CHARLES TOWN – It is a privilege to host Dr. Phil Maffetone as he returns to West Virginia today at 6:30 p.m. at Charles Washington Hall as we continue our mission to create a healthy community. Dr. Maffetone was an early challenger to the standard American diet and the food pyramid. His books in the early 1990s challenged the low fat diet and encouraged citizens as well as the best athletes in the world to slow down and eat real food, including healthy natural fat.

For more than 30 years the best athletes in the world have sought out Dr. Maffetone as they entered the zone of fatigue, overtraining, and burnout. About to quit the sport, 6 time Hawaii Ironman Champion Mark Allen went to Dr. Maffetone after losing 6 times in the event to rival Dave Scott. Dr. Maffetone reset the mind and body of someone who would become the best endurance athlete on the planet with the simple principles he has taught me and thousands of others. I heard Mark Allen share this story when we both presented at a conference in Boston several years ago. It was an honor to speak on the same stage with the vibrant Mark Allen then in his 50s and the picture of relaxation and health.

Dr. Maffetone’s credo is “everyone is an athlete.” He has worked with endurance athletes of all types, professional baseball and football players, adventurers, NASCAR drivers, and Olympic medalists in a variety of sports. Perhaps more notable, Dr. Maffetone has helped thousands of weekend warriors achieve personal-best performances in their chosen sports.

Outside the sports arena, Dr. Maffetone has coached a variety of people in the entertainment field, including musicians James Taylor, Johnny Cash, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and producer Rick Rubin, and has also provided a system of success for some of the world’s top business executives as well as the United States military.

Phil’s latest research outlined in his new book, “The Overfat Pandemic,” shows that excess body fat is alarmingly prevalent in developed countries where up to 91 percent of adults and 60 percent or more of children may suffer from this condition. Our state of West Virginia displays this daily.

The Charles Washington Hall, located at 100 E. Washington St., in Charles Town.

The event is hosted by Two Rivers Treads, TrueForm Running and Freedom’s Run. Admission free to the public with suggested $5 donation to Freedom’s Run charity.