference between Open Teams and Invite-Only Teams?
How can I invite a friend to join my team if it's Invite-Only?
How do I start a Challenge Team?
What are the criteria for joining a team or being a Team Leader?
How can I be a Team Leader?
What is an Alternate Team Leader?
How can I become an Alternate Team Leader?
What if I need to change my Team Description or other information?
Will any of my personal information be displayed, and if so, what?
How can I contact or compete with other teams?
How do I stop receiving email notifications from my Team Leader?
Why aren't my updated team results posted yet?
How do I leave a team?
Will my information still appear when I leave a team?

The Challenge

What is The 50 Million Pound Challenge?
Dr. Ian Smith, physician, journalist and well-known author of The Fat Smash Diet is teaming up with State Farm Insurance Company to issue a 50 million pound weight loss challenge to African Americans. To help reach this ambitious goal, participants across the country will get information and tools to take off the pounds, receive and give encouragement, as well as track progress.

Being overweight is one of our nation’s top health problems, increasing the risk of life-threatening but preventable illness for more than 135 million Americans.

This is a concern for everyone, but the African-American community has been hit particularly hard. Far too many African Americans are dying from diseases that are completely preventable. Every person in the community knows someone -- a father, mother, aunt or child -- who suffers from physical diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke or heart disease.

The aim is to save lives by changing the lifestyle choices we make. We want people to give up the pounds, not give up the fight.

We officially launched The Challenge in early April 2007 and held an event in Washington, DC on April 7 to kick off a 14-city tour across the nation. These tour stops will give people a chance to learn more about The Challenge, sign up, have their health checked and meet Dr. Ian personally.

The process is simple. You can officially sign up, find encouragement and track your progress within this website. To get a free Challenge Kit, locate a participating State Farm Agent.

What counts is taking weight-loss action – we encourage people to do this through the plan they’re currently on (if they’re happy and successful) or by following tips on this Web site and in The Challenge Kit.

Below are just a few of the many things we hope participants can accomplish through The Challenge:

Shed excess pounds, achieve healthier weights, and reduce the risk for life-threatening diseases
Unite as a community and pool strength and resources to overcome the health problems that afflict us.
Learn more about our bodies and how to live healthier and longer lives
Teach youth the importance of making healthy lifestyle decisions that will benefit them for years to come.

How can I sign up and participate in The Challenge?
Click here to enroll online. Or get a Challenge Kit from a local participating State Farm Agent.

Can anyone sign up for The Challenge?
The Challenge is free of charge and open to anyone who wants to participate.

Being overweight is a problem that impacts all Americans. The African-American community has been particularly hard-hit – and is fighting back. The Challenge is giving people the tools and principles to lose the weight and get control back over a healthier lifestyle. By pulling together as a community, we can make a lasting difference.

Is the program exclusive to African Americans?
The Challenge is open to anyone who wants to participate. Being overweight is a problem that impacts everyone, and it is putting more than 135 million Americans at increased risk of life-threatening but preventable illness. We’re focusing on the African-American community because it has been particularly hard-hit – and is fighting back. The Challenge will give participants the tools and principles to lose the weight and get control back over a healthier lifestyle. Pulling together as a community, we can make a lasting difference.

How will we keep track of the 50 million pounds?
Each participant will enter their starting weight on this website and the date. You can update your weight any time. The entries are totaled each day and the pounds lost are added to the total. A running total will appear on the homepage.

How can I start losing weight right away?
For a free Challenge Kit, see a participating State Farm agent. Or download the free guide contained in The Challenge Kit to get started today.

When are we aiming to meet the goal?
Being overweight is one of the nation’s top health problems. It is hitting the African-American community particularly hard, so we want to meet the goal as soon as possible. But we know losing weight isn’t easy or fast. Give up the pounds; don’t give up the fight. We’ll get there.

If I participate, how will I find out if we met The 50 Million Pound Challenge?
This site will track our progress. You can watch the ticker on the home page. Or, if you are a registered user, we will send you information and updates throughout The Challenge. When we reach our goal we plan to let the whole country know about it!

