July 8th, 2011
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Author: MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The River Region has slimmed down enough this year to shed the title as the nation’s fattest community in 2010, according to the latest Gallup poll numbers.
The five-county area tied for first place with Stockton, Calif., as the fattest community in the country last year, but has now dropped to sixth, says the report.
“The River Region, the most obese in the country. That really hurt our feelings,” said Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange to WSFA today.
The shocking first place finish in 2010 prompted Montgomery officials to start an initiative to help local residents trim down. To do so, they appointed Michael Briddell as the River Region’s “Health and Wellness Czar.”
Numbers show that Briddell’s efforts to get locals off the couch and in the gym have quickly paid off. In 2011, the region’s obesity rate fell 1.2 percent, down from 34.6 in 2010 to 33.4 this year. The River Region was also ranked as the 22nd best “health and wellness community” in the nation this year. The community was ranked 171st in 2010, according to the latest data.
The Montgomery Advertiser reports today that the River Region has recently received an $85,000 grant to help encourage children to view walking as an alternative traveling by car. The grant, awarded by they Alabama Department of Transportation, will help fund a campaign to get more children to walk or ride their bikes to school.
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