Mike Meyerheim, 43, was up to 412 pounds by the evening he tuned into the nationally syndicated Dr. Phil television show back in October -- at his wife's urging.

It was an epiphany.

`` Stop being the victim and take control of your life,'' was the message. `` Dr. Phil puts it in such direct and clear way that I said `I can do this.' ''

Turned out, Meyerheim was right.

He's lost 165 pounds and has twice been a guest with Dr. Phil -- Phillip C. McGraw, a psychologist who got his start as a guest on Oprah. Meyerheim has developed his own Dr. Phil Family Fitness Program that he is teaching at the YMCA in Barrington, R.I., his hometown, and at the Newman YMCA in Seekonk. What he earns covers his expenses, he said. But he said the benefit is great.

He's been overweight most of his life and is committed to reducing statistics that place obesity as the number 2 killer in the country after cancer.

`` I don't how I got there but I realized I was in serious trouble,'' he said. `` I am committed to making a difference in this issue.''

Meyerheim, who is married and the father of two teenage girls, almost lost his life to bulk. He had developed serious health problems.

`` I had been on many diets,'' he said. `` The diets worked, but they didn't work for me. I never thought `maybe I am the issue, not the diets.rquote''

Then along came the Dr. Phil philosophy, said Meyerheim.

For the rest of this story, see today's Living Well section.