I went to a remarkable convention recently and fell in love with Corey Louchiey and James Thornton . The Obesity Action Coalition put it on. It turns out there is a surge of organizations providing help out there for people looking for support and resources related to weight management. I have to admit I had no idea there were so many organizations supporting people battling obesity. The conference is titled “Your Weight Matters.” I attended their second conference.
The first night there was a moving program called Teaming Up to Tackle Obesity provided through the auspices of the NFL Players Association and the Living Heart Foundation. As part of this program they have recruited former NFL players as spokespeople. At this program Corey Louchiey (Buffalo Bills) and James Thornton (Houston Oilers) told their personal stories about battling morbid-obesity. Their stories were compelling and inspiring.
Corey and James were extremely honest about their lifestyles and struggles. It was shocking to learn that football players can chow down on anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 calories a day. Corey actually went through a day-in-the-life of his eating habits. Lots of volume and lots of sugar are consumed. Football players are beefed up to play but burn a lot each day when they are playing. The problem is after they retire. Both Corey and James have been retired for a while. That is when they both started gaining significant amounts of weight. They gained so much weight it affected their health and their lives. Doctors told both of them they would die within 5 years if they did not change their habits and lose weight.
Finally, when they both happened to be on a trip together they decided to challenge each other to lose weight and become healthy lifestyle buddies. They did not take the same approach, however. James decided to have bariatric surgery. Corey became a vegan. They both have lost significant amounts of weight…and have kept it off.
The NFL has recognized that former players end up with big, ongoing health problems—particularly related to obesity. The Living Heart Foundation, started by a former NFL player, Arthur Roberts, who became a heart surgeon, is dedicated to providing information and resources to players to help them become informed and proactive about their weight. Corey and James have benefited, as have others.
Now the Living Heart Foundation and the NFL Players Association have realized they can help others as well through the Teaming Up to Tackle Obesity program. With Corey and James as the spokespeople I know it will be a very successful program. They are charming, humble and engaging storytellers…and their story is one so many of us can relate to. It was easy to fall in love with these remarkable gentlemen, Corey Louchiey and James Thornton. They may be remembered as pros on the football field but their real claim to fame should be how they have tackled life’s challenges and then have shared their struggles and success with others.
