Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss presented the Ballard Food Bank with a donation of 600 pounds of food on the morning of May 26 in honor of the first 600 pounds lost by clinic's clients.

The idea came from one of the clinic's patients who collected 100 pounds of food to celebrate her weight loss success, said Program Director Brian Grev.

"It's a great way to translate the number of pounds they lost into something that will actually help the community," Grev said.

The Ballard Food Bank serves the Ballard, Magnolia and Queen Anne communities and Executive Director, Nancy McKinney, said the donation came at a time when donations are most needed.

"We are always in need and we rely on the community to keep the food coming in but the summer months get especially skinny," McKinney said.

The 600-pound donation from Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss included canned goods, some pet food and coffee.

Started in June 2010, Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss is a division of Queen Anne Medical Associates, PLLC. The program uses meal replacement and exercise to help clients get to a healthy weight.

Medical Director Dr. Linda Gromko said since the opening of the weight loss center, clients have lost 1000 pounds.

For Dr. Gromko, weight loss and working towards a healthy lifestyle hits close to home as she lost her husband to diabetes and kidney failure.

"Those diseases are largely preventable by making good life style choices," she said.

To encourage physical activity, Dr. Gromko started an “Experience Rowing” event at Lake Washington Rowing Club and plans to do a kayak event and an arboretum walk in the near future.

Thanks to the program, Dr. Gromko herself has lost 35 pounds in the last 18 weeks, she said.

Grev said Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss will continue the pounds-for-pounds food bank donations as an ongoing program.

For more information about Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss, visit www.QueenAnneMedicalWeightLoss.com.
To learn more about the Ballard Food Bank and how you can help, visit www.ballardfoodbank.org.