Richard Simmons - Little Known Facts About Fitness Expert

By the time Richard Simmons- a small-framed teenager who only stood five feet, six and a half inches tall- graduated from high school, he tipped the scales at nearly 300 pounds. Simmons managed to slim his body down, although his method was unhealthy. After he reduced his own bulk, Richard Simmons learned about the combination of proper diet and exercise, and he began to help others battle their own weight problems. And, as a result, he started a lucrative career in diet, fitness and weight loss. Here are some little known facts about fitness expert Richard Simmons that may amaze you!

Simmons Early Life
A little known fact about fitness expert Richard Simmons is that, when he was born on July 12, 1948, he was named "Richard Milton Teagle Simmons." Young Richard was physically challenged because he was born without certain bones in his feet. He also suffered from a disfigured upper leg and Asthma.

Suffered From Hair Loss
When Richard Simmons slimmed his own body down, he did it without eating properly. His hair began to fall out as a result. Simmons ended up having
hair transplants to give himself a younger, healthier look. He still wears his curly, light brown locks in the same 70's hairstyle. Besides his striped shorts and tank top, it's part of Richard Simmons' trademark look.

His Love of Art
A little known fact about Richard Simmons is that he owns a vast collection of Art dolls and Art Glass. Which isn't really surprising since Simmons graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. (He had considered becoming a priest.) Simmons also started his own dolls during the New Millennium, and he sold those on The Home Shopping Network.

Hurricane Katrina Effects
Richard Simmons was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Besides having roots there, his parents are buried there, and his brother Lenny and his family reside there. So when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005, Simmons was personally affected. He hurried to the scene and donated time and money to help give aid to the survivors of the disaster. Richard Simmons also added a section on his web site so readers can donate as well.

Simmons' Weight Loss
According to Richard Simmons' website, in the past three decades since he has become a fitness expert, he has "helped millions of overweight men and women lose close to 3,000,000 pounds." How much fat is that? Compare that fat to food, and it's enough to fill up a football stadium.