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Little Rock To Host International Obesity Conference

npr.org

As Arkansas continues to combat the problem that has earned it the title of “most obese state in the country”, a weight-loss group is gearing up for its international conference in Little Rock, beginning this Friday, July 13.

TOPS, or Take Off Pounds Sensibly, is a non-profit network of weight-loss support groups, and has about 125,000 members throughout the United States and Canada; roughly 2,000 of whom will attend their worldwide conference in Little Rock.

“It’s just a great time for our members to interact and get together and talk to each other about their weight-loss journeys and just to get that accountability and support that they need,” said Taylor Patton, member content coordinator for TOPS newsmagazine.

Around one-third of Arkansans is obese, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Patton says that environmental stressors can account for this figure.

“Being in the south and having all those fried foods and all those temptations, that is a problem that a lot of southern states deal with,” Patton said.

The conference will feature guest speakers, including the organization’s top “losers” from Arkansas and nationwide. The event, which take place at the Little Rock Marriott, will run through Saturday, July 14.

Daniel Breen is News Director of Little Rock Public Radio.
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