1. What is First Place 4 Health?

A life-changing, Christ-centered weight-loss and healthy living program. First Place 4 Health usually meets in small group settings in churches of all denominations.

2. Who can join the program?

Men and women of all ages who want to lose excess weight, lower cholesterol, learn better eating habits or become more disciplined in the areas of prayer, Bible study and exercise regardless of weight, level of fitness or spirituality.

3. How is First Place 4 Health different from other weight-management programs?

Although weight management is most often our motivation for joining a First Place 4 Health group, the focus is not just on the body-or on the number on the scale. That’s a crucial difference between First Place 4 Health and other weight-loss programs. By applying disciplines that affect the whole person—the body, the mind, the heart and the spirit—you will not only experience physical health but will also experience total health—health for life!

4. What is involved in being a First Place 4 Health member?

The program runs 12 weeks per session. Members meet weekly for an hour and 15 minutes per meeting. Your First Place 4 Health group will be a haven of support and encouragement as you move forward together. At each weekly meeting, you will review homework from the previous meeting, hear information about the wellness spotlight for that week, discuss your Bible study lesson for the week and participate in a group prayer time.

5. Do I have to buy special food?

No. In First Place 4 Health you'll be taught to eat "normal" food. You'll learn to cook low-fat recipes from food you buy at the grocery store, and you'll learn how to make healthy choices in restaurants.

6. Is there a special diet?

The First Place 4 Health nutrition plan is simple, practical, realistic, flexible and good for life. It is based on the USDA MYPyramid Food Guidelines as well as the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

7. How much does this program cost?

Depending on the varying expenses of a given church group, the cost to each member will be the First Place 4 Health Member's Kit and a Bible study. When a church begins the program, it usually adds a nominal fee to cover the start-up cost for purchasing scales, food models and other administrative expenses.

8. Are there statistics showing how much weight your members have lost?

No weight-loss program has conclusive statistics on their members. True weight loss involves a weight loss that is maintained for five years. While only an estimated 5 percent of the people in weight-loss programs do that, First Place 4 Health can claim five leaders in Houston who have lost 100+ pounds and kept it off for over five years.Read our Success Stories.

9. How did First Place 4 Health get started?

The First Place 4 Health program is the result of a godly desire placed in the hearts of a group of people in 1981 to establish a Christian weight-management program. Although it was not created to be a worldwide program, First Place 4 Health has grown to over half a million members in more than 12,000 churches of many denominations in all 50 states and in foreign countries. In 1992, First Place 4 Health entered a partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention and worked closely with them for eight years to develop the program. Since 2000, First Place has partnered with Gospel Light, who designed and published the First Place 4 Health program materials.

10. How can I start the program in my church?

Starting out is easy with First Place 4 Health. Visit Steps for Starting a New Group for more information.

11. How do I become a First Place 4 Health member?

Visit our Get Started page for more information.

12. Who do I contact if I have questions about an order I placed online?

If you need any assistance with an order you have placed online, please call Gospel Light's Customer Service
at 1-800-4-GOSPEL or e-mail orders@gospellight.com.

13. I have subscribed to the E-Newsletter but have not received one in my in-box.

Some online e-mail services such as Hotmail and MSN use a "junkmail" or "SPAM" filter that may be blocking the First Place E-Newsletter. You can adjust this setting from within your e-mail account.

14. I am having difficulty viewing the E-Newsletter in PDF format

The Acrobat Reader plugin is heavily memory-intensive and may crash your computer when viewing PDF files online. To avoid this, try downloading the document to your computer before opening it. Right-click Windows) or control-click (Mac) on the link and choose the "Save Link As" option. When the download is complete, you can open the file from your hard drive.

15. Are there any First Place 4 Health materials that can be copied?

All of the First Place 4 Health materials are copyrighted. Nothing in the First Place 4 Health materials may be copied.

16. How do I order First Place 4 Health products?

Thank you for your interest in the First Place 4 Health program!