Soon some Penn State students may see more rewards than a slim waistline for their dieting efforts.

The Black Caucus is sponsoring a "Biggest Loser: Weight Loss Challenge" contest for any student interested in losing weight.

The contest is based on NBC's reality television series The Biggest Loser. Similar to the show, the participants in the television-inspired contest will compete to lose weight and win prizes.

"The contest will not quite model the show but will give tips for contestants to lose weight," Maurice Washington (junior-nursing), one of the contest directors, said.

Unlike the television version of Biggest Loser, no one will be voted off of the competition. The contest will consist of biweekly weigh-ins, but a winner will not be chosen until the end.

"The biggest loser will be named for losing the greatest overall percentage of weight," Washington said.

A starting date for the contest has not been decided. However, Black Caucus plans to hold an information session at 6 tonight in 228 HUB-Robeson Center to organize those details. Black Caucus also plans to award prizes to the winners.

"We are still working on the prizes, which will include a trophy and a book stipend," Anthony Washington (sophomore-nursing), another director of the contest, said.

The Health Education Committee of the Black Caucus hopes the contest will raise awareness concerning obesity, one of the foremost issues facing the black community across the nation.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black people in the United States are more likely to die younger from stroke, heart disease and cancer than are people of other races.

The prevalence of diabetes is almost 70 percent higher in the black community than it is in other Americans. High-fat diets, smoking and poor access to healthcare have contributed to racial disparities in these rates.

"We are trying to get students to change their lifestyles so health issues won't be such a big concern later in life," Anthony Washington said. "The rise of health issues is a big problem in the black community."

So far, contest directors say there has been a great deal of interest in participating in the competition.