If I’m already involved in a weight loss program, can my weight loss be counted towards The Challenge?
Yes. Once you register on the website, you can update your weight as often as you want.

Can I report and track my progress weekly? Or do I have to wait until I reach my goal to report the pounds lost to The Challenge?
Yes, you can track your progress on the site by entering your weight as often as you want.

What if I regain some of the weight that I lost for The Challenge? Do I need to report it if I do?
Report your current weight on the site and it will keep track of net pounds gained or lost. We understand with any diet there will be weight loss, plateaus, and maybe a few pounds gained back. We’re interested in helping you change your overall lifestyle, and know you’ll get back on the program as soon as you can.

What happens at The 50 Million Pound Challenge events? Who can attend? Is there an admission charge?
The 50 Million Pound Challenge events are free. Anyone can attend. Stay tuned for more news about where a Challenge event might be held near you.

Where will The 50 Million Pound Challenge events be held? What dates and times are the events?
Click here for a list of events. Please check back regularly for updates.

Do I need an email address to join The Challenge?
Yes. You will use your email address to log in to The Challenge Web site and to receive weekly health tips from Dr. Ian, if you choose that option. The weekly tips will be sent your email address every Monday morning.

To sign up for your email account, please visit any of these providers:

What is in the free Challenge Kit?

A pedometer to help you reach your "daily steps" goal
A booklet written by Dr. Ian Smith
A motivational CD featuring Dr. Ian Smith. (This CD can only be played on a computer.)

Can I get more than one Challenge Kit?
We are very excited to have requests for multiple kits. It means you are embracing the effort and helping to spread the word on the benefits of The Challenge. Visit a State Farm agent to get your kit and if you want more, just send your friends and family in to a participating State Farm agent to get their kit too. You and those you share The Challenge message with can get a Challenge Kit from a local participating State Farm Agent.

You can also download and print multiple copies of the Challenge Brochure.

What are the age requirements to participate in the 50 Million Pound Challenge?
You must be over the age of 18 to participate in the Challenge. If you are under the age of 18, you should consult your doctor before pursuing any diet or exercise plan.

Dr. Ian Smith

Who is Dr. Ian Smith? Why is he challenging the African-American community to lose 50 million pounds?
Dr. Ian Smith is currently a medical contributor to ABC’s nationally-syndicated, The View, a medical columnist for Men’s Health Magazine, and the medical/diet expert on VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club. Dr. Smith is also the host of the nationally syndicated radio show Healthwise on American Urban Radio Networks. He is the former medical correspondent for NBC News network and for NewsChannel 4 where he filed reports for NBC's Nightly News and the Today show as well as WNBC's various news broadcasts. He has written for various publications including Time, Newsweek, and the New York Daily News, and has been featured in several other publications including: People, Essence, Ebony, Cosmopolitan, and University of Chicago Medicine on the Midway.

Dr. Ian says, “I have spent a lot of time over my professional career reporting and discussing how health problems show up unevenly in our population and the health dangers of obesity. A middle-aged woman, who had been battling obesity and diabetes for most of her life, once sent me an e-mail saying, ’If you know so much about the problems of obesity and health disparities, then why don’t you do something about them?’ That’s when I decided that talking about the problem was only half the solution. So I decided to put a plan together and that’s what you’ll find in The Challenge.”

Do I need to buy The Fat Smash Diet by Dr. Ian to participate?
No purchase is necessary to participate in the program.

If I attend an event, can I meet Dr. Ian? Will he be signing autographs?
Dr. Ian is scheduled to go to The Challenge events. Depending on the time available, Dr. Ian may be able to sign autographs.

State Farm

Why is State Farm sponsoring The 50 Million Pound Challenge?
Dr. Ian is teaming up with State Farm because State Farm and its people have a strong commitment to serving the communities in which they live and work. State Farm has a long-time commitment to the African-American community. The 50 Million Pound Challenge is about more than just losing weight, it’s about giving people the tools and principles to change their lives. State Farm cares about people the way good neighbors do – looking for ways to improve the quality of life not just of their customers, but of the entire community.

