The mayor’s new diet

Bigger isn’t always better.

The most recent list from the United Health Foundation, a nonprofit health research group in Minnesota, ranks Alabama as the nation’s fattest state, tied with Mississippi. Among Alabamians, 28.8 percent are considered obese, having a body mass index of 30 or higher.

That’s a lot of unwanted pounds.

It’s time for elected officials to do something about this health crisis with consequences from skyrocketing rates of heart disease and diabetes to staggering financial costs.

And Mayor Kincaid is already on the job.

Birmingham’s top official has already put out the call for volunteers for his new initiative, Get Healthy Birmingham, a yearlong effort to monitor weight and teach proper diet and exercise. But he’s not only looking for chubby recruits — he is one.

Kincaid and his wife have volunteered to take part in the free program.

In a letter to the Citizens Advisory Board, Kincaid noted:

When it comes to good health, nothing else matters if we don’t have it. … We must, and we will, become healthier. We must get people out moving and eating right. This includes individuals in wheelchairs, people young and not-so-young.

(We’d assume that if people using wheelchairs wanted more exercise, they’d eschew nearby designated parking spaces for ones at the other end of the lot.)

His call for volunteers lists requirements to qualify:

The first pivotal step needed in this initiative is your assistance in recruiting two people, from the same household, who will serve as Get Healthy Birmingham leaders, and will participate in the EatRight program at UAB. Volunteers will be part of a yearlong nutritional component of walking. The EatRight program is under physician supervision, and will help volunteers achieve weight-loss goals, and is free of cost. Volunteers must be 21 years of age and at least 30 pounds overweight.

We’re not sure what the nutritional component of walking is, but we like the odd sound of it. But goodness, the mayor is “at least 30 pounds overweight,” as is apparently Mrs. Mayor.

For the EatRight Lifestyle Program, they’ll start with a health screening, then attend weekly classes at UAB’s Kirklin Clinic. A dietitian will teach them about healthier choices in foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and heart-healthy fats; healthy behaviors; exercises; and recipes.

The 12-week program claims an average weight loss from 4 to 5 percent, or from 8 to 25 pounds per person. It also emphasizes lifetime habits over quick fixes, as most “fad” diets tend to fail when weight returns over longer periods.

While the signup period has ended, the hard work is just beginning for participants. The Get Healthy Birmingham program has a kickoff walking event at 7:30 a.m. July 29 at Legion Field.

Can Kincaid and other residents lighten up? The mayor has made the challenge: Get thin, or die trying.