The battle of the bulge affects more than half of all Americans, and celebrities are no exception.  What is exceptional about actor Michael Badalucco of the hit show "The Practice" is his willingness to talk about it. We asked Michael to share with us what motivated him to take a more active role in managing his weight. 

"Once I hit my mid thirties, I found my waistline going up and up and I've always tried to do something about it, but it seems like I would hit a plateau go down a little, then it would go back up.  So it's something I have to try to take very seriously now that I'm into my 40's".

Sound familiar? 

Leading weight management expert, Dr. Louis Arronne has this advice for anyone in Michael's similar situation:

"I think the most important thing to do is to focus on changing your life.  Don't look at a diet as a short term intervention where you're gonna lose 10 or 15 pounds, to fit in a bathing suit for a cruise, that's not what it's all about.  The key is trying to maintain your weight, trying to stick with your diet over the long term, trying to increase your physical activity so that you can lead a healthier life style".

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Created: 1/5/2001  -  Donnica Moore, M.D.