The Beaman Student Life Center on the campus of Belmont University played host yesterday to former Tennessee Titan Eddie George and his wife Tamara along with Tennessee Commissioner of Health Susan Cooper and the rest of the GetFitTN team for a special presentation and the unveiling of a new, campus-wide fitness campaign.
Cooper, noting a report released Monday in which Tennessee ranked fifth in the nation in obesity, said, “Almost 28 percent of our adults are classified as obese. If you add overweight adults to that, the number is close to 64 percent… This is just unacceptable. As commissioner, my job is to protect, promote and improve the health of all Tennesseans. So I’m here today to challenge each one of you to make a personal commitment to your health, your family’s health, your friends’ health, your school’s health and your community’s health.”
Following Cooper’s explanation of the GetFitTN program (www.GetFitTN.com), Eddie George presented Belmont with a special certificate to recognize the university’s strong commitment to the state-wide initiative. “Living a healthy lifestyle is so important. It’s a travesty to see what’s going on in our community today as far as healthy living. [We need] to get out there and be active, get off the couch and away from the cookies and the TV and the Playstations. It’s not just a workout plan, but embracing an active lifestyle. I look forward to working with Belmont University, and I thank you for being a part of our team. Get fit, B.U.”
Tamara George, a Belmont alumna, echoed her husband’s thoughts. “To get active doesn’t require much. Just get up. Once you start moving, you’re on your way.”
Angie Bryant, director of Belmont’s Beaman Student Life Center, then announced the campus’s own campaign to further educate its students, faculty and staff regarding fitness with the unveiling of the B FIT • BU slogan, which will serve as the rallying cry for the vast array of fitness programs offered by the university. The Beaman Student Life Center is a 63,340 square foot fitness facility that opened in 2003 and is available for free use to all students, faculty and staff (membership opportunities for alumni, spouses and dependent children are also offered). In addition to a recreational gymnasium, racquetball courts, indoor rock climbing wall and a weight/cardio center, Beaman provides at least 21 weekly group fitness class options and more than two dozen intramural sports and outdoor pursuits programs throughout the year. Nutritional counseling and personal training are also available.
GetFitTN is a statewide awareness program developed by Gov. Phil Bredesen to address the rising epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and risk factors that lead to diabetes, like obesity. Tennessee is 47th in the nation in the rate of overall health status and recently ranked fifth in obesity rates among its citizens. Gov. Bredesen recruited former Tennessee Titan Eddie George and Tennessee Health Commissioner Susan Cooper, a registered nurse, to join TeamTN and lead the GetFitTN campaign. To see more information about Belmont’s event on the GetFitTN Web site, click here.
