Vicksburg , Mississippi ( CNN ) -- When Mary Washington died in 2006 at the age of 54 , she carried 260 pounds on her 4-foot-11-inch frame . `` Cancer killed her , but obesity restricted her life , '' said Washington 's sister , Linda Fondren . `` Her last words to me were , 'Linda , I wish I had lived my life more for myself . ' `` Washington had been a single mother , working multiple jobs in the food service industry to make ends meet . `` She did not know that she could do both , '' Fondren said . `` You can be of service to people ... but you must take care of yourself first . '' It 's not an uncommon story in Mississippi . Its nickname is the `` Hospitality State , '' but for the last six years it has been the fattest state in the nation , according to a 2009 report by the Trust for America 's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation . This week , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 34.4 percent of Mississippi 's adults are obese , meaning they have a body mass index of 30 or more . Fondren , 54 , wants to move her state from the fattest to the fittest . For the last four years , she has led her hometown of Vicksburg in its battle with the bulge . Being the fattest state `` is not a good heavyweight title to hold , '' she said . `` I felt that people needed to be challenged . '' Fondren remembered how her sister had been too embarrassed to exercise in a gym with men . So in June 2006 , she opened an all-female workout facility , Shape Up Sisters . The gym was a success -- it now has more than 600 members -- but Fondren eventually realized that she needed to expand her reach if she wanted to slim down her community . She says part of the problem in Vicksburg is that being overweight is so commonplace it is often considered the norm . `` Most people ... they do not know that they have a weight problem because we live in an environment where everyone almost looks the same , '' she said . So in October 2009 , Fondren kicked off Shape Up Vicksburg . The initiative challenged residents to lose weight while giving them the tools they needed to reach their goal . Fondren held free fitness and nutrition classes across the city and convinced many of the city 's restaurants to add healthy items to their menus . Participants could track their weight loss online or at weigh-in stations at Wal-Mart and the local medical center . `` People want to do good , but they need help , '' Fondren said . Approximately 2,500 people joined Fondren 's movement , and over 17 weeks they shed , on average , more than 5 pounds each . To date , residents have lost nearly 15,000 pounds . Many attribute the success to Fondren 's relentless determination . `` She takes no prisoners . She 's committed to weight loss , '' said Vicksburg Mayor Paul Winfield , who lost 16 pounds . Today , Shape Up Vicksburg includes a walking club , which draws up to 200 people , and a weekly nutrition class . Fondren 's gym is also open to all women every Saturday , and she frequently teaches fitness classes at area schools and churches . All of these activities are free , something she believes is a critical factor . `` It 's the poor African-American and white communities that are the most obese , and those are the ones that are most unreachable , '' Fondren said . As a successful real estate developer , Fondren largely funds the effort herself , but the initiative also receives donations from local businesses . Ebony Fisher , 22 , believes the program saved her life . After her 32-year-old cousin died of kidney failure last year , Fisher , who weighed 320 pounds , was frightened . `` I felt as though if I did n't lose weight I was going to die , '' she said . But fear drove her to take action . Since joining Shape Up Vicksburg six months ago , Fisher has lost 50 pounds . It 's those stories that keep Fondren motivated . She 's determined to expand her effort statewide to find more converts to her cause . `` This is a life-or-death issue , '' she said . `` Obesity affects us all ... and the only way that we 're going to combat it is : Stand together . '' Want to get involved ? Check out the Shape Up Vicksburg website at www.shapeupvicksburg.com and see how to help .
Linda Fondren started Shape Up Vicksburg to help residents of her hometown lose weight . The nonprofit organization has been helping people in the city since it was founded by a group of women who wanted to make sure they were healthy and active for their children's sake. Fondren offers free fitness and nutrition classes ; she has also started a walking club . Vicksburg residents have lost 15,000 pounds since Fondren started her mission .