Memphians who are looking to shed those extra pounds may finally have a workable solution.
The Memphis Dietetics Association and The University Dietetics Association will be holding its Memphis on the Move walk at 4:30 p.m. at Shelby Farms.
The participants in this event are the dieticians themselves. The challenge is to walk an extra 2,000 steps a day, which is roughly a mile.
"Dietitians across the state of Tennessee are aiming to get people active and to eat better," said Mary Read, a U of M dietitian. She is also president of the Memphis District Dietetic Association.
America on the Move is a national initiative to get Americans active in daily exercise.
Even though anyone is free to join the walk, the dietitians as well as dietetic students are going to walk the trail around Patriot Lake at Shelby Farms.
"We are people who want to lead by example," Read said. "We're trying to walk the walk and talk the talk."
Jenn Gaa, a freshman paralegal services major, agreed with the concept.
"If enough people do it, more people will feel inclined also," she said.
Tennessee is ranked the fifth most obese state in the country, according to http://healthyamericans.org.
"I had no idea. Maybe it has something to with the weather," Gaa said.
She thinks the hot temperatures might keep people indoors during Memphis summers.
Tennessee was outweighed by fourth place Louisiana, third West Virginia, second Alabama. Mississippi was in the No. 1 spot.
Read said she hopes at least 30 to 50 people will attend the event.
"Hopefully we will get a good turnout," she said.
Brandese Spiller, junior computer science major, said that she would not mind attending the event as a way to help rejuvenate her exercise routine.
"I can walk an extra mile if I get some water," she said.
The Memphis Dietetic Association has been on the move itself recently. The organization moved from the White Station Tower off campus to the offices located in the Billy Mac Jones Building. The move was mainly because they needed more space for their research.
"We have a lot of participates in our studies, we needed the space to accommodate our research," Read said. "It is easier for us to network with professors."
Another goal on the agenda is to get the elderly more active.
"Older people with heart conditions or who are obese can lessen their conditions (through exercise)," Gaa said.
