Susan Powter
Susan Powter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 December 1957 |
| Occupation(s) | Nutritionist, motivational speaker, writer, television personality |
Susan Powter (born 22 December 1957)[1] is an Australian-born American motivational speaker, nutritionist, personal trainer, and author, who rose to fame in the 1990s with her catchphrase "Stop the Insanity!", which was the centerpiece of her weight loss infomercial.
She hosted her own talk show The Susan Powter Show in the 1990s.
Early life
Powter was born in Sydney in 1957 and lived there until she immigrated to the United States at age 10.[2] She left school in 9th grade.[2] Twice married, she described herself to Curve magazine in 2004 as a "radical feminist lesbian woman".[3] She has two sons from her first marriage, Damien and Kiel. She adopted a third son after her second marriage.[4]
Career
Television
In 1994, Powter starred in her own talk-show style television program called The Susan Powter Show, which ran for one season. On the show, she discussed nutrition and fitness as well as other topics with her guests. She was also a special guest on the first episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, titled "Spanish Translation".
Motivational speaker and nutritionist
Advocate of a whole-foods, organic, low-fat diet, and regular cardiovascular and strength-training exercise, Powter also condemned the diet industry.[5]
Her platinum-white close cropped haircut, aggressive manner of speaking, and being barefoot while speaking in public became an element of her celebrity. She has since grown out her hair and has multiple tattoos.
Powter was originally based in Dallas, Texas at the height of her fame. She eventually sold her studio in Dallas and moved to Seattle, Washington. As of 2012, she was living in a self-described "earth ship" in New Mexico. As of 2016, she lives in Las Vegas.[6]
Author and blogger
Powter is author of several books, three of which became New York Times best-sellers in the 1990s. In 2002, she returned to writing with The Politics of Stupid, a stream-of-consciousness, self-published manifesto encouraging women to take control of their brains and bodies from food manufacturers, corrupt governments, and fitness/diet industries.
Powter's website reported that she would host a radio show beginning in May 2006 and a cooking show entitled Taste My Broth within the year. She also puts out The Monthly Flow, a subscription-based multi-media e-zine.
In November 2007, Powter re-launched her fitness and wellness blog.
Bibliography
- Stop The Insanity! (1993) ISBN 0-671-79598-8
- The Pocket Powter (1994) ISBN 0-671-89456-0
- Food (1995) ISBN 0-671-89225-8
- C'mon America, Let's Eat (1996)
- Sober…and Staying That Way: The Missing Link in the Cure for Alcoholism (1997)
- Hey, Mom! I'm Hungry!: Great-Tasting, Low-Fat, Easy Recipes to Feed Your Family (1997)
- The Politics Of Stupid (2002)
Video cassette
- Moving With Susan (1992)
- Shopping with Susan (1992)
- Lean, Strong and Healthy with Susan (1993)
Television appearances
- Powter was featured in the 28 May 2007, episode of The Simple Life: Goes to Camp to help motivate participants in a fitness camp.[7]
- She appeared in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, entitled "Will Steps Out."[7]
- She was also in the first episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast and she was talking about the world with Space Ghost. A clip from this interview was used again on Coast to Coast, in the last episode of the series.[8]
- Powter was a featured guest and judge on 7 February 2011, episode of RuPaul's Drag Race.
- She appeared in the Diagnosis: Murder episode "Murder by the Book".[9]
References
- ^ "Susan Powter". Infoplease. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ a b Wichel, Alex, "The Powter Principle; Eat More and Lose Weight" The Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia), 30 January 1994. LexisNexis Academic, 17 February 2011
- ^ Biography for Susan Powter at IMDb
- ^ Gemelli, Zoe (1 December 2004). "Infomercial queen Susan Powter comes out to play". Curve. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ Witchel, Alex (31 October 1993). "Susan Powter". The New York Times.
- ^ York, Eve Sherrill (14 September 2013). "Stop the Insanity!". Bubblews. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Susan Powter". The New York Times.
- ^ Kusner, Daniel A. (13 June 2008). "More from the workout warrior and infomercial queen". Dallas Voice. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ "Murder by the Book" at IMDb
External links
- 1957 births
- Living people
- Australian exercise and fitness writers
- Australian exercise instructors
- Australian feminist writers
- Australian health and wellness writers
- Australian motivational speakers
- Australian motivational writers
- LGBT writers from Australia
- Lesbian actresses
- LGBT writers from the United States
- American feminists
- Lesbian writers
- American television actresses
- American television personalities
- American television talk show hosts
- LGBT broadcasters