Summit in Lansing Focuses on Obesity in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. (WJBK) - "I'm overweight by ten to 15 pounds," Governor Rick Snyder said Wednesday.

From the governor on down, it seems like everyone in Lansing is talking about their weight.

"I recognized that I was obese," said Olga Dazzo.

That is why she is now down 34 pounds. Dazzo is even sharing the number no woman wants to tell -- her weight, which is 165 pounds by the way. As the director of Michigan's Department of Community Health, she knows you've got to get personal to attack obesity.

"We all know we have to lose the weight. I went through that for a long, long time. It's like we're frozen," Dazzo explained.

800,000 children and five-million adults in Michigan have weight to lose. But how? That's what health, community and civic leaders at an obesity summit in Lansing Wednesday were trying to figure out -- an action plan that the government can use to raise awareness and ignite change.

How far should the government reach? With some criticism, when it comes to children, Governor Snyder is asking doctors to report body mass levels to a state data base like the current system with immunizations.

Why does the state need to know your child's BMI?

"We do not want to know your specific child's BMI. We want to know it in the aggregate to determine baseline information and determine whether we have a crisis or not," Dazzo said.

What's clear, to fight obesity the key is to find the right balance between politics and your dinner plate.

"The role of our government is to help create an environment where people can take personal responsibility and do the right thing to eat a healthy diet on a daily basis and reduce their weight," said Michael Hamm, Ph.D.

Obesity not only takes a toll physically, but also economically. It is estimated that in 2008, it cost the State of Michigan $3-billion.

Click here to learn more about the impact of obesity.