obesity
prevention
for life
The Pritikin Longevity Center in Florida has
achieved commercial success and scientific repute
in its three-decade lifespan. Rhianon Howells talks
to president Paul Lehr, the son of the organisation’s
co-founder, about taking the brand to a new
audience, both at home and abroad
T
hink of an iconic American In 1975, Pritikin set up a centre at diet and lifestyle recommendations.
brand – Coca Cola, his home in Santa Barbara, California, The publicity gave the programme
McDonalds, Marlboro – and to share his fi ndings with others. But the credibility it needed and, in 1978,
the chances are it won’t be it wasn’t until he met Dr David Lehr, Lehr and Pritikin opened the Pritikin
associated with health. So it’s surprising a renowned cardiologist, that anyone Longevity Center in Miami, Florida,
to learn that, while it’s less well-known took him seriously. Convinced Pritikin where patients could get started on the
globally, Pritikin is a household name in had caught on to something big, Lehr regime under medical supervision.
the US. Ask anyone Stateside and they’ll contacted the producers of the US Over 30 years later, the Pritikin
probably be able to tell you something current affairs TV show 60 Minutes and Longevity Center & Spa is still going
about the diet-and-exercise programme persuaded them to investigate. strong. Since the Pritikin family sold
that claims to be able to prevent and Pritikin and Lehr appeared on its stake following Nathan’s death, the
reverse some of Western society’s most the show twice – in 1977 and 1978 – company has been co-owned by the Lehr
pervasive health problems, including alongside three men with advanced heart family and a silent investor. When David
obesity, heart disease and diabetes. disease, who all saw huge improvements Lehr died in 1996, his son Paul, a lawyer,
The programme was originally in their health by following Pritikin’s took over stewardship of the company.
developed by Nathan Pritikin, an engineer In 1999, the centre moved from its
who became interested in nutrition after original home to its current 85-room site
being diagnosed with advanced coronary in the City of Aventura. To meet demand,
heart disease at 41. At that time, in Lehr is now planning to move the centre
1956, the standard advice given to heart to a larger, even more luxurious site in
disease patients was to not over- the Miami area before 2010.
exert themselves, to carry on as As well as continuing to develop the
normal and wait to die. mothership, Lehr is working to take the
Unwilling to accept there programme to a new audience through
was nothing more to be a raft of initiatives and deals. A
done, Pritikin took it upon signifi cant source of revenue for
himself to study world Pritikin is its publishing arm, and
cultures which had a low its latest book – The Pritikin Edge:
incidence of heart disease. 10 Essential Ingredients for a Long
He used what he discovered and Delicious Life, co-authored
to develop a special diet by Lehr and Dr Robert Vogel, a
and went on to live for cardiologist and weight consultant
another 28 years, eventually for the National Football League
dying from unrelated causes and National Institutes of Health – is
connected to leukaemia. currently being promoted.
42 Read Health Club Management online august 2009 © cybertrek 2009
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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