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Dr. Douglas Markham
Executive Director
Quality of Life Health Plan
“Health Across America Tour”
Part 2 of 4
In Part I, I shared how the Total Health Program aligned with the MVET Way
philosophy. That you have the right to health, happiness, and prosperity. In Part
II, I will discuss my national campaign to prevent obesity-related diseases.
In July 2002, John Schneider and I appeared together on
CNN's "Larry King
Live"
where John came out for the first time on national television to share his
struggle with childhood obesity. I also announced my plans to depart on my
"
HEALTH Across America Tour
," part of a national public education campaign on
the prevention of obesity-related diseases. The tour eventually took me too many
of America's 25 "fattest cities" as ranked by
Men's Fitness
magazine.
At age 16, with a 44-inch waist and weighing just under 250 pounds, John heeded
the advice of his brother and began making lifestyle changes. Two years and 50
pounds later, John's acting career took him to the top, being cast as the heartthrob
Bo Duke on television's "
Dukes of Hazard
."
After the interview, Larry shared with me that he had been diagnosed with adult-
onset diabetes and was taking the blood sugar-lowering medication Metformin
(Glucophage) to control his blood sugar.
In the next article, I will share the results of Larry's total health eating plan.