Praise for The Spark!

“Chris Downie is Sparking a revolution of lifestyle transformation. The Spark is a royal win-win. The book lays down the blueprint for healthy living and the website provides an easy way for people everywhere to connect with likeminded folks. Downie’s passionate message is inspiring a growing, vibrant community of millions of Americans to use their new found health and fitness to achieve lifelong dreams.”

— Pam Peeke, M.D., MPH, FACP, Chief Medical Correspondent for the Discovery Health Channel and author of Fight Fat after Forty, Body for Life for Women, and Fit to Live

“The Spark strips away all the diet fads and baffling jargon to tell you what you really need to know about getting healthy. With sound advice, simple plans and jaw-dropping Before and After photos, The Spark will help you spark a revolution in your own life.”

— Shauna Reid, author of The Amazing Adventures of DietGirl

“I love that Chris cares so much about helping people. His honesty and The Spark's no nonsense approach make taking control of your life and achieving your weight management goals seem easy.”

— Lisa Lillien, Founder, Hungry Girl

“How do you ignite the spark to lose weight? How do you keep that spark going so you can keep the weight off? This terrific book educates you and—just as importantly—motivates you to eat and exercise in a healthy and sane manner that you can keep up to become healthier, fitter, and thinner.”

— Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., author of The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person

“The SparkPeople program has had such great success because it's a sustainable solution that works over time.  There is great magic in this approach.”

— Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS, One of America's Top Sports Nutrition Experts, client teams include winners of Super Bowls, the World Series, and college National Championships

“Everyone has the opportunity to make a difference in the world, this book is a great start to make a difference for yourself and everyone around you.”

— Jeff Skoll, Founder & Chairman of Participant Media and the Skoll Foundation, and first full-time employee and Former President of eBay.

“The Spark is more than just another ‘diet book’—it provides a roadmap to a transformative health experience. It hits all the core elements of a healthy lifestyle and does so with energy, vigor and a true sense of optimism that comes through on every page.”

— Martin Binks, Ph.D., Clinical Director & CEO, Binks Behavioral Health, Assistant Consulting Professor at Duke University Medical Center, and author of the book The Duke Diet

“This is an inspirational account of how one man started a dynamic movement which is helping people around the world fulfill a fundamental human longing—to achieve a healthy life within a supportive community of peers. More than a feel-good story, The Spark shows you how to harness positive thinking, implement sensible plans, and join a vibrant community. As a physician and researcher focusing on weight management, I’m thrilled to have this tool as a complement to the SparkPeople.com community.”

— Kevin O Hwang, M.D., MPH, Assistant professor of internal medicine, research scientist, and weight management specialist at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston

"The goal setting portion of The Spark has really opened my eyes to what I want in life. I'm not going to call them my dreams anymore. Goals are just dreams you are taking steps to attain! 
I have also noticed an increased drive to meet these goals. I now have analyzed why I want what I want. It's not some far off 'hope it happens' thing anymore. It's a challenge!
Seeing how everything connects is eye opening as well. "

— Crystal, Malvern, Arizona

"This book is truly remarkable. It has been inspirational and has given me confidence that my Buddha belly's days are numbered. I have already lost 2.5 lbs since Sunday and I seem to be losing fat even faster than weight. But beyond that, just reading this book has elevated my mood and, in spiritual terms, my consciousness. I read four pages last night and got chills four times. No book has had that kind of effect on me since I read The Power of Now six years ago, and that book was life altering. Every line in it resonated with truth. The Spark is radically sensible. The approach and philosophy are simple, healthy (as opposed to crash diets), gentle, kind and comforting. It's one of those rare books that readers ask, "Why hasn't anyone said this before?" Nothing would be healthier for a culture suffering from an obesity pandemic. There IS something new under the sun, and we are reading it."

— Bruce, Riegelsville, Pennsylvania

"As I read The Spark, I find that even the smallest things that I do make a big difference in my attitude and energy!! I do what I can each day. I feel more positive and happy with each passing day. I love to try new activities and ones that I did in the past and had given up (such as bike riding), and I have more energy as a result of doing more physical activity, which makes me want to do more things!! It's a positive cycle!!!"

— Cindy, Winsted, Connecticut

"My life is a 180-degree change from that of three years ago. I've lost 143 pounds* with SparkPeople.com and have undertaken new challenges, umpiring high school travel softball and field hockey. I've taken up golf and biking with my children and have also run two races. I've gone from not getting out of bed until noon to getting up at 6 a.m. and heading to the gym every day. I've learned to love exercise and healthy food and believe it all starts with our head and mental approach. If we believe it, we will do it. I am constantly amazed at how far I've come and how much better my life has become."

— Diane, New Jersey

"Learning how to live a healthier life, and not just a diet, turned my wife's and my life around. We enrolled in martial arts, which in turn helped boost our confidence and discipline. We also started eating at home more often and making healthier food choices. Beyond the nutrition and fitness advice, SparkPeople really helped us to understand how setting goals could help us achieve anything we want in life."

— Matt, Missouri

"As much as I've enjoyed the physical makeover, I'm most pleased with the makeover I've felt on the inside. I've always considered myself a confident person, but SparkPeople took that to a whole new level. I know that if there's something I want to achieve, I can. If there's a mountain I want to climb, I can do it."

— Donna, Arizona