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CNN Live At Daybreak
New Study Finds That Doctor's Advice Not Affecting American Exercise Habits
Aired August 08, 2001 - 08:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: You know that you need to exercise. Your doctor told you so. But apparently that's not enough to get you to the gym or to the park. A new study finds that even a doctor's advice is not affecting American exercise habits.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: So what's it going to take to get you to workout? We have two experts with us this morning. First, Dr. Laurence Sperling, a cardiologist at Emory Medical Center, here in Atlanta. And by phone this morning from home in California, exercise guru and fitness legend Jacqueline Lane is with us, age 86.
And, Mr. Lane, I understand we interrupted your daily workout so we could speak with you on the phone.
Hello, sir.
OK, we're having a little trouble with the connection there. Of course Jack is going strong.
Dr. Sperling, The study says perhaps physicians aren't guiding the patients enough through workouts, but really how much can you do? Once they leave the room, it's not your responsibility, or is it, to follow up on things?
DR. LAURENCE SPERLING, EMORY MEDICAL CENTER: I do think it is the physician's responsibility to help the patients take charge of their behavior, and it's important to mention this to their patients in their office visits, but also and reinforce this on follow-up. The study itself really talked about a whole behavioral counseling program that was put into place. And it showed even with intensive physical counseling, there was modest changes in physical activity behavior.
CELLINI: But I mean, you can't follow them around and make sure that they get to the gym and that they're eating right. You simply can't do that. That's impossible. Advice is one thing, but doing it to that extent is another.
SPERLING: Yes, I would agree. But I do think that there's some information and data to suggest that a physician who mentions to their patient behavorial changes, such as smoking cessation or physical activity, has an impact on their patients, albeit a small population.
CELLINI: All right, we're going to try to get Jack Lane back on the phone here.
Mr. Lane, are you with us?
JACK LA LANNE, FITNESS GURU: Yes, are you with us?
CELLINI: Yes, I think so.
LA LANNE: I'm here.
SPERLING: I know you are.
And we understand that you interrupted your workout this morning, your daily workout to speak with us. Now what is your workout like on a daily basis?
LA LANNE: I work with the weights and water. I spend about an hour with the weights, another hour doing pool exercise or swimming, and I change my program every 30 days. I change it completely. I work all the 640 muscles in the body. Everything gets the same work.
CELLINI: Yes, we're showing some video of you right pulling a large watercraft, as I know you do occasionally to celebrate birthdays.
LA LANNE: Yes.
CELLINI: That's pretty amazing stuff.
LA LANNE: On my 70th birthday, I pulled 70 boats, with 70 people in them. My feet and hands were tied. I did a mile, a world's record.
CELLINI: That's incredible.
I want to get back to study which said that counseling is important. But you've always been the belief you are responsible for you to exercise. You stand by that, of course.
LA LANNE: One million percent. Anything happen to you in your life don't plan God, don't blame the devil, don't blame me, blame you.
CELLINI: What about people who say they don't have the time, Mr. La Lanne?
LA LANNE: That is the most ridiculous thing that anybody -- when someone says, Jack La Lanne, I don't have the time, I look and them I say, do I look that stupid; you've got 24 hours a day. And if people can't take a half an hour out say three or four times a week, taking care of the most important in the world, you, you've got to be sick.
CELLINI: Well, Dr. Sperling, only 15-20 percent, you say, of Americans, are really hitting targeted amounts of exercise. But we're bombarded with ads for gyms, and we read all the time of smoking is bad for you, exercise is good. Why aren't peopling getting it?
SPERLING: I think clearly the knowledge base is there for the general population. But I think it's putting that knowledge into real life, and I think Mr. La Lane has some very good points that you have to take charge of yourself. But I would that hope physician behavior would be beneficial to those, in terms of exercise counseling.
CELLINI: Mr. La Lane, don't you have to make this part of your lifestyle? And how have you bee so passionate about fitness throughout your life?
LA LANNE: Because I believe in it one billion percent, and I practice what I preach. The only way you can hurt the body, you know I have a new Corvette, right? That automobile, the more I drive it, the quicker it wears out. How about the human machine? The only way you hurt the human machine is don't use it, inactivity -- that's the killer.
CELLINI: Mr. La Lane, we only have a few seconds here. What are you going to do for your 87th birthday? Any thing planned, as far as physical work?
LA LANNE: I'm going to tow my wife across the bathtub.
CELLINI: There you go. Now that's a workout every man and wife can enjoy.
LA LANNE: If I do another birthday feat, I'm going to swim from Catalina Island to Los Angeles underwater. That's 26 miles. I'll be underwater 22 hours, and that's, if I have another birthday, that's what I will do.
CELLINI: Jack La Lanne, it is pleasure to speak with you after over 60 years in the fitness business. Dr. Larry Sperling, thank you so much for stopping by.
SPERLING: Thank you very much.
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