It wasn’t long after his mother died in 2020 that Ross Mathews turned to food for comfort. After all, “cooking was a love language my mother and I shared,” the co-host of “The Drew Barrymore Show’ told People. Still, something was different this time. This time, the 45-year-old television personality said he wasn’t going to let overeating take control of his life.
“I realized I wanted to be on this planet as long as possible, and the thing I could control is how I wanted to live,” he said. Fast forward four years, and Mathews has dropped 80 pounds.
In the United States, obesity is an epidemic. It affects around 20% of children and 40% of adults. Those affected are more likely to have several deadly diseases, including Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
Mathews said he was first made aware of his weight issues around 10 years old and has struggled ever since. Many years later, he would appear on “Celebrity Fit Club,” where he lost 40 pounds. But his weight bounced back as time went on.
“And every time I got fat again, I wouldn’t leave the house because I’d see it on people’s faces as soon as they would see me,” he said. “That shame is deafening.”
To lose weight after his mother’s death, the formero correspondent on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” hired a nutritionist to learn about dieting.
“Suddenly somebody gave me tools, and I started applying them and saw results right away,” Mathews said.
According to Piedmont Healthcare health and fitness manager Colleen Alrutz, diet is the most important factor for weight loss about 70% of the time. Exercise is almost always the best way to keep the weight off.
“I feel like I don’t belong in a gym,” Mathews said. “I had to find a way to move at my own pace.”
Mathews had moved to Manhattan in October 2020, and a major lifestyle change came along with that: walking.
“In New York, if a restaurant is a mile and a half away, you think, ‘That’s a 25-minute walk. Let’s go,’” he said. “And walking the neighborhood was a game changer. I put my AirPods in and go.”
Now dozens of pounds lighter, the he said he is dedicated to staying healthy, no matter the challenges.
“But this time is very different,” he said. “I’m constantly course-correcting when I allow myself to indulge.”
For more information on weight loss, visit cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight.
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