Oklahoma City Mayor Challenges Citizens to Lose One Million Pounds

Maybe you've gone to the gym with a family member or friend to get in shape. Or maybe you've been in a diet group with people from the office. Just imagine if your diet group went beyond your neighborhood and included the entire city. That's just what Oklahoma City is doing.

As a New Year resolution, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett challenged his city to lose one million pounds. The challenge came about after Oklahoma City was ranked in the top ten US cities for adult obesity. And Mayor Cornett wasn't all talk. To date he's lost over 30 pounds by watching what he eats and making healthier choices.

The program has picked up momentum with official enrollment in the program breaking the 20,000 member mark. To date 118,550 pounds have been lost averaging just over five and a half pounds per person. There's a counter on the official website that updates the numbers regularly. Citizens are encouraged to sign up via the website and chart their fitness goals and accomplishments.

The website offers fitness seekers tips, programs and diet plans to help them achieve their goals. To help Oklahoma City residents stay on track, they offer help on everything from behavior modification to healthy recipes.

The OKC Million is not just about losing weight; it's about bringing awareness of epidemic obesity in our society. The disease breaks all social and economic barriers. With our more sedentary lives and access to so much processed food, all ages are vulnerable.