One Hundred Pounds Lighter and Now Vegetarian, Ruben Studdard Getting Healthy

Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2006
By: BlackAmericaWeb.com


"Velvet teddy bear" Ruben Studdard won’t be eating his special meal of chicken wings and fried green tomatoes from Green Acres restaurant in Birmingham’s historic Civil Rights District anymore.

Studdard is now a vegetarian. He’s about 100 pounds lighter and ready to hit the road with a new show and new music. The 2003 "American Idol" winner has a new lifestyle to match his new CD, "The Return," which hits the stores today.

“I never dreamed how different I would feel after losing the weight,” Studdard told BlackAmericaWeb.com, while spending a few days last week in his hometown. “I’ve never had any health problems, but I wanted to lose the weight to prevent them in the future.”

Studdard is tackling his weight while still in his 20s. R&B balladeers Luther Vandross and Barry White -- both to whom Studdard has been widely compared -- struggled for years to manage their weight, but faced long-term illness.

"The Return" a mix of party music, ballads, and R&B, even includes a remake of Vandross' “Only For One Night,” a tribute to the man who showed generations of singers what to do with love songs.


(source: http://www.blackamericaweb.com)