Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a teen who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a friend, and a son or a daughter. Above all, the Teen of the Month is dedicated to making a positive mark on the planet. Rich or poor, famous or not, the Teen of the Month shines as an example of what today's teens have to offer.

February's Teen of the Month is high school senior, Blake Zanoni, who overcame several addictions to lead a healthy life.

Blake Zanoni's cheerful personality is contagious. He's sincere and genuine with an upbeat attitude that shines. But Zanoni, now a senior in a Wisconsin high school, wasn't always this happy with himself. By his junior year, Zanoni's weight had escalated to 215 pounds. Not only was he overweight, but unhappy as well.

Zanoni drank alcohol, viewed pornography, smoked cigarettes and pot, and his grades began to fall. "I was a very good kid to my parents' face," he says. "I would pretty much do what I was supposed to do, so when I was away from my parents, I could do what I wanted to do. It was the most disgusting life, and worst of all, I thought it was great."

Fortunately, his parents stepped in and enrolled him in a weight loss workshop. Zanoni wasn't thrilled about going at first. "I never saw myself as fat, even though I knew I was," he says. "Honestly, I was upset and angry that my parents made me do this, but I obeyed them, and I'm glad I did."

Zanoni's mom had successfully lost weight participating in the workshop and knew it would be a positive step in the right direction for Zanoni. Eventually, Zanoni relinquished his stubborn will and began to get into the program and lose weight.

The Journey Begins The major goal of this workshop is to help participants replace their passion for food with a passion for God.

Through Bible study and meetings, Zanoni learned food was filling the empty void he had in his heart. He also realized his lifestyle wasn't leading him closer to God or his family, but indeed further away.

Zanoni was not only using food to fill the void in his heart, but drugs, alcohol and other poor lifestyle choices to bring him a false sense of security and comfort. The new principal Zanoni adopted is simple: Eat only when you are truly hungry. Throughout his weight-loss journey, Zanoni eventually learned to differentiate between physiological "head" hunger and true hunger. Instead of eating for comfort, he eventually learned to eat when he was truly hungry and lost a whopping 75 pounds in the process.

Only the Beginning
Weekly meetings and youth camps provided Zanoni with the encouragement and accountability he needed to lose the weight, but it also yielded other positive results. With the loving support he received at youth camp and from his parents, he was able to look more closely at the other trouble spots.

"Learning the word of God by reading the Bible and putting God's commands into practice has changed all areas of my life for the better," he says. "Not only have a I lost 75 pounds, but God has delivered me from depression, anger, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, pride and more!"

Zanoni now enjoys a healthier social life and has a wonderful relationship with his parents. He is getting better grades at school and is very involved in his church. He is also a key figure in his youth group, planning activities and devotions for fellow teens, and this summer he will also be serving as a camp counselor.

Now that he has successfully overcome his food addiction and other poor lifestyle choices, Zanoni is looking forward to helping other teens overcome their weight issues. There's no doubt that this delightful young man will be able to touch other teens and help them be victorious in their journey to lose weight.

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