Georgia's 'Walk from Obesity'

As part of a national effort to increase awareness of the life-threatening disease of obesity and to raise funds for research, prevention and advanced treatments, Georgia's "Walk from Obesity" will be held in Gainesville on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006.

Studies show morbid obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death and is at epidemic levels among the U.S. population. More than 63 million

people in this country are obese and an estimated 12 million of them are morbidly obese, putting them at increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. About 300,000 people die each year from an obesity-related health condition.

Participants in the Georgia "Walk from Obesity" will join thousands of other walkers around the country participating in local events to bring attention

and additional research funding to the disease of obesity. Working in conjunction with the ASBS (American Society for Bariatric Surgery) Foundation a non-profit organization dedicated to research, prevention, and treatment of obesity ObesitySolutions and Northeast Georgia Medical Center are staging the Gainesville event.

Volunteers, sponsors and participants are being sought for

the walk, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the traffic court parking lot on Washington Street, covering a route around the campus of Brenau University and the surrounding neighborhood.

Anyone interested in registering, sponsoring or volunteering for the event should contact ObesitySolutions at 770.534.0110 or visit the website at www.walkfromobesity.com.