RTÉ
CHALLENGING IRELAND TO COLLECTIVELY LOSE ONE MILLION LBS IN ONE YEAR
RTÉ’s Operation Transformation is launching its biggest and most ambitious campaign to date, putting it up to the nation to lose weight for the Million Pound Challenge.
Operation Transformation, sponsored by safefood, returns for its ninth season on RTÉ One on January 6th, 2016, and this year is issuing a massive challenge to people across the country to collectively lose one million pounds in one year.
The challenge is inspired by an initiative from Oklahoma where Mayor Mick Cornett decided to take action in 2007 after a fitness magazine ranked his city as one of America’s most obese places to live. Shocked, Mayor Cornett announced that the city was “going on a diet”. Admitting that he was obese himself, he challenged the citizens of Oklahoma to join him on a weight loss programme to collectively lose one million pounds.
Mayor Cornett lost three stone and the city joined him with more than 50,000 citizens registering to track their weight. Local restaurants and gyms were encouraged to support the campaign through healthy menu choices and discounts. Oklahoma City was redesigned to make it more ‘walkable’. Five years later, the city hit its million pound weight loss goal and landed a spot on America’s Top 10 fittest cities.
Operation Transformation is challenging the people of Ireland to go one better by losing that million pounds in just 12 months. Last year, news broke that Ireland is on course to become the fattest country in Europe with nearly two-thirds of the population overweight or obese. It’s time to take action and what better way than to work together to lose one million pounds?
Mayor Cornett said: “Ireland finds itself at a similar crossroads. I’m confident you can achieve similar success because you have the most important ingredients. Like Oklahoma City, Ireland is home to friendly, hard-working people always up to a challenge. When people are willing to roll up their sleeves, work together, encourage one another and everyone is pulling on the same rope, great things tend to happen.”
Mayor Cornett was joined by Minister for Health Leo Varadkar to launch the Million Pound Challenge in RTÉ today.
Minister Varadkar said: “I’m blown away by the ambition of Operation Transformation for 2016 with this fantastic initiative. They are aiming high but if we all pull together as a nation I think it can be done. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, and it would be fantastic to mark that by making Ireland healthier than ever before. I hope that two new Government policies to be announced shortly on physical activity and obesity will help Ireland to achieve this new goal.”
Supported by Healthy Ireland, the Operation Transformation Million Pound Challenge begins on Wednesday, January 6th, 2016. Registration will open during the first episode of Operation Transformation at 8.30pm on RTÉ One. Individuals, groups of friends, families and companies will be able to log on to the Operation Transformation website – rte.ie/ot – to sign up for challenge and track their weight loss each week.
OT host Kathryn Thomas said: “This is a really brilliant initiative and it’s great having Mayor Cornett with us here to show that this is something that we can achieve as a nation. 2016 is a big year for Ireland – how revolutionary would it be to transform ourselves into a healthier, fitter nation? We have a great bunch of leaders this year and I know they are going to inspire people to get involved. I’m confident that we’ll smash the million pound target and then some”.
You don’t even need weighing scales to take part. The Irish Pharmacy Union will offer a free weigh-in service for those participating in the challenge at over 1,000 pharmacies nationwide.
Throughout the campaign, Operation Transformation will be giving tips on how to make the small changes in our lifestyles that will help us build toward that ultimate million pound goal.
Groups and companies taking part in the Million Pound Challenge will feature in the show each week. The Ray D’Arcy Show will also provide regular updates on how the nation’s weight loss is progressing.
By the time Operation Transformation returns to our screens for a tenth series in 2017, the country will hopefully be fitter, healthier and one million pounds lighter.
For more information contact: Maureen Catterson, RTÉ Communications Manager, Radio; T: 01-2082255; M: 087-7800737; E: Maureen.Catterson@rte.ie
or
Gareth Naughton, RTÉ TV Press Officer; T: 01-2082667; E: gareth.naughton@rte.ie