00:00Luciano Fragonese has been mayor of Valdobbiadene for 10 years.
00:07During his time in office, the town has grown, and he says his belly has too.
00:12Five or six months ago, there was a barrage of negative comments on social media attacking
00:20my weight.
00:21I sought the help of the people around me.
00:26The message I wanted to send was, don't isolate yourself, seek help instead.
00:35The entire village answered his call.
00:38Today, almost 100 residents have shown up.
00:50The community walks 7 kilometers up and down the vineyards through the finest Italian landscape,
00:56a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a beautiful setting for the mayor's mobile office hours.
01:04The residents ask about road damage or the street lighting.
01:08Today, they're sure to have questions about our schools.
01:15Classes have just started up again.
01:21There's bound to be questions about school transport and the cafeteria.
01:27Every week, more people are following the example and fitness routine of their mayor
01:31by joining in the hike.
01:33It strengthens the sense of community.
01:35Plus, it's good for his health, the mayor says, and his voters are inspired.
01:43I'm here to support the mayor.
01:46It's very different from walking alone.
01:48Here you chat, enjoy the company, and don't even notice that you're hiking.
01:56That was a good climb.
01:57Quite strenuous.
01:58I just need to catch my breath now.
02:03After a short breather, they continue on.
02:11The Italian mayor made it an election promise.
02:14He weighs 150 kilos and wants to lose 50.
02:19Since we started two months ago, I've lost six and a half kilos.
02:23It's not much, but I don't want to overdo it.
02:38I've had a belly for years, and I like it.
02:42But at some point, I started having health problems.
02:45The doctor told me, if you don't change your lifestyle within a few months, you'll have
02:49serious problems.
02:53That's no easy feat in Valdobbiadene, the home of Prosecco.
02:58But for some months now, the mayor has kept to a strict diet.
03:02Passing his favorite pastry shop, though, is a challenge.
03:06It's not easy to resist the delicious pastries, handmade chocolates, cakes, and other Italian
03:12treats.
03:15Smells so good.
03:16I have to get out of here.
03:19Pasta, pizza, bread and desserts are off limits right now.
03:25No, pasta, it's so hard.
03:28I even dream about it at night.
03:31My absolute favorite dish is pasta carbonara.
03:37And I'm crazy about these pastries, too.
03:41Ever since he declared his mission to lose weight in June, his hikes have been celebrated
03:46by international media.
03:49Instead of being body shamed, he now receives fan mail.
03:52Dear Mr. Mayor, we are frequent visitors to your beautiful little town and now wish you
03:57every success in your weight loss journey.
04:00Years ago, my husband managed to reduce his weight from 130 to 85 kilos and has kept it
04:05off to this day through exercise and diet.
04:09Best regards, Ute Spies.
04:20It's already had an effect.
04:21I feel better, breathe better, I even feel lighter.
04:27The mayor is taking his journey step by step and has a whole term ahead of him to keep
04:32working towards his goal.
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