Harper Says Americans 'Extremely Addicted' To Sugar, Fast
Food 'Killing Us'
Jimmy Moore
October 7, 2005


The following is a reprint from the blog "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb":

"The Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper talks about a variety of
subjects, including weight loss surgery, making permanent lifestyle
changes, and even livin' la vida low-carb in this exclusive
interview with the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog:

1. Hey Bob. My name is Jimmy Moore and I was a big loser in 2004
having lost 180 pounds thanks to a healthy diet and exercise
program. Your role on NBC's "The Biggest Loser" is not an easy
one,
but you seem to enjoy helping people not only achieve but exceed
their own expectations when it comes to losing weight and getting
into shape. What made you want to play this role for the
television
show and is it everything you expected it to be?

"I don't consider myself playing a role at all. What you see is
what
you get. I absolutely love what I do and have a tremendous passion
for it. When someone basically hands themselves over to me and asks
for my help, I'm going to give them all of me. It is the only way I
know how to work. To get up every morning and know that I am doing
exactly what I am supposed to be doing is the greatest gift I have
ever been given."

2. When "The Biggest Loser" was just an idea that NBC had for a
new
reality show, you admit in the book that you were "naturally
skeptical" of the concept because of the morass of other "extreme"
shows that pervade this genre of television programming. But you
said you were pleased when you found out the premise of this show
would be based on diet and exercise. Why is losing weight
naturally
a better option for people than weight loss surgery? Does diet and
exercise really work for everyone if they are 100% committed to it?

"I am all about the real change of life mentality and not a quick
fix type of guy. I believe that you must take care and nurture this
vessel that we have and carry through this life and try not to
abuse
it. For me that mentality of, 'I have to lose weight, let me cut my
stomach out' is crazy to me. I want to teach people to take charge
of their lives again and get back in the driver's seat...it's a
great place to sit. I believe that when someone is 100% committed
to
doing something positive for themselves, there is nothing that they
can't do."

3. I have personally seen that overcoming a lifelong struggle with
weight is indeed a monumental transformational experience that can
have an effect on many other areas of your life besides the
physical. But how do you get someone to take that all-important
first step so they can eventually make it to that point where their
life can be changed forever?

"I get people to realize that no matter how much weight they want
to
lose, be it 10lbs or over 100lbs, they can start today. 'Today is
the first day of the rest of your life,' is my mantra. It's all
about getting that first day under your belt and look at it from
day
to day instead of the final outcome. Focus on the here and now and
before you know it, that belt has gotten looser."

4. Fans of "The Biggest Loser" admire your ability to provide
encouragement and support while working the contestants on the show
very hard during their workouts. What can people do to stay
motivated in their own weight loss routine without Bob Harper there
to lift them up and hold them accountable on a daily basis?

"Find a support group that works for you. It can be your neighbor,
co-worker, partner or relative. When you have someone else relying
on you during the crucial first month, it is a big help. You have
someone in the same boat that you are in and it makes it easier.
Use
each other to get into your new life rhythm."

5. You write in the foreword to "The Biggest Loser" book
that "this
experience -- working on the show and with this book -- has been
like no other that I've ever had" and that "it has reignited the
passion" in you and has even "forever changed" you. How has
befriending and working with these 26 contestants on "The Biggest
Loser" changed you personally?

"I believe that working so closely with the contestants that I was
so fortunate enough to work with reenergized me and strengthened my
soul. When you are able to help people they way I got to, it can't
help but change you. I know how difficult it is to make big changes
in life and I take it very seriously when people want to make a big
change. To say you want to make a lifestyle change and to actually
change your life is two very different things and the friends I
made
on this show did just that and I have such admiration for
them.....I
love them."

6. Losing weight is one thing, but keeping it off and
transitioning
it into a lifestyle change is what too many people fail to do after
shedding pounds off their body. I personally experienced this back
in 1999 when I lost 170 pounds and subsequently gained it all back
and then some in less than a year. This time, though, I have kept
my 180 pounds off successfully. What do you think is the key to
permanent weight loss success?

"I get people to realize that there is no finish line. That is a
big
pill to swallow but when you make that realization, it almost makes
it easier. It is all about making a new way of life and not
reverting to your old ways. I get people to make that shift early
on
so there are no surprises. Unfortunately, there is a certain
comfort
in the phrase, 'ignorance is bliss.' The people I work with don't
have that luxury any more. It is up to me to inform them and
educate them as much as possible and then they realize that if they gain
their weight back, it is a conscious decision on their part. Don't
focus on the goal of a wedding dress or summer bikini, focus on the
shift of change."

7. What is your philosophy regarding the low-carb lifestyle and do
you believe it is a viable lifetime option for people who are
looking for a way to control their weight?

"If you cut out all carbs, you will DEFINITELY lose weight.
Unfortunately, you will gain it all back because I don't believe
that it is a 'way of life." I am all about changing your way of
life
and having you incorporate the right amounts of protein, carbs and
fats."

8. Obesity statistics are still on the rise in the United States
and around the world at alarming rates. Shockingly, some health
experts are predicting obesity rates will approach 100 percent in
America over the next 50 years. What can we do to turn the tide of
this trend?

"Like I said before, TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE!!! This is your body
and your life, respect and take care of it and your options are
boundless. Fast food is killing us as a nation and we have to find
healthier, inexpensive options to help fight this battle."

9. What role do you believe sugar, including high fructose corn
syrup and table sugar, plays in the obesity epidemic?

"Is this a trick question? It has most everything to do with our
problem with obesity. I believe that sugar is a very powerful and
strong drug that people are extremely addicted to. I test my
clients
when I first start working with them by getting them off sugar
completely for 2 weeks. It is almost like there body is de-toxing
off of the drug and when they get over that hump, their insulin
levels balance out. They make better choices of food and their
cravings stop."

10. I get a lot of people who are searching for answers and advice
about what to do about their weight problem at my blog on a daily
basis. What final words of advice and inspiration would you like
to
give to someone who is overweight or obese and desperately wanting
to do something about their weight problem?

"I understand that it is very difficult but once you really set
your
mind to it and put yourself at the top of your list, you will be
amazed at what you can achieve. Don't look so far down the road of
what you need to lose or what need's to change. Today is the first
day of the rest of your life. If you are reading this than you have
already taken the first step. You want to change, you need to
change....let's get started. There is a whole life out there
waiting
for you.....GRAB IT!!!"

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Bob, for answering these questions for me and my
readers! I appreciate your time and wish you continued success
with "The Biggest Loser." Be sure to pick up a copy of "The
Biggest
Loser" book to read more about what he did to help "The Biggest
Loser" contestants lose all of their weight.