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CNN Live At Daybreak

Philadelphia Looks to Move From Fat to Fit

Aired July 03, 2001 - 08:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: First, Fat City becomes Fit City. It has been years since the boxer Rocky trained in Philadelphia, racing up those steps of the art museum. But many Philadelphians have been training in recent months. They're trying to lose the weight that earned their town the fattest city title in 1999.

This spring, Mayor John Street issued a challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN STREET, MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA: We know that we need to do better in improving the quality of our lives. We know that we need to exercise and drink water and add fruits and vegetables and things like that to our diets. We already know these things. And it's just mostly -- for most of us, it's a matter of summoning the will and the courage and to say: I'm going to do this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCEDWARDS: Well, that was then, this is now.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa is in Philadelphia, where the weigh-in begins just two hours from now -- Maria.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes.

As a matter of fact, Colleen, for most people, a diet problem is a private affair -- not so for the people of Philadelphia, where 76 days ago, the mayor posed a challenge to Philadelphians to lose 76 tons in 76 days. Now, in fact, those are actually -- to read those goals, you have modest expectations. That's about 30,000 people out of 1.5 million have to lose about 5 pounds each.

Now, part of the effort has included a fitness focus. So this morning, starting at 6:30 a.m., Mayor John Street led a march -- a 1.5 mile walk -- because the idea here is to not only talk about the issue of diet, but it's also to talk about fitness.

Of course, Philadelphia is, in fact -- was rated two years ago the fattest city in America, now they're No. 3. They hope that after this diet, perhaps they can move that even further down. Of course, part of that effort has included several people going out into the community with scales and with diet books to see if people want to get involved in the program. Detractors have said that they don't know why the mayor is focusing on diet instead of housing the city's homeless or rebuilding communities in urban blight. But the mayor says that it's important to talk about issues of health. The city's African-American majority, in particular, is who the mayor wants -- particularly who the mayor wants to reach out to, he himself being African-American. In his youth, he also lost 70 pounds. He wants to talk to African-Americans about increasing a low-fat diet.

Later today, here at Penn's Landing, we'll be having more of a reports of how many people in fact lost how much weight. And there will be also different people doing different kinds of fitness. There will be aerobics, Tai Chi, different kinds of dance.

We'll be reporting live all day here from Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

Maria Hinojosa, CNN live -- back to you, Colleen.

MCEDWARDS: Thanks, Maria.

Now, the list in the past year has been updated. So let's give credit where credit is due. Philadelphia is no longer the heaviest city. "Men's Fitness" magazine now puts Houston at the top of its fat list; followed by Detroit; then Philadelphia; then New Orleans; Columbus, Ohio; Mesa, Arizona; Kansas City, Missouri; Phoenix; Cleveland; and No. 10 on the fatness scale: Chicago.

Well, the Philadelphia campaign impressed the fattest American city, Houston, so much that it sent a delegation to Philly to see how it's done. We'll talk later this hour with a member of that Houston delegation and find out what, if anything, that city plans to do.

And a problem that Houston may not be able to get around: Fat accumulates more readily in some bodies than others. It's a medical thing -- more now from our medial correspondent Rea Blakey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REA BLAKEY, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When it comes to fighting flab, genetics make a big difference.

DR. PAMELA PEEKE, AUTHOR, "FIGHT FAT AFTER 40": There are three basic body types for men and for women. There are ectomorph, mesomorph and an endomorph.

BLAKEY: Dr. Peeke says it's important to know which one you are. Are you the small-boned, slender ectomorph with a high metabolism and lots of energy?

PEEKE: One of the things that would be really good for you to do is to build up a little bit more muscle mass.

BLAKEY: Consistent strength training builds muscle and strengthens bones. Or maybe you're more muscular with limited flexibility, medium to large bone structure, a mesomorph. PEEKE: Those people have to be careful. They really need to concentrate on aerobic because just because they look muscular, doesn't mean necessarily that they're fit.

BLAKEY: Thirty to 60 minutes of running, biking or aerobics three to five times a week is the best prescription for this body type. If you're an endomorph, large boned with a high percentage of body fat and a slow metabolism, you gain weight easily.

PEEKE: Here's where you really want to be able to both build up some good old lean-body mass, and that's muscle mass with your weight lifting, but also to really get into your aerobic training.

BLAKEY: Stick to low-impact aerobics, brisk walking, biking or skating. Dr. Peeke recommends strength training three days a week focusing on upper body with light weights, 15 to 20 repetitions each. You can't control your body type. You can control your fitness level.

