Miss. lawmakers work out together to shed fat and get fit, bucking title of most obese state

Miss. lawmakers sweat off pounds in tough workouts

JACKSON, Miss. — Legislators in the nation’s most obese state are giving new meaning to the phrase cutting the fat out of government.

Since January, dozens of Mississippi lawmakers have been rising before dawn to take part in a grueling physical fitness program.

Collectively, members of the House, the Senate, the governor’s staff and several “civilian” participants say they’ve shed more than 1,000 pounds.

One of the most dramatic examples is Rep. John Hines of Greenville, who has dropped more than 60 pounds.

Joseph Nadglowski Jr., CEO of the Florida-based Obesity Action Coalition, says he has heard of lawmakers in other states having weight-loss contests, but the Mississippi program is the most organized he has seen.