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Health

Oklahoma's Million Pound March

February 5, 2008 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments

We're not sure if Oklahoma City saw an unflattering picture of itself, got too big for its fat jeans or simply got tired of being known as one of America's porkiest towns, but last month, the entire place went on a diet. Mayor Mick Cornett, who at one point had "a bit of a weight problem" himself, is spearheading the campaign to help his constituents get off their size XXL duffs. He's hoping that with a little encouragement--and fewer double cheeseburgers--they can shed more than 1 million pounds by 2009. The mayor says:

Putting an entire city on a diet may seem a little extreme but we have to get people's attention. This is a serious public health problem that's not going to go away unless we act.

Since the program launched on New Year's Day, more than 10,000 people have registered on OKCMillion.com, a website that allows dieters to confidentially track their weight loss progress and calculate their body mass index. Just five weeks in, the city has already collectively lost more than 10 tons. No telling, of course, if the other 680,000 residents not registered on the site have been pulling their weight too--or taking advantage of slightly shorter lines at Sonic.

Related Stories:
· OKC Million [Official Site]
· Oklahoma City mayor puts city on diet [MSNBC]
· Lose Weight in Italy [Jaunted]
· Oklahoma Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: KB35]