John and Vicky Fawcett had been in a pattern of bad eating and exercise habits for years, and it was starting to affect their health.

Both were overweight -- John weighed about 240 pounds and Vicky 195 pounds. Both had high cholesterol -- John's was 250 and Vicky's was 239, both well above the recommended level of 200. Vicky had developed sleep apnea, a condition that causes those affected to stop breathing during their sleep, and she had to wear an oxygen mask at night. They both needed medicine to control high blood pressure.

Both decided enough was enough.

"We wanted to ward off any problems," Vicky said. "We thought if we were eating better, we'd feel better and be healthier."

The two enrolled in the Inch by Inch program -- a collaboration between St. Peter's Hospital and the Lewis and Clark City-County Health Department aimed at people risk for diabetes and heart disease. The program, which combines healthy eating and exercise principles, is funded by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Through the program, the Fawcetts learned to keep a food diary. They meticulously tracked all the calories and fat they ate each day.

"If I gained weight, I could tell you exactly where it came from," Vicky said.

According to Dorothy Bradshaw, Division Administrator of the Community and Family Health Promotion Division at the health department, the Helena project is the only one among the state's four pilot Inch by Inch programs to be a collaboration between a hospital and a county health department.

Bradshaw pointed out that one in five Montanans get diabetes, and that if trends continue, 50 percent of Montana children will develop diabetes.

She said that because of the public health threat obesity poses, the health department had great interest in making sure the program was accessible to everyone, regardless of whether they could pay.

The program's goal is to help participants lose 7 percent of their body weight and exercise moderately for 150 minutes per week.

According to the program's literature, people who lose 7 percent of their body weight, and maintain that weight loss, and integrate 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week into their lives can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent.

According to Yvonne Tapper-Gardzina, the "lifestyle coach" who runs the classes, the program's first set of class participants barely missed reaching that goal.

The 50 people who finished the program lost a total of 735 pounds, or 14.7 pounds per person. That worked out to an average 6.8 percent drop for each person.

Tapper-Gardzina added that the results clearly showed that the people who tracked what they ate in their food diaries had a much better success rate.

Those who tracked their fat grams every week lost an average of 19 pounds over 16 weeks. Those who tracked their fat intake half the time lost an average of 15 pounds. Those who didn't track their fat intake lost 4 pounds.

Each of the program's 50 participants received individually tailored guidelines for how much fat and how many calories they could eat.

For the Fawcetts, the class marked a complete lifestyle change. No more fast food for John. Vicky cut out Mexican food. The two cleared out their pantry and stocked up on healthy staples like high-fiber brown rice and oatmeal.

"We really scrutinize our purchases," Vicky said. "There's some things you just have to let go of. We don't keep cookies in the pantry anymore. Now we just grab a piece of fruit."

They also increased their exercise, both walk nearly every day -- John logs well more than 50 miles each month.

As the health officer for the health department, Melanie Reynolds has preached for years about eating right and exercising. She worked with St. Peter's Hospital to write the grant for the Inch by Inch program. Little did Reynolds know she herself was a candidate for the program -- a fact revealed when she had blood work done,

"Finding out I was a candidate for the program was a real eye-opener," she said.

Reynolds dropped 20 pounds in the program and lowered her blood-glucose level to 89 miligrams per deciliter from over 100 mg/dl.

"Even though I tested pre-diabetic," she said, "by going through this program, I have a much higher percentage of not getting type 2 diabetes."

As for the Fawcetts, their hard work also paid off in a big way.

John lost 36 pounds, the most of anyone in the group. Vicky lost more than 20 pounds. Both had cholesterol just outside the normal range when they were tested following completion of the class.

Both say they'd recommend the class to anyone who is eligible.

"We couldn't have done this if we weren't on the same page," Vicky said.

"You have to commit that once you're on this track, you don't get off," John said.

Features Editor Joe Menden: 447-4087 or joe.menden@helenair.com