lebaron now, you'd never guess that when he was 14 he weighed almost 300 pounds. >> it was already a struggle for me to walk down my driveway and get the mail and walk back up. >> amanda: taylor wore a size triple-extra-large shirt and size 44 pants. >> i was upset. i was sad that it gotten that way. i was embarrassed. i was also angry at myself. how could you let yourself do this, but i realized that it was no one else's fault but my own because i made the decisions to eat. i had always had healthy options in front of me, but i always flipped them out. i preferred the unhealthy lifestyle. >> amanda: taylor knew he had to make a change. >> the most pivotal moment for me, realizing that i've got to do something to take control of my health, was when i hopped on

a scale and the numbers flew up to 297, and i was 14 years old at the time. >> amanda: so, he created a unique way to shed the pounds. he thought of losing weight like a video game. >> when it comes to a game, i'm used to remembering the rules and knowing that i'm playing this controller here. there's all these different combinations and combos i can do, so i'm used to the complexity of it, of the elements that go into a game. >> amanda: to understand how to count calories and keep track of what he was eating, taylor devised his own ultimate fitness game. the player encounters obstacles throughout the day. the reward, a healthy lifestyle. >> the basic rules are that you're going to be faced with decisions. for instance, you go to your friend's birthday party and its cake time. the cake is very nice and has lots of icing and it's even your favorite type, but there's also some fruit, and you're going to

be faced with the option, all right, do i want to go with everyone else and have this piece of birthday cake that who knows how many calories are in it, or do i go with a banana? >> but making smart food choices is only part of the game. you have to get exercise, too. >> when i first started going to the ymca, i was very embarrassed because i saw all these in-shape people running on the treadmill, and i knew i could not run on the treadmill. i cannot travel that fast. i'd get on that treadmill and walk, because that was the best i could do at the time. >> amanda: so, taylor began to think of his workouts as different levels within his weight loss game. >> there's always a new level. you can always up your resistance. can you always go longer. can you always do more repetitions. >> amanda: the game helped him lose 150 pounds in a year and a half, and he's kept the weight off. now he wants to inspire other teens to get healthy.

>> after i finished losing my weight, i realized what a difference it is for me to be able to finally be that person i always was inside and now to be that same person outside and so energetic. it's like there are so many other people out there who are struggling with their weight, why not write a book and be able to help them because i know i was miserable. >> amanda: and teens aren't the only ones getting the message. >> taylor has inspired my family to get healthy. i myself have gone from a size 24 to a 16. i am on my way hopefully to a final size of 10. >> amanda: his dedication to getting fit even earned him a role as a teen torchbearer in the 2010 winter olympics in vancouver. >> i'm just thrilled and shocked, that me, just a regular 17-year-oldgy from georgia was selected to carry the torch. >> amanda: here are some of taylor's tips to help you get in shape: >> with today's technology, everyone has, almost everyone

has a cell phone now, and with that cell phone comes mobile web. you can easily go to websites with your phone on the fly and check out menus and caloric intakes for fast food restaurants, even sit-down restaurants. >> amanda: you should also look for ways to swap fatty foods for healthier ones when you can. >> for me instead of grabbing chips if i'm going to settle down and watch a tv show, i run out to the fridge and grab an individual thing of carrots. no dip, no sauce, just plain carrots. >> amanda: taylor says he wants all teens to realize they can achieve their goals. that's why there's one very important rule to the ultimate fitness game. >> you can't give up if you make an error because sometimes slipups do happen, and you can't beat yourself up over it. >> amanda: here's one more tip, switch up your exercise routine. that way, you won't get bored. just don't forget to consult your doctor first, so you don't hurt yourself.

>> jessica: stay with us. there's lots more still to come, on teen kids news. >> mwanzaa: we'll be right back. who wants the same nail color day after day? not me. new revlon top speed™ nail enamel. cool color with a built-in topcoat that sets in just 60 seconds. with revlon you can change your mind again, and again, and again. new revlon top speed™ nail enamel.

