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HAMILTON — Support for weight loss is not hard to find, if you know where to look. From traditional means of support to more spiritual versions, it is possible to locate comrades in weight loss not far from your home.

Judy Bell, territory manager of Weight Watchers, said there are five meetings in the Hamilton area.

As at most support group meetings, there is a weigh-in and a discussion, she said.

One outstanding feature of Weight Watchers is its Web site, featuring chat rooms and information, including recipes, support and ideas, according to Bell.

She said 25 to 50 people typically attend a meeting.

Though doctor referrals bring many people in, "word of mouth is our very biggest advertising," she said.

"We've heard in the news that people who hang out with healthy people tend to be healthier," she said, "It's also good to see other people struggle so you know you're not alone."

The Take Off Pounds Sensibly Club was founded in 1931 for people who were diabetic, said Donald Jackson, the leader of the group that meets in the basement of a firehouse on Erie Boulevard.

These club members, in addition to weighing-in at each meeting, also call each other a few times a week for encouragement and award prizes to those who lose weight.

He describes it as a low-pressure environment, in which "if it does no more than help you maintain your weigh, at least you're not getting worse." Attendance varies between 15 and 20, he said.

Goals vary from person to person. "They all have their own individual goals," he said, "We do not set the goal — that's between the individual and a doctor."

The weight-loss program First Place is a "Christ-centered health program," according to Karen Rhodus, a networking leader for the group.

"Part of it is prayer," she said, "We ask God for strength." Participants also memorize portions of scripture that warn against temptation.

"Most of the time when people try to lose weight, they get sidetracked," she said, "but if you have faith, and have the support of others, it helps you press on."

Her efforts have expanded beyond the region.

"In 2001, God gave me the vision of taking this online," she said, and that year she founded outlookministry.net. "What we do online is exactly what we do in class," she said.

For her online efforts, Rhodus was given an initiative award from First Place.