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January 29, 2008

Governor to unveil plans to trim Ocean Staters' figures

Governor Carcieri, who has made headlines with proposals to put state budget figures on a crash diet, will tomorrow help launch a program aimed at trimming your figure.

Carcieri and Dr. David Gifford, the state Health Department director, will be among officials unveiling a "year-long wellness initiative" -- cut the calories, in ordinary-people speak -- called “Healthy Weight in 2008." The announcement will be at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Thundermist Health Center in Woonsocket.

Fifity-six percent of adults are overweight or obese in Rhode Island, the governor's office said in a news release today. Health problems related to being overweight and obesity include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, asthma, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, depression, and various cancers.

Tomorrow's goal is to tell people about activities and events being planned this year. The initiative includes several partner organizations.

“Rhode Islanders should stay tuned all through the year for Healthy Weight in 2008 events and information that will be fun and helpful,” the governor said. “Once again, Rhode Island will lead the way in wellness.”

The news release focused on trimming calories can't resist a little something about trimming finances: "According to the National Governors Association," it says, "taxpayers pay for half the cost of the nation’s medical expenses directly attributed to obesity.

"In the State of Rhode Island, that translates to $185 per taxpayer each year."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 4:00 PM | Permalink

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Greg | January 29, 2008 4:13 PM link

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