Diet Detective, Charles Stuart Platkin, Helps Shed Some Light and Some Pounds on WE tv’s New Series
I Want to Save Your Life, Premiering April 25
Platkin Uncovers What’s Going on Inside to Help Change the Outside
NEW YORK, January 8, 2009 – Some of us need an extra hand, both physically and emotionally, in order to get on the right track. Beginning April 25th at 10pm I 9c on WE tv, nutrition and public health advocate Charles Stuart Platkin helps both women and men become more aware of unhealthy lifestyle choices that are leading them down a negative path . In the new original intervention series, I WANT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE, Platkin, known as the Diet Detective, goes undercover with help from the participant’s friends, family and or co-workers, following the unsuspecting subject on her or his daily routines – from preparing breakfast for their children, to the fast food drive-through during their lunch break, to a quick stop at the local coffee shop – identifying their negative patterns and pitfalls every step of the way. The key, according to Platkin, is uncovering what’s going on inside their lives to help them change the outside. And once he does, there’s no escaping the truth.
I WANT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE features individuals from all backgrounds – the single mom who puts herself last on the priority list; the comedian who uses his wit to hid behind his weight; the attorney who uses food to de-stress. No matter what their background or profession, no matter what their weakness, they are real people who need to make real changes in order to save themselves. While they all have a desire to live a healthier life, up until now, they haven’t been able to do it alone. During each half-hour episode, Platkin moves in to the participant’s life for a week, working with them 24/7 to provide the necessary awareness and tools that will make the difference in their everyday lives.
Platkin, who has dedicated his life to the area of nutrition and public health, understands firsthand the causes and struggles that contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle having been overweight until his early 30s. He’s lost more than 50 pounds and kept it off more than 10 years. "It’s important to have overall goals relating to nutrition, fitness, food and the underlying causative behaviors that lead to weight gain. However, it’s the micro-moments that end up mattering most – and it’s the micro-choices – the choices we make in the moment – who make up who we are."
Cameras follow Platkin as he works with participants to help them to help themselves. He provides unique and entertaining methods to get healthy messages to sink in. For instance, people learn how to convert calories to exercise equivalents, even making them walk while holding their favorite "unhealthy" food like chocolate cake or a burrito supreme, to demonstrate how long it takes to burn things off. Once the foundation is set, Charles provides them with a game plan for a better life along with the promise of continued support through phone, text and email. Two to five months later, he visits them at their homes to see how they’ve been doing. Will he see them maintaining their healthy lifestyle or back down the road of unhealthy living?
Visit www.WEtv.com/saveyourlife for exclusive I WANT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE content. Video of Charles provides healthy tips for every life stage and how to help your whole family live healthier. Blogs from series individuals give behind-the-scenes insight into each person’s struggle, along with before and after slideshows to show their transformations. Additional extras include, in-depth episode guide, comprehensive bios, a community forum for discussion, and more video only available on WEtv.com
CHARLES STUART PLATKIN JD, MPH is one of the country’s leading nutrition and public health advocates, whose syndicated health, nutrition and fitness column appears in more than 100 daily newspapers nationally. Platkin is also the founder of DietDetective.com, a nutrition, food, fitness and wellness resource. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a law degree from Fordham University, and a Masters in Public Health from Florida International University. He is also a ACE certified personal trainer and is currently a PhD Candidate in public health (2009). He is an Adjunct Professor at the Robert Stempel School of Public Health at Florida International University in Miami. He is a member of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, the American Obesity Association, the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, Society for Public Health Education, Society for Nutrition Education, The American Public Health Association, Sigma Xi (Scientific Research Society), the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health and the American Council on Exercise.
He is also the author of five books. His first book, "Breaking the Pattern" was a bestseller in hardcover. His latest books are The Diet Detective’s Count Down (Simon and Schuster, 2007) and The Diet Detective’s Calorie (Simon and Schuster, 2007).
About WE tv
WE tv (www.WEtv.com) is the premier source for women looking to satisfy their curiosity with fascinating, original stories and entertaining, informative content that is relevant to key stages of their lives. Available in more than 72 million homes, WE tv’s programming gives viewers compelling perspectives on women’s lives that range from provocative to extraordinary, including signature series like "Bridezillas" and critically-acclaimed original documentary series such as "High School Confidential." WE tv’s public affairs initiative, WE Empowers Women, is dedicated to creating programs that foster and celebrate women’s strength, confidence and diversity. The initiative’s current focus is its WE Vote ’08 campaign. WE tv is available in HD and WE tv On Demand is available in 20 million homes. WE tv is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC.