Confessions of a Couch Potato (Or, If I'm So Skinny, Why Do I Still Feel Like Flounder?)

Los Angeles Daily News (c. 200,161)

Back when Stephen Furst weighed a hefty 320 pounds, his favorite meal of the week was the Monday Night Football all-you-can-eat rib special at Moorparks Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill. The actor-director, who first made his name as Flounder in the 1978 film National Lampoons Animal House, would gorge on plate after plate of ribs from the kickoff until the final seconds of the broadcast.

Today, Furst is spreading the story of his dramatic weight loss as a spokesman for the American Diabetes Association. Laced with humor, his book Confessions of a Couch Potato chronicles his struggles with dieting and how he finally lost the pounds by committing to a regimen of low-fat meals and moderate exercise.

Fursts book has the potential for a wide audience. The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found that 65 percent of American adults are overweight. The study also found that 16 percent of youngsters age 12 to 19 tip the scales excessively. The ever-expanding American waistline has health educators concerned about medical consequences, including increased risk for stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. An estimated 17 million Americans suffer from diabetes.

Furst, Stephen is the author of 'Confessions of a Couch Potato (Or, If I'm So Skinny, Why Do I Still Feel Like Flounder?)' with ISBN 9781580401449 and ISBN 1580401449.