Global General
Crispy fried chicken? Cream pie? Forget it!
(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-26 09:12
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Fattest US state's lawmakers shed pounds together
JACKSON, Mississippi - In a gym at a tiny college in the capital of the most obese state in the United States, state Rep. John Hines dropped his chest to the floor, let out an "Aaaarrrrgggh!" and forced through a few final pushups.
Hines and 71 fellow lawmakers, 19 members of the governor's staff - though not the portly governor himself - and 21 "civilians" have been working out several days a week since January to promote healthful living in a culture that prizes its sweet tea and fried food.
They've shed more than 1,300 pounds (600 kilograms) collectively, giving new meaning to cutting the fat out of state government.
Hines, a 6-foot-1-inch (1.85 meter) Democrat, said he started at "well over 300 pounds (135 kg)," though he declined to give a specific number. The 43-year-old has dropped 73 pounds (33 kg) - about one-fifth of his entire weight - through the pre-dawn workouts and can now wear a suit that's been too tight for two years.
"I didn't know I had a self-esteem problem, but my self-esteem has really improved," Hines said. "My endurance is wonderful now. I feel good about myself."
Lawmakers in other states have held weight-loss contests, though Mississippi's seems to be the most organized, said Joseph Nadglowski Jr., CEO of the Florida-based Obesity Action Coalition.
And nowhere is there a greater need for a positive example.
Mississippi has the highest obesity rate in the US, at 32.8 percent in 2008, the most recent figure available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Governor Haley Barbour admits he struggles with weight and recently tried to deflect questions about a possible run for the presidency in 2012 by joking: "If you see me losing 40 pounds that means I'm either running or have cancer."
Michelle Obama came to Jackson just last month to promote her "Let's Move" program that battles childhood obesity.
Lawmakers started their fitness competition at the urging of a lobbyist who shed more than 100 pounds (45 kg) last year.
Legislators go to Millsaps College, a private school a couple of miles north of the Capitol, to run sprints, lift weights and tackle football blocking dummies. They do mixed martial arts and jog stairs.
The 12-week workout program has drawn together participants across party, race, gender and age boundaries. It costs $600, but participants in the legislative program say it's worth it.
The main coach for the workout program is 35-year-old Paul Lacoste, who was a football linebacker at Mississippi State University and briefly played professionally. He goes to the Capitol once a week to report to each chamber how their members are doing. The leading chamber each week gets to keep a marble trophy shaped like the state of Mississippi.
Several lawmakers say they're changing their eating habits by seeking out grilled chicken and green vegetables and avoiding fried foods, red meat and desserts.
"You take the fattest state in the fattest country. We're the fattest people in the world, and now our elected officials are saying, 'Enough's enough. It's time for us to make a change,'" Lacoste said.
Associated Press
