WVIZ/PBS ideastream®: Fighting Fat

View the show on-demand:

• Risk factors: Genetics, family history, age, smoking, social and economic issues, inactivity, poor diet, lack of sleep, and certain medications.  Usually doctors look at a Body Mass Index (BMI) a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fat for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.  Adults with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese.
• Symptoms: Difficulty sleeping, snoring, sleep apnea, pain in back or joints, excessive sweating, feeling out of breath with minor exertion, and depression.
• Treatments: Dietary changes, exercise, behavior modification, weight loss surgery.

Today, about one in three American adults is considered obese. It is a health threat linked to a host of other problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and cancer, but nevertheless there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of obesity over the last 20 years.

In April 2010, ideastream presents multimedia coverage that examined this serious health threat including a special 30-minute local television broadcast; a series of radio reports; and a dynamic, user-friendly website.

Fighting Fat is presented by WVIZ/PBS & 90.3 WCPN ideastream in partnership with The Plain Dealer and WKYC Channel 3.

We’ll follow the story of a local man, William Baker of Avon, who has battled obesity his entire life. His mother died from complications related to diabetes and Baker is trying to get his weight on track so he doesn’t follow in his mother’s footsteps. He also wants to set a positive example for his three young daughters.

Where To Go For Help

Follow Up

William Baker - the 45-year-old stay-at-home dad from Avon - is the official winner of the Winter 2010 Extreme Loser weight loss competition at the EMH Center for Health and Fitness. Baker, who has battled weight issues most of his adult life, shared his story on ideastream’s Fighting Fat television show that premiered on WVIZ/PBS on April 8, 2010.

Baker lost a total of 66 pounds in the Winter Extreme Loser Program. When he first got involved with the program in the Fall of 2009, Baker weighed 283 pounds. At the final weigh-in for the Winter competition, he was down to 196 pounds. His waist - which once measured 55 inches - is now down to 39 inches.

Leave a Comment

Please note that all comments must adhere to ideastream's discussion rules and terms of use. If you'd like to comment on an individual program or report in this series, either use the form below or leave your comment on the show page links to the right. Name:

Email:

Comment:

Please enter the word you see in the image below:

Funding

Funding for the coverage of health topics comes from the Dr. Donald J. Goodman and Ruth Weber Goodman Philanthropic Fund of The Cleveland Foundation; The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation; Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation; The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation; The McGregor Foundation; The Saint Luke’s Foundation; The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland; The Woodruff Foundation; and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Ohio.