Fitness guru and comedian Richard Simmons has lived a long and impressive life, but you may not know about everything he’s accomplished. In addition to inspiring people for decades to lose weight, he’s done these things as well.
• Simmons was born as Milton Teagle Simmons in 1948 with a disfigured upper leg, asthma and without a full set of bones in his feet.
• By high school, Simmons weighed 300 pounds.
• However, he dropped 100 pounds and has kept it off for 40 years through diet and exercise. In 1974, he started a gym to help overweight people.
• He claims to have helped people lose more than 3 million pound since starting his weight loss programs.
• He appeared as himself in a recurring role on “General Hospital” after fans showed a positive response to his guest spot.
• Simmons has authored multiple books and produced more than 30 videos, including the well-known “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.”