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Wayne County Launches Effort To Fight Obesity

DETROIT (WWJ) - Wayne County is hosting a conference Wednesday at Detroit's Ford Field, as part of an initiative to fight obesity with diet, exercise and healthy lifestyles.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions, especially in Michigan. According to a new national report on obesity by the Trust For America's Health, Michigan was named the tenth most obese state in the country.

Edith Killins, Director of the Wayne County's Health and Human Services Department, said the report is a red flag that things need to change.

"Any time Michigan is ranked as one of the ten largest states in the nation, it is time for us to pull out all of the stops, get measured and to put forth a strategy to do something about obesity," she said.

Killins said obesity is a tremendous strain on public health and the economy.

"It's very costly because employees can't go to work because they're not feeling good because they got this chronic disease, it's costly because of the care, the amount of time these individuals are spending in the hospital," she said.

The conference, held from 8 am to 4:30 pm, is part of a larger effort known as New-Me, a nutrition exercise weight management effort.

New-Me is a three-year initiative to engage Wayne County communities, families and individuals into embracing healthier lifestyles, eating better and increasing their physical activity. To learn more, visit www.healthynewme.org.

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