OCEAN PINES—Diet procrastinators are losing “too far away” as an excuse for not attending meetings, because Weight Watchers is coming directly to the Ocean Pines Community Center.

According to Leader Ruby Dillon, starting Sept. 4, the company will add another evening meeting time—5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays—to its repertoire. Currently meetings are held at the Community Church at Ocean Pines, 11227 Racetrack Road, at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays, she said.

The company was given the opportunity to hold meetings at the Ocean Pines site because of the Recreation and Parks Department’s emphasis on wellness programs. Company representatives are hoping the meetings will make it accessible to a bigger nucleus of people, she said.

Other nearby Weight Watchers locations include Fenwick Island, Roxana, Pocomoke and Salisbury, Dillon pointed out. A goal of the national company is to find places to welcome members anywhere they might find convenient.

During the half-hour, support group style meetings, members brainstorm, share success stories that help them both give and get inspiration to complete their personal weight loss goals.

“There is quite camaraderie amongst members,” Dillon said.

Prior to meetings, representatives will be on hand to help members weigh-in and log their weight and register new members, and offer the products sold to help weight loss and maintenance, according to Dillon. Members in the program have found that meeting their personal goals of losing weight often has the added benefit of also decreasing health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol.

Dillon said the organization’s meetings teach people good nutritional habits, which she stressed was not based on denying them foods they like.

“There is nothing you cannot have,” she said.

Instead the emphasis is on portion control.

“You just put it in your daily log,” she added.

The objective is to help members meet the ideal weight for their age, height, and gender, by shrinking their stomachs with a diet that helps members recognize “power foods” that are high in fiber and protein and low in carbohydrates and fat, Dillon said.

She said the expansion will allow up 150 people to participate in local meetings, with the additional time and location.

Additional information on the Weight Watchers program is available at the company Web site www.weightwatchers.com.