ST. LOUIS — People Magazine called just two days after 5 On Your Side profiled weight loss success story Jessica Slaughter of St. Louis. The great-grandmother's unconventional weight loss has made her a viral sensation.
"My granddaughter's best friend called her from Virginia and told her 'well, I want you to know your grand-momma is a star," Slaughter said.
Her TV news story is approaching 40,000 YouTube views, and the story has been picked up as far away as Great Britain.
After being overweight most of her life, Slaughter was in her 70's when she started losing weight. Eliminating meat and walking 3,000 steps each morning in her tiny one-bedroom apartment helped her cut her weight in half, losing 120 pounds.
"I walk in my apartment, a one bedroom apartment," said Slaughter. "The body doesn't care where it walks as long as it walks."
The call from People Magazine was a mind-blower.
"I just never dreamed of anything like that. People Magazine. I wondered how did they get the story? I just thought this was something in St Louis and it was going to be, you know, local," said Slaughter.
In the TV story, Slaughter mentioned using her Fitbit to keep track of her steps, and the company contacted 5 On Your Side about plans to send her a new Fitbit.
"I'm floored, I’m floored. I just don't know what to do," said Slaughter. "I just don't know what to say. I just don't. I'm really shocked."