"American fitness guru Jack LaLanne has died at the age of 96. He was in better shape than most men a third of his age and remained active until he fell ill with pneumonia.

LaLanne's television workout program made him a household name throughout the 50s and 60s, and he charged himself with the challenge of rehabilitating America's couch potatoes.

LaLanne was famous for his incredible feats of strengths, which included towing a half-ton boat across San Francisco Bay while his feet and hands were shackled. Decades later, a new generation became familiar with LaLanne thanks to infomercials for his "Power Juicer."

His inspiring career highlighted America's dire obesity problem. More than one-fourth of Americans are obese, with the highest rates among impoverished women and the uneducated. In 2009, the CDC reported that Mississippi is the heaviest state in the union.

Obesity is a growing epidemic particularly among the nation's children. Fewer and fewer schools are requiring phys education, and some are even giving students the option to take it online.

Without enough people like LaLanne to whip its citizens into the shape, the future looks pretty bleak for America."