The 109

Winners of 2016 FitWorth Challenge to be recognized March 15

By Joey McReynolds and Sierra Tuthill

Published Mar 10, 2016

With the renovation of Amon G. Carter Stadium fully funded and slated for the end of the football stadium, Chancellor Victor Boschini said Monday that the athletic department’s next major construction project will be an expansion of Lupton Stadium, the university’s baseball stadium, in the next two or three seasons.

Boschini said expansion wouldn’t be until the next two years, but any decisions would not be fully approved until the Board of Trustees meets in November. Lupton Stadium opened in 2003, and the university has set attendance records in each of the last three years.

Texas is fat but Fort Worth is fighting the fluff.

The winners of the 2016 FitWorth Challenge will be recognized at the at the FitWorth Challenge Finale on March 15. The challenge took place from Jan. 24 through March 4.

The challenge included teams consisting of two to 10 participants working “to motivate and support each other in achieving their fitness and weight loss goals,” according to FitWorth’s website. Teams then reported their weekly progress.

With a 31.9 percent obesity rate, Texas is the 11th most obese state in America, according to the State of Obesity website. On top of having high obesity levels, Texas is also number seven in terms of physical inactivity.

However, the City of Fort Worth has been fighting to get rid of these stereotypes.
In 2011 when Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price was elected into office, 34.4 percent of Texans were overweight, 35.3 percent were obese and 24 percent were participating in no physical activity, according to the CDC.
Other initiatives such as BikeFW, the city’s comprehensive plan to promote bicycling as a transportation alternative, have also been part of Fort Worth’s citywide initiative to promote healthy lifestyles.
The Fort Worth Bike Share program gained popularity in 2015, recording 41,657 rides and 11,239 riders, according to the city’s website.
The FitWorth website also offers a schedule of upcoming events in Fort Worth. After the FitWorth Challenge Finale, the program will host “FitWorth Fete En Blanc,” a evening gourmet picnic on April 1.

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price has promoted both the FitWorth program and her healthy lifestyle on social media.