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 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Arleen East started the year in a rut — overweight, sedentary and plagued by bouts of depression only deepened by her unflattering extra bulk. Since those dark days of winter, the 47-year-old single mother has dropped 16 pounds from her 5-foot-7 frame. She's down to 192 and is pressing ahead with her goal to slim down to 145.
East credits her turnaround not just to sheer will, but to help from Indiana's "10 in 10 Challenge," an online program that commits participants to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks and prods them with weekly e-mails filled with exercise and diet tips.
With obesity worsening across the nation, a growing number of states like Indiana are launching online initiatives to combat residents' expanding waistlines. Proponents say online programs reach a vast audience, are relatively cheap and a quick way to let people know about upcoming fitness events and local resources.
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