Believe it or not, I've been trying to get that message out since I was kid. At the tender age of nine, I'd read about things in the newspaper—things like the health hazards of nitrates added to meats and the harmful effects of pesticides on fruits and vegetables—then lobby my parents to banish unhealthy foods from our table. Salt causes high blood pressure? I warned my dad about using the shaker so liberally. As the self-appointed guardian of my family's well being, I took nutrition news seriously.

I still do, of course. In hindsight, my family ate fairly healthy meals, especially when compared to the average family today. However, many of my family members struggled with their weight. In fact, my great grandmother was bedridden primarily due to excess weight. I know this distressed me on some level, even as early as age seven.

My concern about my family's well being eventually led to a professional interest. I studied health and physical education at the University of Delaware and then went on to get a master's degree in exercise physiology from the University of Arizona. Along with being an exercise physiologist, I am also a certified personal trainer and a member of two distinguished groups, the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. For the last two decades, I've specialized in fitness, metabolism and weight loss.

I've used my expertise in many different ways. After getting my master's, I became the director of exercise physiology for a medical management company specializing in heart and pulmonary conditions. I later ran the Health & Fitness Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making people healthier through diet, exercise and lifestyle modification. I also worked at a spa in Telluride, Colorado, where I hired and trained the fitness staff. It was there that I met Oprah, and she first became my client. I later moved to Chicago to help her stay fit and train for a marathon. Five years, Oprah's 90-pound weight loss, many races and a marathon later, I was still in Chicago and loving it. I had a booming training practice, and, better yet, I was able to reach millions via Oprah's television show and the books we wrote together.

Over the years, I have worked with many individual clients helping them to get fit and lose weight. Some of my time has also been spent consulting on the design and management of fitness, spa and sports-medicine programs, and writing and lecturing extensively on health, fitness, weight loss, and motivation. In the past, I was Health & Fitness correspondent for ABC TV's "Good Morning America."

My public and television appearances have allowed me to spread the word about achieving a healthier lifestyle, and I also try to get the message out while I'm on the move. When I was promoting my third book, Keep the Connection: Choices for a Better Body and a Healthier Life, I completed a 3,000-mile cross-country bike tour, riding from Long Beach, California, to New York City. Along the way, I made frequent stops at bookstores, supermarkets and fitness centers, talking with people about how to stay motivated, eat right and exercise. While mountaineering, kayaking and cycling all over the world, I've also taken my message with me, urging audiences from Africa to Asia to get and stay fit.

I truly believe that all of us have the inner strength to make beneficial changes to improve our lives. My goal is to help you find that strength—and to guide you along the way to good health. My hope is that this web site will become a continuing source of sound advice you can rely on.