A year ago, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling pledged to lose 30 pounds. This year, his goal is 20 pounds.

This week, Bolling (R) and a group of health care officials kicked off a new campaign to promote heart health education, healthier living, increased physical activity and improved diet and nutrition.

"By taking simple steps toward healthier living - losing weight, increased physical fitness and proper dieting - Virginians can significantly mitigate their risk of contracting heart disease," Bolling said.

Bolling, who plans to run for re-election next year, lost 28 of the 30 pounds and hopes to lose 20 more through a program put on by the National Lieutenant Governor's Association. Virginia was the first state to participate.

The "Your Heart is in Your Hands" campaign is an incentive-based physical fitness and nutrition program where Virginians set individual goals, track progress on personal webpages and receive a gold, silver or bronze medal for achieving their goals.

"We are excited to work with Lt. Gov. Bolling on this important initiative that is aimed at getting Virginians active and therefore reducing our risk of heart disease," said Chuck Bartlett, a senior vice president at the American Heart Association. "We hope that those who choose to participate in the challenge will make this their first step towards a lifetime of physical activity."

By Anita Kumar  |  October 8, 2008; 11:00 PM ET
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