How can I locate a participating State Farm Agent?
Click here to locate a participating Agent near you.

Do I need to be a State Farm customer to participate?
No, the program is not exclusive to State Farm customers.

If I lose weight, how will this affect my life insurance or health premium?
Although each company has different underwriting requirements overweight may pay more for life and health insurance coverage. Losing weight can improve your health and can also help lower your insurance premiums. When you have any changes in your health relating to build, please talk to a State Farm agent about ways to get the right coverage at the right price.

Will information I provide be used for underwriting or rating purposes?
Information provided will not be used by State Farm for underwriting or rating purposes.

The Challenge Web site

I am registered, but I cannot log in. What can I do?
The 50 Million Pound Challenge website requires that cookies be enabled in your browser. If you repeatedly get bounced back to the login screen, with no message about an incorrect username or password, then this is caused by your browser not retaining your login information correctly. To fix this you need to troubleshoot your browser, so try the following:

Clear your cache. (Instructions below)
Check your Cookie settings. (Instructions below)
Quit your browser and restart it.
Use another browser
Double check to make sure you do not have your Caps Lock on. The password field is case sensitive.

Note that if you have a firewall, you should check its cookie settings as well, to make sure it will allow the website cookies to be set. Check the manual or documentation for the firewall for information on this.

If none of the above work for you, please try these steps as a last resort.

Restart your computer.
Try a different computer.
Try a different Internet connection.

ENABLE COOKIES:

Mozilla Firefox (1.0 final release and earlier)

Go to the "Tools" menu.
Select "Options."
Select the "Privacy" icon in the left panel.
Check the box corresponding to "Allow sites to set cookies."
Click "OK" to save changes.

Netscape 7.1/Mozilla 5.0

Select "Preferences" from the Edit menu.
Click on the arrow next to "Privacy & Security" in the scrolling window to expand.
Under "Privacy & Security," select "Cookies."
Select "Enable all cookies."
Click "OK"

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+

Select "Internet Options" from the Tools menu.
Click on the "Privacy" tab.
Click the "Default" button (or manually slide the bar down to "Medium") under "Settings."
Click "OK"

CLEAR CACHE:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0

Open IE and click on the "Tools" menu.
Select "Internet Options."
Click on the "General" tab if it isn't selected already.
Under the heading "Temporary Internet files," click "Delete files..." (Note that it can take up to 30 minutes for your computer to delete your cache history.)
Click on "OK."

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0

Open IE7 and click on the "Tools" menu.
Select "Internet Options."
Click on the "General" tab if it isn't selected already.
Click on the "Delete..." button.
Under the heading "Temporary Internet files," click "Delete files..." (Note that it can take up to 30 minutes for your computer to delete your cache history.)
Click "OK" to exit.

Mozilla Firefox (1.5 or earlier)

Open Mozilla Firefox.
Click on "Tools" > "Options" > "Privacy."
>Click "Cache" > "Clear."
Select "OK" to exit.

Mozilla Firefox 2.0

Open Mozilla Firefox.
Click on "Tools" > "Options" > "Advanced."
Click on the "Network" tab.
Under the "Cache" heading, click on the "Clear Now" button.
Click "OK" to exit.

Challenge Teams

What is a Challenge Team?
Challenge Teams are an online community of user-created groups that work together in reaching their weight-loss goals. As a member of the 50 Million Pound Challenge, you can sign up to join an existing team that interests you, or start a new team with your friends, family, church members or anyone else you know who wants to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Challenge Team members can view member and team progress totals and averages, or compete against other teams in the same category. It's a great way to stay motivated and on track for reaching your goals.

What kinds of Challenge Teams are available to join?
Challenge Teams are grouped into categories (such as Churches, Schools, Companies, etc.) to help members find them more easily and to help teams compete. The "Other" category can be used for teams that don't fit into one of the main categories.

