By Patricia Carter
July 14, 2008

In a standing room only session June 22, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett shared the story of his successful "This City is Going on a Diet!" campaign. Cornett has garnered national and international attention for his leadership in creating an effective model for addressing America’s obesity epidemic.

"This City is Going On A Diet" is a challenge created by Cornett to the citizens of Oklahoma City to lose one million pounds. The initiative provides citizens an impetus to lose weight and an opportunity to do so within a support system. Participants can sign up on a website and track their individual as well as the city’s collective weight loss. Cornett says the website is central to the program and notes that it provides a clearinghouse of local weight loss information—however, it is clear that even more central than the website, is the stewardship of Cornett who has acted as a spokesperson, motivator and coach to his community.

How does he do it? During the session, Cornett stressed the importance of demonstrating empathy, not judgment, when working to help people lose weight. The mayor, who has lost 42 pounds since April of 2007, has a unique perspective on what it takes to take of the pounds.

Other presentations during the session included one from Dr. Jayne Greenberg. Greenberg is the District Director of Physical Education and Health Literacy for Miami-Dade (FL) County Schools. The school district has received national recognition for its efforts to engage all students, including those with disabilities, in physical activity.

Kathryn Bertram, Communications Director, Leadership for Healthy Communities, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program, shared information about programs efforts to galvanize state and local policy leaders in efforts to create healthier communities by promoting policies and programs that will improve access to affordable healthy foods, increase opportunities for safe physical activity, and improve the social environments that shape how children perceive and relate to healthy eating and active living.

Megan Pellman, liaison for Intergovernmental Relations for Tucson, spoke on behalf of Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup. In December 2008 in conjunction with USCM, Tucson will host the Mayors’ Healthy City Summit: Solutions to Reverse Obesity and Create Healthy Communities. Pellman encouraged participation in the December conference.