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MONROE, La. (AP) — John Humble jumped into the Biggest Loser Northeast Louisiana Edition at 315 pounds, coming off recent back surgery.
He wanted to lose weight and knew he'd need support and motivation. He won the competition, which was sponsored by The Radio People, and dropped 65 pounds.
During the eight-week competition, The Radio People provided contestants with three weigh-ins, a food journal, exercise regime and group exercise on Saturday, said director Patti Thurman with The Radio People.
Humble wasn't sure how much weight he would lose, but he knows it wouldn't have happened without the support from family, friends, fellow competitors and sponsors of the competition.
Today he's out encouraging anyone who wants to lose weight so they can accomplish the same goal.
"I have lost weight before, but it's so easy to gain it back. I'm a big guy ... I've always been big so it's always been a struggle. You can easily slip up, stop going to the gym and start eating fast food every day, and before you know it, six months down the road, you've gained it all back," Humble said.
He cut out soda, drank mostly water, and greatly reduced his carbohydrate intake, while taking his lunch to work so he'd avoid fast food restaurants.
His advice?
Start slow. Get several people on your team who will support you. Work out with friends or family so you have a buddy to keep you motivated.
"Cut out the sodas. Cut out most of your fast foods. That's one of the worst things you can put in your body. If you just cut those out, you could lose a lot of weight without even exercising," Humble said.
A third of Americans (36 percent) are obese, which is roughly 35 pounds over a healthy weight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nerdwallet, a consumer website, published a report of a study that looked at obesity rates throughout the nation. That report indicated 34.2 percent of Monroe metro area residents are considered obese.
Monroe was ranked with several dozen metro regions as having the highest obesity rates in the nation.
A report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation also found Ouachita Parish has a high obesity rate with 34 percent of the population considered obese. The national average was 25 percent.
Obesity rates have continued to rise across the nation over the past three decades.
In 1980, no state was above 15 percent; in 1991, no state was above 20 percent; in 2000, no state was above 25 percent; and, in 2007, only Mississippi was above 30 percent.
But 2010 saw more than a dozen states rise above 30 percent.
Louisiana is now one of 13 states to have adult obesity rates higher than 30 percent. Meanwhile, 41 states have rates of at least 25 percent, and every state is above 20 percent.
Jen Bays Avis with St. Francis Diabetes and Nutrition Center, has been a nutritionist locally for more than 30 years. From what she's seen, she expected Monroe's number to be much higher.
"We have a problem with obesity — all of the country has a problem, but in the South we tend to have more of a problem with all the fried food, sweet drinks and large portions. We tend to be big eaters in the South," Avis said.
Today more people turn to fast food for lunch and now even breakfast and dinner because of a busy lifestyle with work, children, after-school activities and little time to cook.
Fast food is comprised mostly of refined carbohydrates, poor sources of protein and it lacks vegetables and nutrients, Avis said.
"That's a refined diet. Add sugary beverages and juice to that and you're eating a diet where sugar is literally bombarding your system. The best thing we can do in our area is cut out sugary beverages and cut out fruit juices. The next thing would be to watch portions," Avis said.
One can of regular soda contains about 140 calories of added sugar. That's about seven percent of the daily calories of someone eating 2,000 calories a day.
Added sugars include table sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, molasses and other caloric sweeteners in prepared and processed foods and beverages. It does not include sugars that occur naturally in fruits, fruit juice, and milk and dairy products.
Major sources of added sugars in Americans' diets are sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts (ice cream) and candy.
Research has tied a high intake of added sugars, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, to many poor health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Most of those studies focused on sugar-sweetened beverages and not total intake of sugar.
People considered obese are at risk for a number of illnesses and conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease.
Nerdwallet, a consumer website, recently published a report on obesity rates throughout the country. The report also found, on average, obese men and women pay about twice as much for life insurance than those who are at a healthy weight, as defined by the CDC.
Overweight men pay about $11 more a year than men at a healthy weight for a 20-year $500,000 term life insurance policy. Overweight women pay about $21 more on annual premiums than women at a healthy weight for the same policy.
Life insurance companies base your rate on your life expectancy. That's why obese men and women tend to pay higher premiums. The report noted people who gain weight after they buy life insurance won't see their rates change. Once coverage is locked in, an insurer cannot raise premiums, even if a person develops health conditions from excessive weight gain.
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