What are the age requirements to participate in the 50 Million Pound Challenge?
You must be over the age of 18 to participate in the Challenge. You should consult your doctor before pursuing any diet or exercise plan.

How do I find a team to join?
To join a team, you can browse through the Team Categories on the Challenge Teams page to find one you're interested in, or search by zip city, state or keyword. The Search tool is located on each page of the Challenge Teams section.

How do I join a Challenge Team?
When you locate a team to join, click the "Join Now" button. (You must be registered as a Challenge member and logged into join.) You'll be directed to the "Join a Team" page, where you'll confirm the team you want to join and complete a few questions. Once you join, you'll receive a welcome email with information about your new team. If you know which team you want to join, go to the Join a Team page to get started. To learn more about joining Open or Invite-Only Teams, see that FAQ below.

Can I join more than one team?
Yes. You can join any Open Teams that interest you, or request to be invited to an Invite-Only team if they’ve allowed invite requests. Just don’t join more teams than you can keep up with!

What is the difference between Open Teams and Invite-Only Teams?
An Open Team is just that: open for anyone to join without an invitation. But to join an Invite-Only Team, you must receive an invitation via email from a Challenge Team Leader. Invite-Only teams also have the option of allowing users to request an invite; in that case, the Team Leader is notified that a user would like to join that team, and can extend an invitation if they choose.

How can I invite a friend to join my team if it's Invite-Only?
You can ask your Team Leader to extend an invitation to your friend, or they can request an invitation on your team’s page so they can be invited to join.

How do I start a Challenge Team?
To start a Challenge Team, log in and go to the Start a Team page. You’ll complete some information about your team, such as Team Name, Category and Description. Once your new team has been confirmed, you’ll receive an email notification, and you can start inviting your friends to join at the Invite Others page.

What are the criteria for joining a team or being a Team Leader?
To join a team or start one as Team Leader, you must be 18 years or older and registered for the 50 Million Pound Challenge.

As Team Leader, your job is to update the Team Profile as necessary, invite any new members, and keep your team informed about any news or changes. You can even set goals and challenges for your team, or compete with another team.

How can I be a Team Leader?
When you start a team, you automatically become a Challenge Team Leader. If you are a member of a team, you can also let your Team Leader know that you would like to be the Alternate Team Leader. As Alternate Team Leader, you will automatically become the new Team Leader in the event your Team Leader must resign.

What is an Alternate Team Leader?
An Alternate Team Leader takes over in the event that the current Team Leader must resign.

How can I become an Alternate Team Leader?
You can let your Team Leader know that you want to be an Alternate Team Leader via email. When the Team Leader resigns, he or she will send you a nomination email and you have the option to accept or decline the position of Team Leader.

What if I need to change my Team Description or other information?
Only Team Leaders can change their team’s information. Just click "Edit Team Profile" on your Team Profile page, and you can make changes as necessary.

Will any of my personal information be displayed, and if so, what?
Only your Screen Name and Total Weight Lost will be displayed in all team listings.

How can I contact or compete with other teams?
If your team is interested, you can contact or issue a weight-loss challenge to another team like yours. For example, if your team belongs to the Churches category, try competing with another Churches team. It’s up to you if you want to participate with other teams; you can post a challenge on your Profile Page, or if you know members of other teams, you can discuss how to keep in touch or start a challenge.

How do I stop receiving email notifications from my Team Leader?
You can use your My Teams page to view your Team Information. If you no longer wish to receive emails from the Team Leader, just uncheck the box below the envelope icon.

Why aren't my updated team results posted yet?
The system recalculates and displays all participant and Team weight information every 12 hours. The exact times may vary, but it is generally between 5-6 a.m. and 5-6 p.m.

How do I leave a team?
You may leave a team any time by clicking "Leave This Team" from your My Teams page. You will receive a confirmation screen informing you that you have been successfully removed from the team.

Will my information still appear when I leave a team?
No. When you leave a team, all information you have posted as a team member will be deleted.