SPECIAL REPORT:

MILLION CALORIE MARCH-THE FIRST 600 MILES

Dr. Kelly Brownell of Yale’s Center for Eating Disorders said it best in his book entitled “Food Fight”:

“It came quickly, with little fanfare, and was out of control before the nation noticed. Obesity, diabetes and other diseases caused by diet and sedentary lifestyle now affect the health, happiness and vitality of millions.”

You see it all around you. In restaurants, in schools and at social gatherings. In movie theaters and at the ballparks. Kids – our nation's kids – are overweight and obese at alarmingly young ages. 6, 8 and 10 years old. Even this 20-year food addict was skin and bones at that age. My question is what becomes of these children by 12, 16 and 20? Children today are developing diseases such as Type II diabetes, once known as “adult onset.” And take it from this former fat kid – their health isn’t the only thing they’re losing. It’s their quality of life that is taking a seriously hit. Every aspect of their lives from A to Z will be negatively affected, as their young years become a “waisted youth.”

Parents – I know you love your kids – so do the right thing by them. Get educated so you can help get them on a healing path. It won’t be easy. Other people in the household who have never had weight issues will have to help make changes for the ones who do. Junk foods occupying the cabinets and dinners served “family style” will have to become a thing of the past. Fast foods will have to go back to what they were in the 60’s and 70’s: a treat versus a daily lifestyle. You’ll have to become educated enough to see through the deceptive “Healthy” advertising and learn what products truly are good for your kids. I know you can do it because I have faith. What’s more, I’m counting on you to deal with this problem in a hands-off, low key and educated way so as not to negatively impact your child’s self-esteem. Trust me when I tell you that getting on their cases about it will only make them head for the food even faster. Remember, in the end we are all emotional eaters to an extent. Last but not least, don’t wait until your child is 35 years old like I was before they figure it all out.

At the press conference in Jacksonville before the kickoff of the Million Calorie March, I stated that this cross-country walk – despite what people want to see it as – was never about me but about the lives of our kids. And it is. I know many people want to see this cross-country walk as one man’s personal campaign to lose weight – but don’t worry about me America. My battle for control of this disease is at long last winding down. My situation has been defeated – whether I walk the eastern seaboard or not. It’s YOU that I worry about. 31% of us are obese. 65% of the country is overweight. 51 diseases have been linked to obesity. In our lifetimes the healthcare system will be facing collapse unless we turn things around. I know that thanks to the media the nation is beginning to see this for the epidemic it is, but it will take broad action on all of our parts to turn it around. Individuals like you and I will have to work harder to exercise and eat better. We have to demand as consumers that corporations produce healthier options. You and I should demand that the FDA do better at “truth in labeling”. We, as voters, should require the government to fund more action programs. Schools will have to find away to stop the overdose of junk food on school grounds. As taxpayers we must insist that daily physical fitness be re-introduced back into our schools. Now I’m not an expert - but I have observed a few things in my travels of late.

Since leaving Florida on April 6th, I’ve met one on one with people who were severely overweight. I’ve talked at schools to 200 to 300 kids at a time and we’ve held round table discussions with overweight adults at health centers from Georgia to Virginia. I’ve met with politicians who ran up against brick walls whenever they tried to get the junk foods out of schools. One thing is for sure: despite all of the talk about obesity these days – and there certainly is a lot – the problem has not turned around. Oh, people are more aware of their weight problems – but taking those very hard steps to re-invent the way you look at food is extremely complex. It was for me as well.

Back in 2001 I learned the hard way what a true reinvention is. Initially, what I thought was healthy eating was simply smart advertising by the food industry. Essentially I was switching out bad foods for healthy foods – but in the end I was still consuming too many calories and carbs to result in any substantial weight loss. I let the “healthy” advertising determine what foods I ate. In the end I had to become educated about what the human body needs versus what the taste buds need. I had to navigate through the low calorie, low fat, and low carb overdose of conflicting information. On any given Sunday you could find me in the self-help section of Barnes and Noble learning about what healthy eating truly is. And eventually, I was able to turn my lifelong weight problem around and achieve true health. I may not be a male model here – but having walked from Florida to Virginia should be proof positive that I’m a healthy and fit “big guy.”

In Hinesville, Georgia at the YMCA, I talked with many other big guys and girls desperate to get healthy – but the truth isn’t always what folks want to hear. The only way to lose weight is the only way that has been around for years: The “old fashioned way”. Eating less and exercising more. And once you accept it and do it’s not so bad. I fact in time you’ll enjoy healthy foods just as much as unhealthy ones. There’s a chapter in my soon to be released book “The Big and Tall Chronicles” entitled “Time Is A Tool.” In the end it may be the best tool there is if you give it a chance.

