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In January 2008, Oprah and fitness guru Bob Greene launched the Best Life Challenge in Mississippi, the state named the fattest in America. According to experts, one out of every three Mississippians is obese.
During their trip, thousands of people in the town of Meridian agreed to sign Best Life contracts, committing to take control of their lives and end their struggle with weight. Oprah says she'll never forget meeting Jeff and Karen, two dieters who have hundreds of pounds to lose.
Jeff once weighed nearly 800 pounds, but by the time he signed his contract, he'd already lost 150 pounds. He told Bob and Oprah he was committed to losing even more. "I do pool work every day. I walk in the water and do aerobics in the water," he said. "I do a workout with free weights."
Karen, a mother of two, weighed 512 pounds when Oprah met her in Meridian. She revealed that she was frightened about her future. "After my second child, my last child, I acquired high blood pressure, and my health has been going downhill ever since," she said. "It's to the point where I either lose it or I'm going to die."
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