The First Place 4 Health program is the result of a godly desire placed in
the hearts of a group of people in 1981 to establish a Christian
weight-management program. Although it was not created to be a worldwide
program, First Place 4 Health has grown to over half a million members in more
than 12,000 churches of many denominations in all 50 states and in foreign
countries. In 1992, First Place 4 Health entered a partnership with the Southern
Baptist Convention and worked closely with them for eight years to develop the
program. Since 2000, First Place has partnered with Gospel Light, who designed
and published the First Place 4 Health program materials.