ADI Famous People Nov 2005

Just the mention of his name brings to mind images of a freckled-face little boy with
tousled hair trying to come up with yet another creative way to stay out of trouble or get
out of taking a bath. The Cleavers live at 211 Pine Street Mayfield, USA. Ward Cleaver
is a businessman. June Evelyn is a homemaker. They live with their two sons Wallace
"Wally," the eldest and Theodore, a.k.a. "The Beaver." The Cleavers' originally lived at
485 Maple Street. The show became a favorite
among families, and continues to be aired on
television to this day. Mathers also starred in
the spin off TV series 'Still the Beaver' (1985),
reprising his role as Theodore Cleaver.

Jerry Mathers was born June 2, 1948 in Sioux City, Iowa. He began acting at age
two on the Ed Wynn Television Show. He then starred with Linda Darnell in “This is
My Love” in 1954. He did Alfred Hitchcock’s film “The Trouble with Harry,” which was
released in 1955. He has also starred in two Bob Hope movies, “The Seven Little
Foys,” and “That Certain Feeling,” and in two movies with Alan Ladd, “Deep Six,” and
“Men of the Fighting Lady.”
After 'Leave it to Beaver' ended,(1963) Jerry went on to graduate from the University
of California, Berkley, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy. While in college,
he cut two records for A & M Records. He and his band, “Beaver and the Trappers,”
traveled for three summers. After college, Jerry entered banking and real estate
development, where he had a successful career. He was also a member of the 22nd
Air Force National Guard. There were rumors of his death in Vietnam, but he dispelled
all of them.
In 1978 he reentered the entertainment business. He has since starred in "Better Luck
Tomorrow" (2002) and "Playing Patti" (1998). He has also been in "Sexual Malice"
(1994), "Down the Drain" (1990), and "It's Howdy Doody Time" (1987). He is father of
three children: two daughters, Mercedes and Gretchen, and a son, Noah Mathers.
In 1980, Mathers got back with original cast members and starred in "The New Leave it
To Beaver," which ran from 1982 to 1989. After the series concluded he sort of "retired"
and from that point on, his life became sedentary. A weight gain of about five to seven
pounds per year followed.
A friend of Mather's, who happened to be a doctor, noticed Mather's weight gain in
early 1997, and persuaded him to get a physical examination. When Mathers did, he
discovered that his blood sugars were in excess of 500 mg/dl. He was then put on oral
antihyperglycemics and blood pressure medication, and was instructed to lose weight.
"For the next three to five months, I tried everything. I weighed 230 pounds, and had a
44-inch waist size." Mathers says that at first, he wasn't concerned about having type 2
diabetes. He figured he would just starve himself by not eating breakfast and lunch,
and then have a little more for dinner. "That, of course, is the worst thing to do," he
says. "You can maybe take off a few pounds that way, but it just comes right back
because you have no discipline."
On May 8, 1997, Mathers went to his first meeting in the
Jenny Craig weight loss program. "I needed a regimented
weight loss program, and they had a special diet for people
with diabetes," says Mathers.
Mathers maintains his weight loss and blood sugar control by
exercising every day. His exercise includes a half-hour jog every
morning, followed by a 15-minute walking session. He does not
run when he is traveling, but he always makes sure to walk
around the town he is visiting.
Mathers has gone from 230 pounds to 180 pounds, and his
waist size has gone from a 44 to a 32. During the next four
months of enrolling in the Jenny Craig program, Mather's
blood sugars were stable at 120 mg/dl, and he has been taken
off all oral type 2 medications. Mathers remark that people are better off right now if
they have diabetes than if they would have had in the past 50 years due to the major
breakthroughs and new things now. Diabetes Management is a big key factor. You
have to be responsible for it, no one else can do it for you. Mathers attends a lot of
Diabetic Functions and does a lot of work for the American Diabetes Association.
Mathers has also published a book 'Diabetes-Free Kids'. A Take-Charge Plan For
Preventing And Treating Type 2 Diabetes In Children.