When singer Ruben Studdard achieved his dream of winning a music contract on the second season of the hit show "American Idol" in May 2003, his future looked bright.
But the journey to stardom after the show was far from guaranteed.
Prior to the release of his 2004 album, "I Need an Angel," the singer was scheduled to make a slew of talk show appearances, but as his weight hovered in the mid-400-pound range, diet-related health problems landed him in the hospital for several weeks.
Thanks to a few Duke doctors, however, Studdard is now on the road promoting his new album, "The Return," and his struggles with weight may be a problem of the past.
In June, the singer checked into the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, spending a month on a 1,200-to-1,500-calorie-a-day diet and learning to live as a vegetarian, said Liz Morentin, Studdard's publicist. He has since lost almost 100 pounds on the regimen, she added.
"People need to eat less and move more-but saying it and doing it are two things," said Dr. Howard Eisenson, director of the Diet and Fitness Center. "The behavioral health field has given us enormous tools to do these things."
At the center, patients looking to lose weight are immersed in a positive environment where they learn to grocery shop, avoid negative "self-talk" and take on a multi-pronged approach to dieting, Eisenson explained.
Studdard's visit to the Diet and Fitness Center, one of many area clinics that have helped earn Durham the title "Diet Capital of the World," was not his first major weight-loss effort.
In 2004 the singer, dubbed the "Velvet Teddy Bear" by fans, took part in a weight-loss challenge followed by cameras from the entertainment news program "Extra."
But Studdard struggled to lose weight, primarily because of difficulties complying with calorie limits.
According to vocal experts, weight loss does not affect a singer's vocal range.
Studdard has been heralded for having a soulful baritone voice and is commonly compared to popular R&B singers, such as Luther Vandross.
"I can't think of any significant changes.... One can have a diverse vocal range and be either very large or very small," said Rodney Wynkoop, a professor of the practice in the music department and director of Duke Chorale and Chamber Choir. "One may have more energy to sing... but I'm rather sure his voice should remain the same."
Like many veteran visitors to the Diet and Fitness Center, Studdard's decision to lose weight was a "preventative health choice," Morentin said.
Questions still remain about whether Studdard will continue to drop pounds on his newly acquired vegetarian lifestyle.
In songs on his new record, particularly the track "Change Me," Studdard discusses past failed relationships and other disappointments.
But Morentin said that after visiting Duke's fitness center, health concerns are no longer a hurdle in the American Idol's career.
Every year, more than 4,000 people come to Durham in search of an effective weight-loss program.
Other celebrities who have come to manage their weight include KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders, actor James Earl Jones and Vogue magazine editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley.
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