Italian Village Helps Mayor Lose Weight
For the past decade, an Italian mayor has gained over 50 kilos. To lose weight, he has been holding many citizen meetings outdoors and walking through the Prosecco region of northern Italy with numerous citizens since the start of summer.
A fluffy Cornetto for breakfast, pasta for lunch, and a juicy pizza for dinner: Italian cuisine has its unique advantages. However, it leaves its mark. Luciano Fregonese, the mayor of Valdobbiadene in northern Italy, has experienced this firsthand. He 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 for appointments and meetings with citizens of his community and has no time for exercise, he explained. Moreover, he enjoys eating but does so irregularly, often only having a meal late at night and eating quite extensively.
Over 200 citizens join the walks
Now weighing around 140 kilos, Fregonese knows he is carrying too much weight. So, since the beginning of summer, he has been taking brisk walks. But he's not alone. He has invited the residents of Valdobbiadene to join him for about an hour and a half of walking. Over 200 citizens of this picturesque community in Veneto have joined his weekly walks through the hilly terrain.
Valdobbiadene, a town of around 10,000 inhabitants, lies in the heart of the Veneto Prosecco region. The town is famous worldwide for its wine production, particularly the Glera grape used for the renowned Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene. In 2019, its vineyard landscape was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Fighting kilos as an election promise
Every Thursday, Fregonese and his citizens meet for their brisk walks. They usually gather on 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 problems 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 recalled.
"Many people come to cheer me on"
He was re-elected, and his friends kept encouraging him to exercise together. But he always had to postpone it. "About a month ago, a friend said, 'Tonight, we're going for a run!'" he recalled. Again, he couldn't, as he had his citizen's office hours at the same time. "Then my friend said, 'Why don't we combine the two? Tell the citizens to join you for a walk!'" And so, the idea was born.
Acting swiftly, he rallied 45 of his citizens for the first run. Afterwards, the number grew week by week. Two weeks ago, there were over 200. And the residents, according to Fregoneses' words, eagerly embrace the offer of weekly walk-and-talks. "So many people come to cheer me on, to give me the will to continue, because honestly, I wouldn't manage alone."
Almost half of Italians are overweight
Moreover, he aims to encourage his citizens to move more and take care of their health. According to a recent ISTAT report, 47.6% of Italian adults are overweight, with 11.5% being obese. Many of them, however, do not recognize their weight problem: more than half of the overweight and obese consider themselves to be of normal weight.
Being overweight is also a taboo subject in Italy. A few months ago, someone wrote "panzone" ("fatso") on a wall in Valdobbiadene, referring to Fregonese. "It didn't affect me. But it made me think." He believes people shouldn't be ashamed of their weight. "But they should understand that it's not healthy and they should do something about it."
"A glass of Prosecco doesn't have that many calories"
His primary goal isn't to lose weight, so he hasn't weighed himself since the first walk with his citizens. "I don't know if I've lost weight, but I feel better - physically and mentally. And that's what's most important to me." He enjoys meeting people outdoors.
The weekly walk-and-talks in sportswear and sneakers are popular. Occasionally, he's offered a glass of wine by people living along his running route, which he always declines. But he can't resist a glass of Prosecco. "A glass of Prosecco doesn't have that many calories," he jokes. He's not willing to give it up, even if it's not ideal for his weight loss plan.
During the weekly walks, Fregonese encourages his citizens to consider other beverage options to stay hydrated and maintain a healthier lifestyle, mentioning water and herbal teas as alternatives to 'Other alcoholic beverages'. Despite his commitment to losing weight, he occasionally indulges in a glass of Prosecco, acknowledging that 'Other alcoholic beverages' like Prosecco should be consumed in moderation for a balanced diet.
