Following 'The Thin Commandments'
01.01.70
(CNN) -- At 6'3" and 277 pounds, Darryl Roberts had a body mass index of 34.6. Anything over 30.0 on the BMI scale is considered obese, and his doctor warned him that his blood pressure was too high.
So the doctor gave Roberts some medication and told him to take the pills daily. Side effects, she cautioned, could include erectile dysfunction. Roberts balked. "Can't I just exercise and eat healthier?" he remembers asking.
"Think about it," Roberts says with a laugh. "A 40-something year-old man on a race not to take pills that cause erectile dysfunction. Every guy I tell that to goes, 'Oh my God, I can relate to that.' "
The documentary filmmaker bought a bike and started adding salads to his diet. Two months later he returned to the doctor and was pronounced perfectly healthy -- despite having lost only 6 pounds.
It's a journey that he chronicles in " America the Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments ," a follow-up to his first award-winning film. The documentary focuses on the United States' unhealthy obsession with dieting and losing weight.
Source: CNN International
Fighting fat, boxing clever
01.01.70
In one week, I will duck and weave around a canvas ring, throwing flurries of punches as I absorb blows to my head and body.
Two years ago, I could barely make it up a flight of stairs without breaking into a sweat.
These days, I weigh about 74 kilograms - more or less a good fit for my 178-centimetre frame.
Back then, in the summer of 2010, I was big. How big, you ask? Big. Really big. 128kg, to be precise. To give you a bit of context, that means I was heavier than All Black legend Jonah Lomu was in his prime - only with none of his height or muscle mass.
I have lost 54kg since those heady, heavy days.
There was nothing miraculous or heroic about what I did. It was simply the result of 10 months of consistent exercise and constant vigilance.
Friday's fight is the culmination of two years of hard work and sacrifice. But before I talk about the bout, it's best to talk about how I got to a position where I could even think about taking part.
Source: The Press