Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, kicked off their “Cut the Waist” city-wide weight-loss challenge this morning at city hall. The six-month campaign to get the brothers (and Torontonians) in shape began with a public weigh in, with Rob tipping the scales at 330 pounds and Doug not too far behind at 275 pounds. Frequently the bud of numerous “fat” jokes and photographed with handfuls of junk food, Toronto’s mayor says his decision to lose weight was decided upon over the holidays with his brother and that he’d like to finish the program 50 pounds lighter, with an eventual goal of reducing his weight to 225 pounds.
To this goal, the public will surely hold him accountable; Torontonians can track the Ford brothers’ progress at the interactive website www.cutthewaist.ca, launched this morning. The brothers will begin every week with a Monday morning public weigh-in in on a large scale at city hall and the public is encouraged to donate a pledge to a charity of their choice to help the Ford brothers achieve their weight-loss goals. Toronto citizens are also asked to share their own weight loss success.
For young professionals, this likely marks the most inspirational thing Rob Ford has done and is an example of a resonating value of a Notable YP: self-improvement at any level. A 360-degree balanced YP life includes a healthy and active lifestyle and public figures should, and are increasingly expected to, set an example of this. As statistic and number-occupied YPs, we actually have measurable numbers to track progress in the form of pounds lost. We also love the fact that the campaign features a charitable component, another pillar of the 360-degree balanced YP life.
We think this is a step in the right direction for Toronto’s mayor as we kick of 2012 and will be tracking the weekly process. Now, which charity to pick…