Gov. Perry Names Langwell Texas Round-Up 2008 Fit Texan

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today named Norman Langwell Jr. of Huntsville as the 2008 Texas Round-Up Fit Texan. He also named 9-year-old Kolton Allen of Lexington as Fit Kid and the Gonzales-Paul family of San Antonio as Fit Family.

“I encourage all Texans to use these Texans’ stories as inspiration to take steps toward fitness, incorporating healthy changes in their daily routine that will help improve our quality of life and ensure long-term health,” Gov. Perry said.

All recipients of the Texas Round-Up awards have displayed long-term dedication to following a healthy and active lifestyle. Langwell dropped 178 pounds in two years through diet and exercise; Kolton consistently encourages friends and family to join him in his passion for running and sports. Caleb Gonzales and his mother, Ruth Gonzales-Paul, routinely exercise together and eat a well balanced diet, which helped Ms. Gonzales-Paul shed 80 pounds.

The winners will travel to Austin to participate in the 5th annual Texas Round-Up 10K and 5K Race and Fitness Festival on April 26.

Gov. Perry launched the Texas Round-Up statewide fitness initiative and 10K race in 2004 to motivate and encourage Texans to become more active and incorporate healthy choices into their daily lives. The program currently has more than 66,000 registered participants, and includes an annual fitness festival, 10K and 5K runs and the Fit Texan Challenge, which provides resources and motivation for people trying to make healthy lifestyle changes.

“We implemented the Fit Texan Challenge to find out if people were making progress toward their health goals,” said Meredith Garcia, Texas Round-Up executive director. “We are pleased that people from many regions of the state have been participating in the program for more than a year.”

According to the Texas Department of State and Health Services, an estimated 10.1 million, or 62 percent, of Texas adults are overweight or obese, costing the state $10.5 billion in 2001. If current trends continue, an estimated 20 million, or 75 percent, of adult Texans will be overweight or obese by the year 2040, and the cost to the state could quadruple to $39 billion.

For more information about Texas Round-Up activities and programs, please visit http://www.texasroundup.org/.