? Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz kicked off his annual weight loss initiative Saturday at City Hall.

Markowitz wants Brooklyn to ?lighten up.? A 2001 health report shows more than half of the borough?s residents are overweight and nearly 19 percent are clinically obese. Health conscious people were on hand to get free vegetables, grilled sandwiches and tips on how to shed unwanted pounds.

Many participants said they feel the initiative is an important program.