Center City retailers reward walkers

At first, the group was for co-workers, clients and friends of Conant Document and Printing Services, but now everyone is welcome.

Businesses, schools, health officials – even your insurance company – all say they’re working to combat the obesity epidemic. Still, a new reports shows that Americans are getting fatter.
(Photo: Juju Blue (with the umbrella) says she wanted to add a lunchtime walk to her stay-fit routine.)

To help encourage people to get outside and walk, a Center City group called D20 leads lunchtime walks in Philadelphia’s Love Park.

At first, the group was for co-workers, clients and friends of Conant Document and Printing Services, but now everyone is welcome.

Mike DiTomasso says the idea is to help workers squeeze in an extra 20 minutes of exercise each day.

DiTomasso: We just felt like we’re on to something, maybe if you start this walking program, maybe you go to the gym you haven’t gone to in a while, maybe you start eating right, or maybe you start doing something in one’s own health and wellness because you are involved in such a simple program.

The idea has gotten bigger too. Conant signed on a string of local businesses who offer coupons and other rewards to walkers who show up consistently.

After just one walk, you can get a free game of bowling at Lucky Strikes Lanes. Show up more often and you could earn free ice cream, or other perks from beauty products to gourmet tea.

The group meets at 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday by Love Park’s Phillie Phanatic statue.

Compared to two years ago, an additional 2.6 million people in the United States are now excessively overweight according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Twenty-eight percent of Pennsylvanians are obese, that’s slightly higher than the national average.