>> jessica: this report is brought to you with the help of ford. >> there's no doubt in my mind that what you hear today will make you better drivers. >> tyler: these teens are here for ford's driving skills for life program. saving lives state by state including here in illinois. >> over a three-year period ford and the state have managed to reduce teens by 50%, and in one county, taswell county, we have lost 15 teens in one year. haven't had a death in three years so the program does work and we couldn't be more prouder of that.

>> tyler: one of the things ford's driving skills for life teaches is how to react in an emergency before you find yourself in an emergency. a big open parking lot and expert instruction give teens a chance to to experience a dangerous skid and find out how to handle it. >> steven: what did you learn today that you didn't know before? >> to keep your eyes on where you want to go and then you'll go there instead of looking at something else, because that's where your body's going to make you go. >> tyler: to show you what he means, let's take a ride on the wild side in this red mustang. >> get yourself comfortable, tyler, seatbelt on. >> tyler: todd, the instructor, has a background in racing, where control is the key to survival. >> start making u-turns around the center five cones for me, okay? think nascar. you're gonna take the high route, the high line okay. so don't hugt inside. i want you to go all the way out and use the yellow line as a reference. don't turn the wheel until you get to the first cone. look to the right look at your first cone. look up to your second cone aim to the second cone. okay. bring it around again. look up to the second cone, bring it back, okay? and now give me a little bit

more of a pause when you finally get the front tire straight. what happens is oftentimes we see with younger drivers is they save the skid but then what do they do? they go immediately right back to the brake pedal again, they saved the spin in the middle of the road and then they suddenly drove into the ditch. >> tyler: so what are the main thing you want kids to learn while doing this exercise? >> the main thing we're looking for, tyler, is to get the kids accustomed to the hand-eye coordination. you're going to learn really fast that the hands are gonna steer where the eyes are looking, okay. as long as you're looking ahead all the time, it's gonna come natural that the hands are gonna start following the eyes. >> tyler: as we go through the course again todd says another key to handling a skid is knowing when to start steering out of it. >> if you wait until the tires are squealing, we're all ready sideways. okay? so you got to get that sensory going. there you go, that's what were looking for. straight ahead, yeah lots of times everybody waits until they hear the tires squeal and they think okay, now im ready to correct, but if you wait until the tire's sideways it will be harder to correct. >> tyler: so what kind of accidents will this help prevent? >> i can't guarantee you that this will prevent you from getting into an accident but what i can say is, i think i'm comfortable in saying, that this is gonna help you not become the

second part of the accident, okay? there's no guarantee that this is going to avoid something happening in the middle of the road, but it's going to give you the confidence, so that if there is something that causes you to have to take control of the car that you don't become the next accident in the middle of the road by not getting out of a bad situation. >> needless to say this is something you should not try on your own. but you can find information about this course through the link at teenkidsnews.com. todd says teens who have been through the program report the skills do indeed work. car control has really helped them in a bad situation and that's always good to hear! nice job, man. pleasure meeting 'ya! >> i'll be back on the road with more advice from the experts in future reports. for "teen kids news," i'm tyler.

>> kristen: it's a sport that's

filled with -- and -- and it's a sport where you get to check your opponents during the game. now, i don't mean "check them out". in this sport, "checking" someone means trying to stop them in their tracks. native americans first developed this sport in the 1600s. the fresh later renamed it lacroix, meaning hooked stick. today we know it as lacrosse. we spent an afternoon with the world champion long island lizards of new york. we also got to spend some time with their sponsored under 15 youth team, the junior lizards, and we were amazed at just how popular this sport is becoming. >> lacrosse is getting better and better. the skill level, you know, the amount of people playing, and you know, we got high schools in california, georgia, texas. it's getting big. >> i got it! i got it! >> the sport is growing all over at the high school level, incredibly. we had a tryout practice back in january, and believe it or not, 120 kids tried out for 30 sports. >> the fastest growing youth

sport in the country and more kids go to college from long island in la crass, at a 2-1 ratio, than any other sport. >> in fact, college scouts from all over the country were at this weekend-long event. they're looking for america's next top players. and they take this sport very seriously! what got you interested in lacrosse? >> i've played my whole life. ever since i was a little guy like him i started. my older brother got me going, and from there i couldn't put it down. couldn't let it go. you need a lot of endurance. you need to be in shape for a long time, something that i'm still trying to work on myself. on a hot day like today, the more endurance you have, the better you're gonna do. >> kristen: by the way, lacrosse is not just for guys. women have been playing it since the late 1800s, and it's becoming increasingly popular with them as well. so if you're looking for some fast-paced action in a rapidly growing sport you can stick with while achieving your goals, lacrosse may be the game for you. ouch! that hurt.

