The Italian diet is famously delicious, with people in the country enjoying everything from cornetto pastry for breakfast to pizza for dinner – and then there is ice cream. And the wine.
No one is more aware of that than Luciano Fregonese, the mayor of Valdobbiadene in northern Italy. He has held the post for 10 years, and put on 50kg (110 pounds) in that time.
It is all the fault of “social obligations” as mayor, says Fregonese, who is out and about meeting people from morning until night. All those meetings do not leave any time for exercise, he says. And, the 47-year-old concedes, he enjoys food. But his mealtimes are irregular – often, he only eats just before midnight.
Valdobbiadene, home to some 10,000 people, lies at the heart of Veneto, a region famed for the Prosecco drink. Photo: Instagram/@Luciano Fregonese
Fregonese, who currently weighs around 140kg, has turned to brisk walks to help him lose weight.