By MICHAEL GLYNN
Terrified he'll die from diabetes or
high blood pressure, "American Idol 2"
winner Ruben Studdard is making a
last-ditch effort to lose weight.
The soul crooner — who has tipped the
scales at 450 pounds in the past — has already
dropped 50 pounds off his massive 6-foot-4
frame, but doctors say the 28-year-old won't
be in the clear until he's under 300 pounds.
"Being overweight causes health issues,
and I don't want any of them," Ruben said
recently. "I don't want to be diabetic. I
don't want high blood pressure. I don't
want to have bad cholesterol."
For four weeks this summer, Ruben
attended a $7,000 weight-loss program
at Duke Diet & Fitness Center at Duke
University in Durham, N.C.
"Ruben has struggled with a weight
problem for years," said an insider. "But
in the past few months, he finally got the
message that he could wind up in the
hospital or even die because of his size.
"At Duke, they helped Ruben change
the way he eats and put him on a personally
designed workout regimen."
In addition to diabetes and heart trouble,
the portly performer also wants to avoid
developing reflux laryngitis — a condition
often associated with obesity — which
could destroy his voice and end his
career.
"Ruben and his doctors agreed that if
he didn't start making some permanent
changes, he was going to wind up in an early
grave," added the insider.
Now, Ruben says his daily routine includes two
45-minute cardio workouts and a specially tailored
low-calorie, low-sodium diet.
"Ruben is keeping to the program every day, except
for show days," explained the insider.
"Ruben knows that this is a life-or-death situation
for him, and he wants to keep on living."
