He also had behavioral problems but "turned his life around" after listening to a public lecture about the benefits of good nutrition by health food pioneer Paul Bragg.

He published numerous books on fitness and was widely recognized for publicly preaching the health benefits of regular exercise and a good diet.

[9] As early as 1936, at the age of 21, he opened the nation's first modern health club in Oakland, California,[5][6] which became a prototype for dozens of similar gyms bearing his name,[10] later licensing them to Bally.

At the age of 70, handcuffed and shackled, he towed 70 boats, carrying a total of 70 people, a mile and a half through Long Beach Harbor.

[11] Steve Reeves credited LaLanne as his inspiration to build his muscular physique while keeping a slim waist.

In 1939, his father died at the age of 58 in a San Francisco hospital,[16] which LaLanne attributed to "coronary thrombosis and cirrhosis of the liver".

[18] Besides having a bad temper, LaLanne also suffered from headaches and bulimia, and temporarily dropped out of high school at the age of 14.

and besides his new focus on nutrition, he began working out daily (although while serving during World War II as a Pharmacist Mate First Class at the Sun Valley Naval Convalescent Hospital, LaLanne stated that he started in bodybuilding at "age 13").

[19] LaLanne recalls the initial reaction of doctors to his promotion of weight lifting: People thought I was a charlatan and a nut.

According to the SF Chronicle TV program archives, it first began on 28 September 1953 as a 15-minute local morning program (sandwiched between the morning news and a cooking show) on San Francisco's ABC television station, KGO-TV, with LaLanne paying for the airtime himself as a way to promote his gym and related health products.

[citation needed] The show was noted for its minimalist set, where LaLanne inspired his viewers to use basic home objects, such as a chair, to perform their exercises along with him.

Wearing his standard jumpsuit, he urged his audience "with the enthusiasm of an evangelist," to get off their couch and copy his basic movements, a manner considered the forerunner of today's fitness videos.

[citation needed] LaLanne published several books and videos on fitness and nutrition, appeared in movies, and recorded a song with Connie Haines.

[28] These include the "Juice Tiger", as seen on Amazing Discoveries with Mike Levey, and "Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer".

[41] His breakfast, after working out for two hours, consisted of hard-boiled egg whites, a cup of broth, oatmeal with soy milk, and seasonal fruit.

[11] Other sources say that breakfasts were homemade protein shakes: one was protein powder shake with wheat germ, brewer's yeast, bone meal, juice, and handfuls of vitamins and minerals[40] consisting of “100 liver-yeast tablets, 15,000 milligrams of vitamin C, 2000 units of B, some boron and some zinc, also 75 alfalfa and kelp tablets”.

[43] One source reported that his lunch was four boiled egg whites, five servings of fresh fruit, plus five raw vegetables.

[44] For dinner, he and his wife typically ate a high-protein salad with egg whites along with fish (often salmon) and some wine.

To contradict critics who thought this would leave him tightly musclebound and uncoordinated, LaLanne liked to demonstrate one-handed balancing.

[45] LaLanne often stressed that artificial food additives, drugs, and processed foods contributed to making people mentally and physically ill. As a result, he writes, many people turn to alcohol and drugs to deal with symptoms of ailments, noting that "a stream of aches and pains seems to encompass us as we get older".

[47]: 114  He refers to the human bloodstream as a "River of Life", which is "polluted" by "junk foods" loaded with "preservatives, salt, sugar, and artificial flavorings".

Yvonne is a chiropractor in California; Dan and Jon are involved in the family business, BeFit Enterprises, which they and their mother and sister plan to continue.

In his address, Schwarzenegger paid special tribute to LaLanne, who he credited with demonstrating the benefits of fitness and a healthy lifestyle for 75 years.

[60] In 2008, he inducted LaLanne into the California Hall of Fame and personally gave him an inscribed plaque at a special ceremony.

The award is given to "individuals whose careers have greatly contributed to the advancement or promotion of physical activity, fitness, or sports nationwide".

[61] Other honors LaLanne appeared as himself in the following films and television shows: Official Media and publications Interviews Miscellaneous Memorials and retrospectives