In every state I’ve walked through, physical fitness seems to have been cut or seriously scaled back out of the schools. How did this come to pass? What school board, what principal, what education professionals green lighted such a harmful decision? As voters and taxpayers, why do we stand by and allow this to happen? At every stop I get different answers ranging from budget cuts to low-test scores– all I know is kids who are sedentary all day are unhealthy kids no matter how smart they are. I hope in the next 600 miles I learn more about the absence of gym class in our schools. I the end I hope that if Generation Excel raises enough money, perhaps we can begin to do something about it.

Schools, of course, are only part of the problem. In Clinton, NC we ate at one of the last family owned restaurants. As fate would have it they were closing the doors after 40 years in the business. What is left on Main Street are fast food places and buffet restaurants everywhere. It will be tough for the people in the town of Clinton to eat a truly healthy meal this summer. Now I’m not one to blame the entire fast food industry for the nations obesity crisis but it does concern me when you walk the main drag in a town like Clinton and find yourself surrounded by the who’s who of fast food eateries. You see, growing up nobody ever explained to me that one fast food restaurant meal was all the calories, carbohydrates, sodium, and sugars a person needs for the day. To me it was just “lunch.” But in reality, I was done for the day food wise - even though I’d be heading for the dinner table with my family at night. I was overdosing my body everyday. Is it any wonder why I went on to become “morbidly obese” in my 20’s and 30’s?

The bottom line, in my humble opinion, is that we’ve all grown up in a world where we are conditioned to a certain style of eating. Portion sizes that are way too big. Ingredients that are way too fatty. The “Land of Plenty” has taken a wrong turn. Gas stations have morphed into supermarkets. Restaurants attempt to out do each other by serving huge meals. These days they’re attempting to capture market share by adding meals that are advertised as healthy - but in many cases aren’t. Snack foods such as ice cream and chips have become a daily ritual. We’ve become used to it and come to expect it. And now in 2004, strangely “abundance” has become the enemy. It is up to us as individuals, consumers, parents, taxpayers and voters to undo all of these trends.

Throughout “The March” as we traveled through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, we were hard pressed to find any restaurants that were not “All You Can Eat” buffets. From “family owned” to “fast food giant”, buffets along the area known as “The Stroke Belt” and “The Fried Belt” seem to have become a pure slice of Americana. Low calorie dressings were not offered in 99% of the establishments we dined at. We can do better than this.

Let’s face it, at the end of the day even a healthy salad can go over to the dark side when you hit it with too much French or Ranch dressing. Low carb options are available everywhere these days (which I happen to think is a good thing) but it’s important to remember that it is a component of losing weight –not the whole game. There’s exercise, portion sizes and if you are following a low calorie/low carbohydrate regimen like me, and plenty of other factors. Learning and identifying those factors have allowed me to lose 140 pounds thus far.

Now in every city and town I’ve traveled to I’ve met hard working, dedicated professionals committed to turning this problem around. We’ve met with politicians, nutritionists, pediatricians, YMCA directors, state program directors and special after school gym programs such as Kids In Motion. The good news is that there are a lot of good people doing solid work out there, trying their best to have a positive impact. The bad news is that everybody seems to be his or her own islands. What we need seems to be more connectedness between the programs and individuals. “Maybe then” as Dr. Kelly Brownell says “the nation can win”.

On the subject of winning, at every stop along The Million Calorie March I’ve been asked about the “Dream Team” of experts I put together to help lose the weight. They ask questions such as “how is it you were able to afford such an expensive team. How about regular folks like us? We’ll, I’m no Donald Trump here guys. The reason I refer to them as my “Dream Team” is because they’re making this chubby Italian boy's dreams come true. The truth is, anyone who has health insurance can hire a nutritionist and a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Now the fitness trainer may set you back some money, but here’s the rub - you can’t put a price on your health. Without it you’re a Ferrari stuck with four flat tires. Take it from me.

In the end it’s up to you to dig deep to fix yourself. Be honest with yourself. Not about what food has done to your life…but rather what your approach to food has done to your life. Be vigilant about your health. See through the maze of deceptive advertising. Don’t wait for that magic pill that’s never coming, the healthcare system or Washington DC to help you. Live life healthy and the way it was meant to be lived. Vote with your wallet by not buying junk foods. Remember that in the end food is fuel – not love. Concentrate on the long-term fix versus the short-term fix. I can promise you you’ll never hear me brag that I lost the weight in twenty years flat!

Keep marching toward your health. Visit www.millioncaloriemarch.com for updates on the first cross-country walk for obesity. And if you can do it - hook up with me on the road during the next 600 miles!

All the best-

Gary