Television weight loss contestant encourages statewide activity

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By Laura Clark

Losing never looked so rewarding.

Mark Kruger, a finalist in NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” will be sharing stories of his 129-pound weight loss and the show in the White Hall Classroom Building on Friday.

In 2007, the show’s fifth season, the contestants were judged in pairs for the first time. Casting associates at Fenway Park approached Kruger and his brother in August 2007.

“They informed us that we would be perfect participants on season five of the show,” Kruger said in a news release. “This was also the day that changed my life forever.”

Since the show’s conclusion, Kruger sized down from 285 pounds to his current weight of 185 pounds.

Tammy Stephenson, a UK nutrition and food science professor, said while about 200 nutrition students will be attending, the event is open to everyone.

“He’ll mostly talk about his own journey with weight loss,” Stephenson said. “He’s an example of someone who’s lost weight through physical activity.”

Kruger’s appearance is part of Lexington’s Second Sunday campaign, which is a statewide day of physical activity that encourages activity within local communities. The campaign is coordinated by the UK Cooperative Extension Service through a partnership with UK HealthCare, Windstream, local government and other community partners.
Training for a marathon later this month, Kruger said setting goals is the key to staying focused.

“Having this goal forces me to train hard to obtain it,” Kruger said. “By training hard and running on a daily basis, I can manage my weight and stay healthy.”