The Biggest Loser

Health and wellness is an extremely important part of my life.  Eating the right foods and exercising have such an enormous impact on quality of life, not only for you, but for so many other people around you.

Unfortunately in our country we are faced with one of the highest obesity rates in the entire world.  Our culture, eating habits, life styles and personal choices have put so many people in our country at risk.  Health care has been affected because of the growing number of health issues due to obesity, more specifically diabetes, especially in young adults.  It has to be changed.  It has to be changed now.

I don't like TV Shows.  Reality TV, especially, is the absolute worst.  That being said, I must say that because of Ms. Lauren Fairchild's addiction to a countless number of sitcoms and reality shows, I started watching the Biggest Loser.  Now I'm fully aware at the end of the day it is still reality TV, still people trying to make money at the expense of others, and there are definitely some things that bother me.  But I think the producers of this show have their hearts in the right place, for the most part.  They are helping people lose weight and change the decisions they make.  As dramatic as it sounds, they are probably saving the lives of many people that come on that show or participated from home.  Some of them who were inevitable going to eat themselves to death.

So the real reason for this post is a person that I met two years ago.  Tammy Kaylor. She is actually a customer of mine, she has season tickets with the Lake Erie Monsters, but now most certainly a friend.  So I'll just lay it out.  She is 500 lbs.  She can't fit into any of the seats that we have at Quicken Loans Arena.  She has to sit on our handicap platforms.  Yes, that is the least of her worries considering all of the health issues that she is experiencing.  Regardless, it is what got me involved in this.  Over the last few months I've been talking with Tammy about the changes she wanted to make and all of the reasons she was going to begin trying to get healthy.  We discuss how much she loves our teams but is not able to sit in the seats she really wants to sit in.  She drives in over an hour to be here but is forced to sit on our handicap folding chairs.  We briefly mentioned the Biggest Loser, but I offered her my own challenge.  I told her I would buy her an extra season ticket if she was to hit her goal weight by the beginning of our next season, (her other goal was to be able to fit into any seat in our arena). Then we discussed that she should really try out for the Biggest Loser show. There was no reason she shouldn't.  She was the perfect candidate.  I know others in her life were encouraging her as well.

So she did, and now she is actually down a pretty far path in the selection process.  She has created a video that will play a role in the selection process.  Part of it was actually shot at the arena and I make a short cameo.  I am extremely excited about this for Tammy.  She has an enormous heart, loves her sports teams and always has a smile on her face.  Tammy is an absolute fanatic for the Cavaliers and the Monsters.  So please take a minute to watch her video and then give it a "thumbs up" rating.  Every hit helps.

Tammy needs this more than any person that I know.  She is a very gifted person and a phenomenal human being, unfortunately with extremely severe health and weight issues.  She needs to get healthy.  I think this show is the perfect place to change her life. 
http://www.theyearoftam.com/

Please pass along to anyone you think would appreciate this.

Thanks.

JAB