i think i'll stick to tennis. i'm kristen for "teen kids news." ♪ >> zachary: is your radio collecting dust in a corner? does your mp3 player recycle the same boring songs over and over? then you'll definitely want to listen to this week's click this. pandora.come is an online radio station that takes your music to the next level. think of it as your own personal jukebox! after you register online, all you do is pick a song or artist that you love. pandora will do the rest. it'll create a playlist, just for you! including the music you chose, along with more of the same genre. you can listen to all your favorites and even spice up your music collection, all without spending a dime. >> got m

>> this report is brought to you by the national milk mustache got milk? campaign. >> hello, how are you guys? >> siena: julianne hough has been called one of the world's best dancers. but tonight she's stepping into a different role. she's the new ambassador for the "got milk?" campaign. >> when they came to me and asked me to be a part of it, i was so excited, because i'd always looked up to the athletes and the other superstars that were part of the ad campaign, and i wanted to aspire to be like them, and so when they asked me, i said "absolutely!" >> siena: the unveiling of julianne's mustache ad was the kickoff for the new power of nine contest. >> miranda: tonight we're launching a search for the next nine milk mustache stars. it's the first time we've ever used real teen girls in a milk mustache campaign. so we're searching the country

for nine girls. you know, we're looking for girls who are smart, quirky and confident. >> basically you submit a video of yourself, just explaining the reasons why you feel empowered and why you're confident in yourself, and just things that you love about yourself, and we're going to look at those videos and pick nine girls to be the next face of the next got milk ad campaign. >> siena: the contest also wants to draw attention to the advantages of drinking low-fat milk. >> the power of nine celebrates the power of milk's nine essential nutrients. so milk is loaded with these nine nutrients, particularly calcium and vitamin d which is important for strong bones and healthy teeth, protein for lean muscle, which helps you look toned and fit, b vitamins for energy and vitamin a for healthy glowing skin. >> siena: "seventeen" magazine co-hosted the gala event. >> it's always fun to see our readers and to meet our girls. they are so special, and milk really believes in the power of

girls and "seventeen" believes in the power of girls, so it's the perfect party for us. ♪ >> there's a lot of picture-taking. it really makes you feel like a star today. and we got to see julianne, so that was pretty cool. >> siena: what's also pretty cool is what the winners of the power of nine contest get. they'll be flown to los angeles for a photo shoot, which will appear in "seventeen" this fall. >> the power of nine campaign is really cool, and i think that every girl out there should go out and look it up. >> siena: you can go to myyearbook.com /powerof9 for more information. >> remember, when you drink milk, make sure it's low-fat. here's to your health, and future success! "for teen kids news" i'm siena.

>> mwanzaa: all right, young america, what's your opinion? we'll find out in "speak of the week." heroes, you may think of someone with super strength and fantastical powers. but, heroes can come in all shapes and sizes. so tell us, who's your hero? >> well, i guess i'd have to say my parents, because, i mean, come on, they raised me and everything, and, i mean, they're just really good role models and it's a good thing to have someone to look up to like that. >> my hero is my parents. >> my hero is my dad because he inspires me. >> i'd probably say my mom was my hero because she is able to do a lot of things. she's a single mom so she is able to do a lot of things for me and for my siblings as well. >> my hero is my mom and dad 'cause um they been telling me all my life what to do and to not talk to strangers and all that. >> sam: sometimes the most influential heroes are the ones closest to your heart, your parents. for "teen kids news," i'm sam.

