http://www.king5.com/health/stories/NW_112404HEBobesityKC.8cf1e970.html


Federal grant lets Moses Lake fight obesity 
07:05 PM PST on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 
By ERIC WILKINSON / KING 5 News 
MOSES LAKE, Washington. - Excuses abound when it comes to getting fit,
especially as we prepare for our Thanksgiving feast. 

But the city of Moses Lake is serving up some food for thought by eating
away the hindrances to good health. 
Like most any American city, the road to Moses Lake is paved with
temptation: burgers, pizza and fried chicken at every turn. 
"Tastes great. Fatty foods always taste great. Isn't that the killer on
'em?" said fast-food customer Jack Miller. 
But now Moses Lake is among the first in the nation to make a citywide
commitment to getting healthy. 
Former mayor Lee Blackwell already lost 36 pounds: 
"The mindset of the entire community is one of wanting to be a healthy
community," he said. "We recognize the benefits of it." 
In a nation where 65 percent of the population is overweight, getting people
to get fit isn't easy, nor is it cheap. 
A $135,000 government grant is being put to work in Moses Lake to fight fat.
The money is expanding bike and walking trails all across the city to
encourage people to exercise. 
It has built a community garden that come summertime will overflow with
healthy vegetables. 
The money is even paying for scattered breast-feeding stations so mothers
can conveniently nurse their babies without embarrassment. 
Breast-feeding for at least six months significantly reduces the risk of
illness and infection later in life. 
"We're changing the policy and the environment of Moses Lake and we hope if
we can get to the children now they will carry it through to adulthood,"
said Peggy Grigg, Grant County Health Department. "Not only in Moses Lake
but wherever they might be." 
The overall effects of the changes won't be felt immediately, but organizers
hope they will be felt for generations to come. 
But with all things, old habits are hard to break. 
Mount Vernon in Skagit County is the next city in Washington to tackle
obesity by using a federal grant. 

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