Dr. Jeff Levine was skinny as a child with lots of energy for playing sports. Even until he was 28 years old, the 6-foot-1 man never weighed more than 180 pounds.

Years of working long hours, with too little sleep, in a high-stress environment eventually caught up with him. He got into the habit of eating hot dogs, hamburgers and fast foods, often after midnight.

As the years wore on, food became more than just a means of satisfying hunger. The father of four daughters used food to help him stay awake or to relax during the few moments he had to himself.

One night, Levine saw a TV commercial soliciting contestants for the reality weight-loss show, "The Biggest Loser."

On Thursday, Levine will share his story of losing weight in front of millions of viewers - and of keeping it off. The Hillsborough, New Jersey-based family practitioner will also talk about the often overlooked links between being overweight and cancer, a subject addressed in a summer lecture series sponsored by the Curtis & Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute.

Medical science has long touted that obesity greatly increases the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes.

It also increases the risk of cancers of the breast, endometrium, colon, kidney and esophagus, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Levine said many of his overweight and obese patients either don't know that or are in denial.

"Some of them - believe it or not - don't understand that if they have sore knees and ankles, that it might be their weight," he said. "Almost none of my cancer survivors who are overweight make the connection about their weight and cancer."

About two-thirds of Americans ages 20 and older are overweight or obese, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

He had begun having severe joint pain, chest pains and sleep apnea. He had episodes of falling asleep during meetings, driving and once when talking to a patient.

A cardiologist had strongly recommended gastric bypass, but Levine thought he could get the weight off without surgery.

"Gastric bypass has some major risks," Levine explains on his Web site. "I also knew it wasn't how I wanted to encourage my patients to lose weight. I wasn't ready to take that step."

But he had no idea how to start. Plus, he was too worried about burdening his colleagues and patients to change his schedule to allow him time to exercise and eat better.

One of his teenage daughters helped him complete the contestant application, which included a rap video called "Doctor's Got Fat."

Levine spent 12 weeks on the show, which placed 14 contestants on a ranch in Simi Valley, Calif.

The schedule included four to six hours of exercise each day; no TV, magazines, newspapers, nor radio; no telephones and no outside contact. Trainers taught the contestants how to cook their food to meet their nutrition requirements and weight- loss goals. Levine was allowed 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day, with an occasional increase to 2,000.

While the experience was physically and emotionally painful at times, Levine said he did not feel like he was starving.

A typical day might start with an omelet made with egg substitute with 2 ounces of Canadian bacon, onions, peppers and mushrooms, and sometimes 2 ounces of fat-free cheese. Lunch might include a sliced turkey, ham, or roast beef with salsa, fat-free mayonnaise or hummus. Dinner consisted of fish, chicken, or beef, prepared with various spices and vegetables.

The strategy worked. By the end of the season, Levine had lost 143 pounds, including 30 pounds he lost before the show started.

Since then, Levine has appeared in national media and has spoken to community groups across the nation to promote healthy lifestyle.

Together with Savannah physician Dr. Robert Pallay, Levine works to promote healthy families as part of the American Academy of Family Physicians' Americans in Motion initiative.

What: Jeff Levine speaks on connections between being overweight and cancer. The event is the first in a series of free lectures to the community showcasing personal stories of triumph.

Where are they now?: Dr. Jeff Levine

By: Jen Wielgus

We continue our look back into "Biggest Loser" history today by checking in with Dr. Jeff Levine, a contestant on Season 2 and resident of Hillsborough, N.J.

I was reminded of Jeff by this article, promoting his speaking engagement on Thursday in Savannah, Ga.

Jeff, a 47-year-old family practitioner and father of four girls, lost 183 pounds on the show (he started at around 400). He travels around the country speaking to audiences about his experiences, and how he has managed to stay fit and trim for the past four years, despite his super-busy schedule and stressful job.

According to Jeff's personal website, you can book him to give a presentation to your business, school or community group.

He clearly can give a unique perspective on the whole "Biggest Loser" phenomenon, because he knows all about the medical side of obesity.

Here's an interesting excerpt from the Savannah Morning News article:

"Medical science has long touted that obesity greatly increases the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes.

"It also increases the risk of cancers of the breast, endometrium, colon, kidney and esophagus, according to the National Cancer Institute.

"Levine said many of his overweight and obese patients either don't know that or are in denial. 'Some of them - believe it or not - don't understand that if they have sore knees and ankles, that it might be their weight,' he said. 'Almost none of my cancer survivors who are overweight make the connection about their weight and cancer.'"

Also, Jeff explains in the article how he turned down gastric bypass surgery.

"A cardiologist had strongly recommended gastric bypass, but Levine thought he could get the weight off without surgery.

'Gastric bypass has some major risks,' Levine explains on his Web site. 'I also knew it wasn't how I wanted to encourage my patients to lose weight. I wasn't ready to take that step.' "

Jeff is active with the American Academy of Family Physicians' Americans in Motion initiative. Click here to learn more about it.