I'm Rea Blakey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCEDWARDS: And to guide you through that workout, some people choose a personal fitness trainer. That's the person who tells you what exercises to do and then motivates you to do them and do them properly.

Well, Carol Lin is at our fitness center right here in the CNN Center two floors below me. She is with her own personal trainer -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: That's right.

Ladell Hill has been a personal trainer for the latest 15 years. He trains professional athletes. He trains some anchors here, as well as some CNN management. In fact, he was just bossing these people behind...

(LAUGHTER)

LIN: Very outspoken.

All right, the question here today, Ladell, is: Do you need a personal trainer in order to start working out on weights or can you figure it out yourself?

LADELL HILL, PERSONAL TRAINER: Well, of course you need a personal trainer.

You need a personal trainer for proper technique -- that's the No. 1 -- because a lot of people come in here and it's like the blind leading the blind: They see someone doing something and they're going to try it. So 90 percent of the times, you get injured.

LIN: OK, I have an 8 pound weight here. And I'm saying to myself: It feels OK to me. I'm going to stand here and I'm going to start lifting weights. And I feel it in my biceps.

HILL: Exactly.

LIN: Right?

HILL: Right.

LIN: What's wrong with this? I can do this on my own.

HILL: Well, it depends on the form. You don't need to move your shoulders. You need to come straight down. This is a biceps exercise. She is going to come straight down, come up and squeeze.

LIN: Well, what if I'm -- I was like this. And I still feel it. And I feel it in my shoulder, too. So I think I'm doing a pretty good job here.

HILL: Well, you're putting a lot of stress on your shoulders.

LIN: So?

HILL: Why would you want to do that? That causes injuries.

LIN: All right, so you're saying that positioning...

HILL: Exactly -- form.

LIN: And you need somebody spotting you.

HILL: Exactly.

LIN: All right, well, if I go and interview a personal trainer, what kinds of questions should I be asking?

HILL: You should look at his credentials, No. 1.

LIN: Such as?

HILL: Certification, degree.

And then you should ask him for references. And once you check that out, watch him -- watch how he works. Look at the way he's training people. Then go to him and talk to him. And see if your personality meets his personality.

LIN: Chemistry.

HILL: Exactly.

LIN: All right, well, as a woman, what if I feel more comfortable with a woman than with a man? Do women train women differently than men train women?

HILL: It depends.

LIN: And vice versa? HILL: It depends on the trainer. It depends on his philosophy, her philosophy. It's totally different. It just depends.

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: For you, training women -- is training women different for you than training a man?

HILL: Well, I . . .

LIN: Or is a muscle a muscle?

HILL: A muscle is really a muscle. It just depends. But to train a woman, you would train them different than I'm training a man. Men have the tendency to go for bulk and trying to get big muscles. Women want to tone up -- just tone up and get tighter; that's it.

LIN: So are those the kinds of questions that you should ask the trainer, then, when you're establishing your goals?

HILL: Pretty much. You should have your goals. You should have all your goals listed. You should go to a trainer and see how he can meet your goals.

LIN: Such as: I want to work on my hips; I want to have more upper-body strength. You need to be that specific.

HILL: Exactly. Exactly.

LIN: OK, what are things -- what are trouble signs? When you're talking to the trainer, how do you know you're being scammed?

HILL: If he's rushing you, if he's not there listening to you and listening to what your goals are, if he's just wanting to hurry up and sign you up and just train you. You have to sit back, relax and feel comfortable. Find the signs where you feel comfortable. If you don't feel comfortable, you're going to have a miserable trainer.

LIN: Should you watch what a trainer is eating himself or herself?

HILL: Pretty much. Yes, I mean, a good trainer, it's his lifestyle. It's him. He's going to constantly seek knowledge. He's going to constantly preach and live it. So pretty much, his clients are going to be a reflection of him.

LIN: All right, thanks so much, Ladell.

HILL: All right.

LIN: You know, if clients were a reflection of Ladell, guess what they would be having for lunch: lean turkey...

HILL: Exactly.

LIN: ... and a teaspoon of bee pollen. But that's for another day -- Colleen.

MCEDWARDS: Now, that's a diet change for most of us. Thanks, guys.

Well, questions about how -- questions about fat, rather and how you can lose it can be e-mailed to us all day long. And we've got some experts to answer them here on CNN all day. The address is fightfat@CNN.com. That is AOL keyword CNN.

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