Mayor Cornett’s diet working

(January 3, 2008) - More than 2600 people have made their New Year’s resolution to lose weight on www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com, just three days after Mayor Mick Cornett asked Oklahoma City residents to go on a diet. 

The “This City is Going on a Diet” campaign was created by Cornett to challenge citizens to lose a collective one million pounds in 2008.

“I’ve battled weight loss through the years, so I know how tough it is – particularly if you are to lose weight alone.  We have to work together as a City to change the way we eat and exercise more.  If we are successful, we will look better, feel better, improve our quality of life and live longer,” said Cornett.  “There’s just no downside.” 

An interactive Web site www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com was launched on New Year’s Eve to encourage residents to become healthier by losing weight.  This site allows participants to confidentially track their weight loss and calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a simple method for estimating body fat and determining a goal weight.

The homepage features a live counter to indicate the cumulative number of pounds the Web site’s participants have lost.  Corporations, civic groups and individuals are all encouraged to register.

According to the Trust for America’s Health, Oklahoma City has the ninth highest rate of adult obesity in the nation and the 17th highest rate of obesity for children ages 10 to 17.

“We have to reverse the trend of obesity in Oklahoma City.  The epidemic is out of control and weight loss is the cure,” added Cornett.