- Italian mayor must cut back <unk> his municipality helps with
Luciano Fregonese is a fan of Italian cuisine. For breakfast, he enjoys a fluffy Cornetto, pasta for lunch, and a juicy pizza for dinner. However, the Italian cuisine has left its mark on him. The mayor of Valdobbiadene in northern Italy has had to experience this firsthand. Fregonese has been in office for ten years and has gained 50 kilos in that time. To shed the pounds, he came up with a unique idea, and his citizens are actively supporting him in his weight loss journey.
Fregonese attributes his weight gain to his "social obligations" as mayor. He is constantly on the go with appointments and meetings with his community's residents, leaving him no time for exercise, he told the German Press Agency. Additionally, he enjoys eating, but irregularly. He often eats late at night and indulges in large meals.
Mayor turns weight loss into a community affair
Now weighing around 140 kilos, Fregonese admits that he is overweight. To combat this, he has started taking brisk walks, but not alone. He has invited the residents of Valdobbiadene to join him on weekly walks lasting about an hour and a half. More than 200 residents of this picturesque Venetian community have joined him on his walks through the hilly terrain.
Valdobbiadene, a town of around 10,000 inhabitants, is located in the heart of the Prosecco region in Venice. The town is famous worldwide for its wine production, particularly the Glera grape used for the renowned Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene. In 2019, its vineyards were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Mayor makes diet a campaign promise
Every Thursday, Fregonese and his citizens meet for their brisk walks. They usually gather at the central Piazza Guglielmo Marconi and set off through the streets of Valdobbiadene. Later, they also walk through the vineyards of the region. The mayor shares photos of the walks on social media, showing large groups running together through the expansive vineyards.
The idea came to him just before his re-election as mayor in June. For some time, he had been experiencing health issues due to his weight, finding it increasingly difficult to walk and suffering from back and knee pain. His friends joked that after the election, his first goal should be to take care of his health, he recalls.
More citizens join each week
He was re-elected, and his friends encouraged him to exercise together. However, he always had to postpone their plans. "About a month ago, a friend said, 'Tonight, we're going for a run!'", Fregonese recalls. Again, he couldn't, as he had a scheduled meeting with residents. "Then my friend said, 'Why don't we combine the two? Tell the residents to join you for a run!'" And so, the idea was born.
Without hesitation, he gathered 45 of his citizens for the first run. Since then, the number of participants has grown each week, with more than 200 joining him two weeks ago. The residents also appreciate the opportunity to have a chat with the mayor during their walks. "So many people come to cheer me on, to give me the will to continue, because honestly, I wouldn't be able to do it alone," Fregonese says.
Italy's struggle with obesity
Moreover, he wants to encourage his citizens to move more and pay attention to their health. According to a recent report by the Italian statistics agency Istat, 47.6% of adults in Italy are overweight, with 11.5% being obese. Many of those affected do not recognize their weight problem: More than half of the overweight and obese people consider themselves to be of normal weight.
In Italy, being overweight is also a taboo subject. A few months ago, someone wrote the word "panzone" ("fatso") on a wall in Valdobbiadene, referring to Fregonese. "It didn't bother me. But it made me think." He wants people to not feel ashamed of their weight, but to understand that it's not healthy and they need to do something about it.
Citizen office hours in sneakers
For him, it's not primarily about losing the belly fat. That's why he hasn't weighed himself since the first walk with his citizens. "I don't know if I've lost weight yet, but I feel better - physically and mentally. And that's the most important thing," says Fregonese. "It feels good to meet people outside."
The citizen office hours in sportswear and sneakers are popular. Sometimes, people who live along his running route offer him a glass of wine. But he always declines. He can't resist a glass of Prosecco, though. "A glass of Prosecco doesn't have that many calories," jokes Fregonese. He just can't give that up - even if it's not good for the weight loss plan.
The weight loss journey of Mayor Fregonese has inspired changes within the municipality. He frequently conducts his citizen office hours in sports attire, encouraging a health-focused atmosphere within his role as the mayor of Valdobbiadene.
In an effort to involve the community, Fregonese organizes regular brisk walks for his constituents, turning his weight loss struggle into a city-wide initiative.
