A partnership of local residents, health professionals, Yale researchers, and New Haven city officials gathered Friday (January 11) to kick start The Get Healthy CT Weight Loss Challenge to improve local health by collectively making New Haven residents 375,000 pounds lighter. Mayor Toni Harp said that people could shed pounds and take greater control of their personal health through diet and by engaging in activities as simple as walking. And New Haven, she noted, is a city full of scenic walking areas – the Green, East Rock, West Rock, or along the Sound among them.