January 2, 2003

Houston - A Fat City?
 

Houston Mayor Lee P. Brown has taken issue with an article in Men's Fitness magazine, which has named Houston the fattest city in America for the third year in a row.

“We continue to take issue with the methodology used by Men’s Fitness magazine in conducting this survey," Brown said.  "Many of the criteria they measure, such as the number of restaurants a city has or the quality of the city’s air, have little to do with fitness." 

Brown complains that the magazine has "apparently chosen to ignore" the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency said Houston’s Clean Air Plan is the most technologically advanced they have seen.

“We have accomplished much since being awarded this dubious honor last year," Brown noted.  "I named former Mr. Universe, Lee Labrada, as Houston’s Fitness Czar.  Under his leadership, we created the Get Lean Houston program, including an informative web site with a free exercise and nutrition program for all Houstonians.  To encourage Houstonians to focus on fitness, the entire City Council undertook a weight-loss program.  I, myself, lost 20 pounds and have kept them off.  We conducted events that promoted physical activity and good health and nutrition and created awareness of the need for good nutrition and exercise in the media.  We assembled a dedicated and passionate group of specialists in our Get Lean Houston Health and Fitness council and will continue these programs and activities through the coming year."

Brown also noted that the City of Houston will launch a Fat Drive and ask Houstonians to pledge to lose, collectively, half a million pounds by the end of March, which is National Nutrition Month.  

"We can achieve that if each person loses just five pounds," Brown said.  “Also, I concur wholeheartedly with Baylor College of Medicine obesity researcher, John Foreyt, who confirms that obesity is not a ‘city’ problem, but an epidemic that is raging throughout America and the world.  While Men’s Fitness magazine has increased awareness in at least one city each year with its survey, Foreyt believes picking on a few cities is not the wisest course when the entire country is overweight.  Obesity is not one city’s problem. It’s America’s problem. And people are overweight because they overeat and do not exercise enough, not because they live in a certain part of the country."

Brown contends that Labrada has done "a good job in raising the awareness among Houstonians of the need to be more fit and says that he is confident that the activities he has planned for the coming year will have even greater impact on the public.

“We do not relish the title bestowed upon us by Men’s Fitness magazine and will continue to work to involve all Houstonians in our programs to improve the overall health and fitness of the city’s residents," Brown said.  "To that end, let me encourage each Houstonian to include health and fitness as a part of his or her daily routine.”