Austin — Ramon Chapa, Jr. readily admits he was a hypocrite. Despite serving several years as an outreach volunteer with the American Heart Association throughout Central Texas, his aversion to exercise and fondness for potato chips helped push his weight to nearly 300 pounds.

In late 2005, Chapa experienced chest pain and shortness of breath, and was convinced he was having a heart attack. He wasn’t, but his blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure levels all indicated he was pre-diabetic, and a prime candidate for heart disease or stroke.

Acting upon the advice of his doctor’s wife, Chapa bought a treadmill, a purchase he says saved his life. Little by little, Chapa made subtle changes, walking every day and altering his diet. Less than a year later, he had lost 70 pounds, was no longer considered pre-diabetic and was taken off all medication.

Today, through regular physical activity and a healthy diet, Chapa maintains a comfortable weight of 198 pounds. His story is currently featured on the American Heart Association’s main Web site, and he is scheduled to take part in a national media tour on behalf of the AHA within the next month.

The “Lifestyle Change Award” winner at last year’s event, Chapa is scheduled to return to the San Marcos Start! Heart Walk to share an update. The 2010 event will take place this Saturday, March 20 at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the Heart Walk at 9 a.m.

The annual 5K non-competitive walking event is designed to bring public awareness to physical activity and a heart-healthy lifestyle, while raising the critical dollars needed to fund heart disease and stroke research and educational programs in the Central Texas region.

Teams are made up of employees from local companies, along with friends and family members of all ages.

“People still ask me if I had lap band surgery or got diet pills from Mexico,” Chapa says. “I’m happy to tell them that simple things made a dramatic impact on my health. I run and work out frequently now, but I got started just by walking on the treadmill while I watched football games. I made common sense changes to my diet. Little things can make a huge difference.”

Heart disease and stroke rank as the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of Americans. These and other cardiovascular diseases kill more than 870,000 Americans each year and cost the nation more than $403 billion in direct and indirect costs.

In Texas, cardiovascular disease accounted for nearly 50,000 deaths in 2006, the last year for which such statistics are available.

Those numbers are decreasing, in part due to American Heart Association-funded research, which has contributed to important discoveries such as CPR, life-extending drugs, pacemakers, bypass surgery, the heart-lung machine and surgical techniques to repair heart defects.

Subway is the national presenting sponsor of the American Heart Association Start! initiative.

The San Marcos Start! Heart Walk is locally sponsored by Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union, Mensor Inc., Sac ‘N Pac, LCRA and Central Texas Medical Center.

 For information on participating in the Start! Heart Walk, Hays County area residents can call the American Heart Association Austin office at (512) 338-2400 or visit www.sanmarcosheartwalk.org.

Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart diseases and stroke.