Governor leads state on diet

ATLANTA - State government is going on a diet, and Governor Perdue is leading the way. <br> <br> Perdue launched a weight-loss program at the Capitol Monday -- hoping to encourage a healthier lifestyle and shed a few pounds. <br> <br> Weigh-ins were optional, but Perdue bellied up to the scales after joking that he had ankle weights on Monday. <br> <br> The Republican governor -- who is five feet, eleven inches -- tipped the scales at 228-and-a-half pounds. But he swears he weighed just 220 Monday morning. <br> <br> To demonstrate his resolve, the self-confessed candy bar addict took a Snickers, kissed it goodbye and tossed it into the crowd. <br> <br> More than 1,500 people have signed up for the governor&#39;s weight loss program via the Internet, and several hundred of them showed up Monday for the kickoff in the Capitol rotunda. <br> <br> Perdue calls the campaign the ``Governor&#39;s Capitol Challenge.&#39;&#39;