According to Oxford University, obesity is second only to smoking as a cause of premature death in America.
For one Arizona man, obesity nearly cost him his career, and he says nearly cost him his life. Neal Bendesky weighed 415 pounds last October when he began a workout program at a Phoenix Orangetheory Fitness.
Bendesky, vice president of the Arizona Rattlers arena league team, had little success staying motivated to lose weight until a young boy asked him if he was Santa. That embarrassing moment was a wake up call for the 58 year old.
Bendesky has lost 177 pounds in less than a year, but he is not done just yet. His goal is 199 pounds, making him the biggest loser in Orangetheory history.
Bendesky was in town Thursday to spread his message of weight loss and to welcome a new Orangetheory Fitness location to Tucson.
The new Foothills location is at 5575 E River Rd #101, while the Casa Adobes location is at 7057 N Oracle Rd.
