For our inaugural episodes, Dr. Rak ("rock") is going to interview Po, and then next episode Po is going to interview Dr. Rak.  

In this episode we take a deep dive into all things TuPotu.  We talk about Po’s childhood in American Samoa and how this shaped his early relationship with food.  We talk about Po’s relationship with his body image and being a “big person” and how that has shaped his identity and career path.    

And we’ll get into Po’s struggles with his weight and his health, and his history with dieting.  In addition to his recent reality TV experience in Abu Dhabi, Po and I also discuss his previous foray into reality TV: a 2010 show called Money Hungry, where Po and friend teamed up to lose as much weight as possible for a chance to win $100,000. 

We also discuss Po’s relationship with health and how his view and goals for his health have changed over time as he’s had children and gotten older. and we touch on his thoughts about getting weight loss surgery.  

Also, I’ll note one big realization I had as a result of this conversation is that the Universe keeps pulling Po more and more into lifestyle medicine, and our meeting was just a further manifestation of that. 

I’ve come to love Po like family, and what strikes me the most about him is his genuineness and ability to express his vulnerabilities openly. He’s humble, affable, and kind.  We talk a lot about our intention for starting this podcast. And His intention, which is also my intention - is to support each other and now to support all you, in leading healthy lives.