The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Tetens looks to get Milan fit, healthy
Principal hopes to get city behind weight-loss program
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2008
Symons Elementary School principal Nancy Tetens is taking her mission to lose weight and get healthier to a whole new level.
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She now wants to help Milan become the healthiest city in the state - maybe, even, the country.
Last month, Tetens won $10,000 in Lifetime Entertainment's Clean Start Challenge for her efforts to become a better role model for her students by losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle.
In the process, she drew on the support of the entire school, involving students and staff in her campaign.
The support she received was integral to her success, she says, and she wants to return the favor.
"After all the support I received, I thought, man, there's got to be something I can do to give back," she said.
It was while she was on a radio show talking about the Clean Start Challenge that the opportunity came to her.
She met Tony Dean, the author of The Families Always Succeed Together Diet, or FAST.
The book tells how Dean and eight members of his family together lost 500 pounds in 2006. The family was featured on "Good Morning, America." Dean and his family then went on to help 100 people in his hometown of Omaha, Neb., lose a total of more than 4,000 pounds.
As it happened, when Tetens met Dean, he was looking to try his program on an even larger scale and was hoping to partner with a city.
"I just kind of said Milan would be a great place to do it," Tetens said. "I thought it would be terrific and could bring a lot of positive attention to the city."
Dean flew into town last week and met with Tetens and Mayor Kym Muckler.
The mayor bought into the idea, which involves no cost to the city, and Dean is scheduled to return to town for Discover Milan Day to kick off the program.
"It should be a rather unique opportunity for Milan," said Tetens, "and one which would allow me to give back, so to speak, for all of the support I received during the Clean Start Challenge."
A central concept to the FAST diet is a support system similar to the one Tetens created for herself at Symons.
"There's no rocket science to this," Tetens said. "(Dean) found it change the culture of what his family stood for. It changes the way people interact."
Tetens has the ambitious goal of involving 1,000 Milan residents in the program.
"I got so much support," she said. "I certainly couldn't have done it without the support I received. If this can help other people even a little bit, I think it would be wonderful."
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