Some of you may have noticed the lack of a Dietribe column last week.  That was because I was sick with a bad cold/flu, so eating habits and exercise really weren’t high priorities (somehow, the simple act of breathing through my nose seemed more important).  That said, I’m back to feeling better, and I have more motivation to get to a Weight Watchers meeting than ever before, because I just learned the company is hosting its second annual Lose for Good campaign.

As members and online subscribers lose weight now through October 17, Weight Watchers will donate up to one million dollars to feed families and children in need.  For every pound lost, the company donates the equivalent of a pound of food to people on a local and global level.

The best part is that this campaign actually puts its money where its mouth is.  Last year, members lost more than four million pounds, and in turn, Weight Watchers donated more than 1.5 million pound s of food and one million dollars to charitable partners.  This translated into hundreds of thousands of nutritious meals for hungry kids in the U.S. and resources to fight malnutrition abroad.

Now, I have absolutely no excuse not to make healthy decisions.  What’s more, I have an even stronger reason to actually attend a meeting itself, since members can also participate in local food drives right at their Weight Watchers meeting locations.  So if I can’t stay motivated to help save my own health, I can do it to help save others who really need it.  I only wish the company could keep up this campaign all year long.

Learn more about the Lose for Good campaign in the video below.

Photo credit: girl eating – Mateusz Stachowski