Lighten Up Brooklyn uses humor and fun to combat obesity
“Lighten Up Brooklyn,” Borough President Marty Markowitz’s annual day to promote a healthy lifestyle and combat obesity, gave Borough Hall Plaza a festive air yesterday.
People stood in line to have their weight taken, took “power walks” down Montague Street, did group exercises to music. They received free T-shirts, bottles of water and “pedometers,” which measure the number of steps you take.
Beyond the hoopla, however, were some sobering facts. According to the state Department of Health, 59.3 percent of all Brooklyn adults are overweight or obese, and 10.5 percent have been diagnosed with diabetes. Nearly 7,000 people in Brooklyn are hospitalized for diabetes every year.