Fitness guru Richard Simmons died Saturday at the age of 76. Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans, later changing his name to Richard after an uncle who paid for his college tuition.
He described himself as a compulsive eater as a child, and was bullied by his classmates for his weight. He weighed nearly 270 pounds by the time he graduated high school. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s and developed an interest in fitness, ultimately losing 123 pounds. At the time, exercise studios catered to those who were already physically fit. So when Simmons opened his own fitness studio, originally called “The Anatomy Asylum”, he focused on healthy eating, portion control, and enjoyable exercise in a supportive atmosphere. His gym was later renamed “Slimmons”, and Simmons continued teaching motivational classes and aerobics there until 2013.
With the success of his health club came increasing media attention. He appeared on gameshows like Super Password, Match Game, and Hollywood Squares. Positive viewer reaction landed him a recurring role as himself on General Hospital for 4 years. In the early 80s, Simmons hosted 2 shows, Slim Cookin and The Richard Simmons Show, which earned him several Emmy Awards.
Simmons’ Sweatin’ to the Oldies series became one of the most popular videos of the 80s. When he started the series in 1988, he decided to feature real people still struggling with weight loss. His fans liked that he wasn’t holding them up to a fitness model ideal, and Simmons went on to sell 25 million copies.
Simmons interacted at a personal level with the people using his products. He personally answered emails and letters and made hundreds of phone calls each week to those looking for his help. In 2010, Simmons claimed he had helped humanity lose around 12 million pounds.
Simmons stopped making public appearances in February 2014. In March 2016, there was speculation that he was being held hostage by his house keeper. In response, Simmons gave an audio interview on The Today Show denying the rumors. In March of this year, he issued a statement saying he wasn’t dying, after a Facebook post encouraging people to “embrace every day” caused public concern.
Simmons died July 13 at his home in Hollywood Hills. His death appeared to be from natural causes.
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