Since Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett announced his resolution on Jan. 1, 2008, that city and area residents needed to lose weight, participants in the OKC Million program have collectively lost 1 million pounds. Cornett announced the achieved goal at a press conference held at the Oklahoma City Zoo, reports the Associated Press.
The program lists more than 47,000 registered participants, many who have charted their individual challenges in making healthy lifestyle changes and their successes. In addition to their weight loss, participants logged more than 1.2 million miles walked, jogged or run.
OKC Million: A Health Awareness Initiative
Cornett began his own weight loss program in late 2007, before announcing his goal for Oklahoma City. In his 2008 State of the City address, Cornett praised the city for positive progress in many areas including increases in tourism, water quality and job growth.
The mayor then explained what he saw to be the greatest single challenge to the health of city residents: obesity. Citing an obesity rate of more than 25 percent, the mayor indicated it was time to address an issue that most people accepted as status quo.
To that end, the OKC Million project was created, with free access to Oklahoma City residents and people anywhere interested in losing or maintaining weight. A web site, ThisCityIsGoingOnADiet, was created and provides ongoing free access that was created and is maintained without use of public funds, as explained at the web site.
Success Measured By More than Pounds Lost
In the four years since Cornett issued his challenge to the residents of central Oklahoma, there has been an increase in the awareness of how important good eating habits and physical activity are to overall health via programs such as the state-developed GetFit Eat Smart program of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The mayor brought positive publicity to the city by appearing on the television program "Biggest Loser" in March 2008 and launching Olympic Day and the Let's Move Cities and Towns program in 2010.
Smack dab in the middle of the baby boomer generation, L.L. Woodard is a proud resident of "The Red Man" state. With what he hopes is an everyman's view of life's concerns both in his state and throughout the nation, Woodard presents facts and opinions based on common-sense solutions.

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