The diet explosion

Ebony, March, 1989

The Diet EXPLOSION

SOMETHING is happening to the shape of America. We are in the midst of a diet explosion, and millions are willing to try every way possible to lose weight. There's a good reason for this obsession with dieting: it's estimated that 34 million U.S. adults are overweight.

Some who are fighting the battle of the bulge have an extra incentive to get and stay in shape. They are people who are constantly in the public eye, and who know that looking their absolute best can be vital to their careers. Vanity aside, they also know that it's better for their overall health if they are in tip-top physical condition.

At least three of them appear on weekly TV sitcoms. Jackee and Alaina Reed, two co-stars of the hit comedy 227, have both worked hard to whittle away unwanted pounds, and both have met iwth great success. Jackee lost 45 pounds over a three-year period on a balanced diet, while Ms. Reed shed 30 pounds in just six months on a medically supervised liquid diet. Meshach Taylor, who co-stars on another sitcom, Designing Women, is proud of the fact that he shed 35 stubborn pounds in less than three months by eating less and exercising more.

Although Stephanie Mills' weight loss wasn't nearly as dramatic, the 15 pounds she lost greatly enhanced her appearance, giving her a leaner, shapelier look. Outstanding among the males who have successfully battled the bulge is Thomas Todd, a well-known Chicago attorney and former acting national president of Operation PUSH. He dropped 127 pounds in one year on a 1500-calorie-a-day diet prescribed by a physician.

These individuals who lost weight realize they must work just as hard to stay slim. One expert who stresses that point is Woodrow Myers Jr., M.D., state health commissioner of Indiana. He should know. Three years ago, Dr. Myers lost 201 pounds in less than a year, and still struggles to keep the excess pounds off. "You've got to make sure that you concentrate on the after-diet phase as much as the dieting phase," he says. "It's much easier to take weight off than keep it off."

To keep her weight down, Jackee follows basically the same regimen she began three years ago. she consumes no more than 1,000 calories a day. A typical breakfast for her, according to published reports, might include fruit, a cup of bran flakes and a glass of skim milk. Lunch is usually a cup of soup or a serving of lean meat, a salad, and more skim milk. for a snack, she has fruit or nonfat yogurt. Dinner usually consists of fish, poultry or lean red meat, a potato or noddles, vegetables and fruit or sugar-free gelatin. Jackee exercises regularly, concentrating on slimming the lower part of her body. And she drinks at least 12 glasses of water a day.

Now that Alaina Reed is back on solid foods, she too has adopted sensible eating habits. She doesn't count calories, but she makes an effort to stay away from fattening foods and eat those that are nourishing and low in calories. She says that before her weight loss, she had developed "sloppy eating habits," and her weaknesses included gourmet ince cream.

For the six months Ms. Reed was on the liquid diet, she was under medical supervision. That, says Dr. Myers, is the correct way to do it. "These are very complicated diets metabolically speaking," he says, "and you must be monitored by a physician. Those who go on a liquid protein diet without a doctor's supervision are putting themselves at a great deal of risk for various complications," including heart attack and kidney problems.

Dr. Myers also stresses that, for best results, those who cut down on food should increase their exercise. Ms. Reed, for instance, exercises every day, and either works out with a personal trainer or plays racquetball.

Stephanie Mills lost weight by going on a rigorous fitness program. She says it took her more than three years to get her body the way she wanted it, and she did it with the help of Jane Fonda exercise tapes. She now carries 97 pounds on her petite 4'11" frame, down from 112 pounds.

Meshach Taylor says he decided to lose weight after catching an unflattering glimpse of himself on TV. "One day," he recalls, "I was watching myself on an episode of Designing Women walking across the Sugarbaker set and I said. 'That can't be my behind. That must be a stunt butt made specifically for this scene.'" At the time Taylor weighed around 220, the heaviest the had ever been.

"My wife was pregnant and we had been eating everything that wasn't nailed down," he explains. "I hadn't noticed [the weight gain] because I still stayed the same proportionate size larger than her." Like Ms. Reed, he too had a weakness for rich ice cream, and in one sitting could eat a pint topped with a jar of chocolate syrup. "I'd be in hog heaven pigging out," he says.

Taylor began changing his ways by substituting a liquid protein drink for his normal breakfast and lunch. He ate one "sensible" meal for dinner, such as broiled or grilled fish or chicken and lots of fresh vegetables. To satisfy his craving for ice cream, he ate yogurt or tofu. In addition, he began walking a mile and a half a day. He says the liquid protein supplement he used was specially formulated for athletes. "It allowed me to do my walks and workouts and continue to do whatever I had to do and still have the energy."