By
Pam Johnson, Courier Senior Staff Writer:
People passing Earl Swan on the street likely don’t stop and stare. After all,
what’s so remarkable about an average guy, 5’8” tall, weighing about 200
pounds? But, not too long ago, Earl weighed nearly 400 pounds. On Nov. 20, the Guilford resident, a food
addict, celebrated 2 1/2 years of abstinence from that which had been slowly
killing him. Now, he’s sharing his story to motivate others suffering from the
weight of food addiction.
“I’m
living testimony to what can happen if people are motivated and stick to a
plan,” says Earl.
Earl
finally defeated his urge to eat by educating himself and following a strict
nutritional protocol created by a professional, together with support from many
resources. One such resource Earl heartily recommends is a new Guilford group, Overeaters Anonymous, which
just began meeting Tuesday nights at Christ Episcopal Church.
“This
support group they’re putting together in Guilford
offers programs I think people are going to find terrific. It reaches out to
all people with eating disorders…and it’s free, with no fees, no weigh-ins. I
think the biggest sabotage to any weight loss program is the scale.”
Earl
well knows how disheartening weight loss efforts can be. His previous attempts
included many ups and downs. He weighed 252 pounds at high school graduation
and topped 410 pounds at his heaviest. His morbid obesity led to diabetes,
which at age 47, was “out of control. My body was shutting down,” Earl recalls.
After
years of yo-yo dieting, he accepted that he was a food addict.
“Food
addicts have a predisposition to a biochemical condition that has created a
craving. We’re not weak-willed people,” he says.
Earl
placed his life in the hands of Florida
nutritionist and author Kay Sheppard.
“In
1987, with Kay, I lost 175 pounds in nine months. It was a great period of
recovery.”
He
ate certain foods in strict volume, avoiding those triggering a chemical
imbalance resulting in his addiction. Then, Earl says, he stopped following the
program.
“I
relapsed for 15 horrific years. That’s a symptom of being an addict.”
At
the end of 2005, at 394 pounds, Earl was suffering terrible physical health.
Diabetes had brought on neuropathy, twice nearly leading doctors to amputate
his leg, and made his bones so brittle he had 11 fractures in one foot. Mainly
wheelchair-bound, he’d become blind in both eyes (vision in one was corrected
with surgery).
Following
a surgeon’s advice, Earl attempted losing 30 pounds before gastric by-pass
surgery. Then, an undetected heart problem nearly ended his life. Saved by
pacemaker, Earl continued suffering multiple medical setbacks. Twenty seven months
ago, at 384 pounds, he was admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital with a staph
infection in his right foot that then escalated to MRSA. He was sent to
Montowese Health and Rehabilitation for extended treatment. At that point, Earl
called Sheppard.
“Over
the phone, with her support, I got back on my food plan,” he says. “I kept a
digital scale in my room. Sixty percent of the time, they were giving me too
much food.”
Earl
has now lost more than 280 pounds, walks with a slight assist from a cane, and
will continue following Sheppard’s nutritional regime the rest of his life. He
eats five pounds of food daily using organic foods and non-processed grains
readily available at Guilford food stores. He employs volume control and has
eliminated wheat, refined sugar, refined carbohydrates, and high-fat foods.
Today, his blood chemistry is “perfect,” Earl notes. He’s no longer diabetic,
has a body mass index of 29 (once 62), and total cholesterol of 80.
Even
while battling his food addiction, Earl did his utmost to live a fulfilling
life. He and his wife, Linda, Guilford residents for 40 years, raised their
four children here. Earl’s been involved in the community in many ways, from
civic clubs to serving as vice chair of the Republican Town Committee. A
successful commodity trading advisor, at 64, Earl has launching a new career as
part-owner of an Internet company.
“Now,
I can look forward to the future and enjoy my four grandchildren,” he says.
In
addition, he plans to inspire others through volunteer outreach work, including
patients at Montowese Health and Rehabilitation. In April 2009, with medical
and nutritional science professionals (including Sheppard), Earl will
participate in a west coast summit, “Food Addiction: The Obesity Epidemic
Connection.”
“I’m
going to tell about my personal experience and how a scientific approach to
obesity saved me,” he says. “It’s a story of recovery. People need to
understand there’s hope out there.”
For
those on the shoreline facing an eating disorder, a good place to start is with
Overeaters Anonymous in Guilford, he adds.
“Face-to-face
support groups like Overeaters Anonymous offer a lot of help and don’t cost
anything. People need help, especially with the holidays coming up. It’s a
disease of isolation. It’s important to find a place where people can go for
support and make some very good friends.”
The Guilford chapter of Overeaters Anonymous meets each Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., at
Christ Episcopal Church on Park St. Newcomers meet at 7:15 p.m. prior to the
regular meeting. For information, call 203-453-3727 and ask for Charlotte.
Pictured: Once morbidly obese, Earl Swan is a living example of how a
scientific approach to proper nutrition can end out-of-control cravings and
defeat food addiction. Fit and healthy for more than two years, the Guilford resident wants
to share his remarkable story to encourage others to seek assistance and
support.
Photo
by Pam Johnson