PANTEGO — A growing number of seniors in eastern North Carolina are on the path to health with a Vidant-Pungo sponsored “Growing a Fit Community” program.

Seven seniors completed the program last week, adding to a total of 30 people, ages 50 to 95, who have embarked on the six-month series of classes to a healthier way of living.

Held at the Beaufort County Pantego Community Center, healthcare professionals come in to teach seniors about healthy eating and lifestyle choices, teach exercise classes, and courses on managing chronic diseases, like diabetes. Another class included Legal Aid representatives who speak about issues affecting seniors and provided free will-writing seminars.

Sharon Grieg, one of the class organizers, said 15 staff and volunteers run the program and advertising was done largely through word of mouth and getting the word out through local churches.

“The seniors were excited to have a program to start up,” Grieg said, adding that the course has not only been exciting, but successful.

“One lady lost 25 pounds just from coming to the program,” she said.

The success has been measured in many forms: weight loss, better diabetes management, and increasing ease of movement through exercise.

“The thing of it is — getting people to change their eating habits,” Grieg said.

Grieg said organizers are looking for participants to start with the upcoming program in August, though there are many previous students returning: the course has proven to be not only an educational draw, but a social one as well.

“Oh, yeah, our seniors refuse to go; they say they’re not going anywhere. They love it,” Grieg laughed. “It gives them something to do and someplace to go.”

Grieg said the “Growing a Fit Community” is open to anyone in Beaufort, Hyde and Washington counties: “to anybody who wants to change their lifestyle and eating habits — we’re willing to help them.”