Luciano Fregonese, the 47 years old mayor of Valdobbiadene, a small town in the Veneto region famous for producing Prosecco, has launched an unusual campaign to improve his health. Every Thursday, he organizes group walks for city residents in an effort to lose weight and get back in shape. Pravilamag.ru reports this with reference to The Guardian.

Re-elected to a third term in June, Fregonese has set a goal of reducing his weight from 140 kg to 90 kg, the level he was at when he first became mayor a decade ago. He admits that he gained weight due to a sedentary lifestyle, love of local cuisine and irregular eating due to a busy work schedule.

The idea for group walks came about after the mayor saw graffiti calling him “fat” and received advice from family and doctors to take care of his health. The initiative quickly gained popularity among residents: if 45 people came to the first walk, then after a few weeks the number of participants grew to 215, including even pets.

The 5,5 km route includes a slight uphill climb and serves not only health purposes. Residents use this opportunity to communicate, and some discuss city issues with the mayor while walking.