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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, September 11, 2008

Message in De Lima's 'Malasadaville'

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

De Lima

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Comedian Frank De Lima uses songs and jokes to try to get Hawai'i's children to watch what they eat and exercise more so they don't develop diabetes like him.

In a tune he calls "Malasadaville," De Lima sings, "I used to love my gravy, used to love my rice, used to go to L&L and eat my dinner twice. Now I eat my oatmeal, two teaspoons every day, with a raisin every Tuesday just in the month of May."

"It's all about portion control," De Lima said in an interview, "and putting fruits and vegetables in your belly first — especially at the buffet — so when you get to the other stuff, you won't eat as much."

Unlike many of the school children he entertains, diabetes does not run in De Lima's family. But he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2003 after his weight ballooned to 320 pounds.

Since then, he's dropped 100 pounds and now plans to get down to an even 200.

To make his points about portion control and weight loss, De Lima relies on his famous comedic touch:

"I told a friend of mine that I can swim for one hour and he said, 'So what? Whales swim all day and they're still fat.' "

Or this one:

"I lost another 15 pounds and my friend said, 'With all the weight you've lost through dieting, you could have built a mountain bigger than Mauna Kea.' "