that's fox news channel in the

classroom. when it comes to getting ahead in school, a lot of little things add up to success. here's natalie with advice on how to make the grade. >> natalie: while no one will argue that doing well in school is our first priority, many teens want or need to make a little extra money in their spare time. but you have to do some work before you start working. that means you need to find out how many hours the government allows you to be on the job. if you're 14 or 15 years old, there are a lot of legal restrictions, and many states require students under 18 to obtain working papers. you can find out what you need to know by going online to your state's department of labor website, or you can get some good guidance from your school's guidance counselor. but remember, if you're all ready having a hard time keeping up in school, the best kind of work for you is probably your school work. i'm natalie helping you to make the grade. >> livia: feeling grumpy might be good for you. at least, that's what one

researcher says. he found gloomy people tend to think more carefully. they make fewer mistakes than cheerful folks. on the other hand, the research found happy people are more creative, and they tend to live longer. >> during the 1990s, there was an economic boom and grand new houses were built for the newly rich. but as nicole tells us, that happened in the 1890s as well on the shores of the atlantic ocean in rhode island. >> nicole: when you see the grand estates of newport, it's hard to imagine that the area has rather modest beginnings. in 1639, it was settled by english refugees fleeing religious persecution in massachusetts. over the years, quakers, catholics and jews, among others, found safe haven here. in fact, newport is home to america's oldest jewish synagogue. in more modern times, it was here at st. mary's that john f. kennedy and wife jackie tied the knot.

where yachts and sailboats now crowd the docks, in the 1700s this was a major seaport for sailing ships from around the world. one of the signers of the declaration of independence hailed from newport, william ellery. during the american revolution, the british occupied the town for three years. after the british left newport, it became the base for french troops sent to aid the colonies. under general rochambeau, 5,000 french soldiers marched to join general washington at yorktown. this painting shows the british surrender that ended the revolution. the americans are on the right, and the french on the left. in the early 1800s southern plantation owners came north to newport to build grand summer homes. not to be outdone, wealthy yankees began to build even bigger homes. that set off a race between the richest families in america to

try and out-build one another. they hired the most famous architects of the day and had them design palatial estates. this was the gilded age, the time of the titans who industrialized america. with almost limitless resources, they built on a scale that would have humbled even european royalty. and with pretended indifference, they casually referred to their massive mansions simply as cottages. marble house was commissioned by one of the famous vanderbilts. he gave it to his wife as a birthday present. another vanderbilt built an even bigger cottage, "the breakers." entire rooms were built in europe, then shipped and re-assembled here. this is the elms. it was one of first houses in newport to showcase a new invention: electricity. rosecliff was inspired by the grand trianon on the palace grounds of versailles in paris. rosecliff has been the setting for a number of movies,

including "27 dresses." the mansion is also often rented for parties and weddings. not a bad place for a high school prom. amazingly, all this splendor was only enjoyed for a few months each year. during what was called by the super rich "the social season." in all, 11 properties have been acquired by the preservation society of newport county. the society is dedicated to preserving this rich heritage and offers fascinating guided tours. for more information, visit our website, teenkidsnews.com. >> nicole: in newport, rhode island, for "teen kids news," i'm nicole. >> mwanzaa: that wraps up our show, but we'll be back soon with more "teen kids news." >> thanks for joining us, and have a great week.

>> write to us at info@teenkidsnews.com. >> now, a paid presentation for meaningful beauty by cindy crawford. >> this is your chance to discover the natural secret that's helped cindy literally turn back the clock on visible aging. >> hosted by valerie bertinelli, with special guests from gossip girl and ncis. >> brought to you by guthy-renker. >> hi, everyone. i'm valerie bertinelli, here in hollywood together with an amazing group of ladies. and we're all very excited,

because in just a few minutes supermodel cindy crawford is going to come out and share how she manages to look so good and so youthful at age 43. in fact, cindy was recently featured wearing not a drop of makeup in people magazine's "100 most beautiful people" issue. whatever she's doing, it's obviously working. so, if you're curious to learn cindy's secret and find out how you can put it to work for your skin, keep it right here. >> ( applause ) >> cindy crawford is amazing. >> she's a supermodel. she's gorgeous. >> you know, she's a mom and she's active, and her skin is beautiful. obviously she's doing something right. i want to look like cindy. >> for more than 15 years, cindy seems to have defied the aging process. her skin is remarkably youthful, free of lines or wrinkles. is it magic, or could cindy have a real secret to lasting youth? >> cindy's been around doing this since she was a young, young woman, and she's 43 now.