Ask Graham Kerr the secret to successful weight management and health preservation, and he'll quickly spout off six M words: mealtimes, movement, medication, moderation, measurement and mood swings.

For Kerr the "Six M" formula isn't just a ploy for selling books - it's actually a way of life.

At age 53, Kerr's wife, Treena, suffered a stroke. Five months later she had a heart attack. Then she developed diabetes

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"That was a major wake-up call for us," says Kerr, who gained worldwide fame as the Galloping Gourmet, a TV chef and cookbook author who once touted the virtues of clarified butter and brandy flambé.

Treena's physicians told the Kerrs, now both 68, that drastic lifestyle changes might prevent future harm and, perhaps, reverse damage without the need for heart bypass surgery.

Once labeled "the most dangerous man in the world" by Weight Watchers International, Kerr bid adieu to cooking with cream. Bye-bye to big slabs of meat. Adios to fried chicken, heavy sauces and sugary desserts.

Kerr gave up his galloping ways and has spent the past 13 years learning more about human nutrition. His new series of television shows, "Graham Kerr's Gathering Place" (set to debut on PBS stations this fall), features interviews with health care professionals. Kerr now devotes his cooking expertise to preparing flavorful and nutritionally rich recipes for managing weight and preventing illness. His new cookbook - which shares its name with his TV show - features 55 recipes for updated, healthier versions of comfort foods.

A recent stop in Tacoma gave Kerr a chance to share his message at a symposium sponsored by the MultiCare Center for Healthy Living. The capacity crowd learned how changing their overindulgent ways helped Graham and Treena Kerr win back their good health

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And that's where the Six M formula comes into play.

"This isn't just about smaller portions," Kerr says. "Everybody talks about eating less and exercising more, but what they don't take into consideration is attitude. To make real changes in their health, people need to learn to change the way they eat and cook without sacrificing the pleasures of the table."

Keeping these M words foremost in your thinking is the first step in the long road toward good health, he says.

M1: Mealtimes

"Television dominates supper, children pick up pizza on the way to band practice and we, as adults, spend our lunchtime surfing the Web or shopping," Kerr says.

The French, says Kerr, celebrate eating and food. He encourages Americans to return to the table for family meals where both conversation and dinner can be savored.

"We need to slow down and taste things. Eating is not about speed," he says.

M2: Movement

While our diets have certainly not improved over the past four decades, we are doing considerably less to burn off calories. Kerr cites a Scottish study that indicates modernization means the average person now burns 800 fewer calories each day than the average person did 40 years ago.

Six months ago, Kerr started wearing a pedometer to track his movement. He averages 5.6 miles per day, including a daily 1.3 miles on the treadmill. On days when his pedometer indicates he hasn't been as active, Kerr knows to cut back on his eating.

"It's a simple matter of input correlating to output," he says.

M3: Medication

While Kerr is opposed to the notion of "letting a pill do it for you," he acknowledges that not all health conditions can be addressed by diet alone.

For instance, when Treena Kerr was first diagnosed with heart problems, her cholesterol was 365 milligrams per deciliter. Six months of dietary changes dropped her cholesterol by 120 points, but it wasn't enough.

"The change said more about how badly we ate before than it did about the improvements we were making in our diets," says Kerr. "We were thrilled about the changes, but we also felt like we had failed because we weren't able to completely control the problem without medication.

"Now we realize that a combination of medication and improved diet are often necessary; it's not a bad thing as long as you remember the role diet plays in your health," he says.

M4: Moderation

"We, as a nation, are supersizing ourselves to death," he says. "Fast food restaurants have changed portions so that what used to be a medium is now a small. And it's not limited to hamburger joints. Many restaurants now find themselves judged by the portion sizes they offer. We tend to think we're not getting our money's worth unless the portion is enormous."

The Kerrs limit themselves to 4 ounces of meat a day. Their diets, instead, contain a majority of fruits and vegetables. Smaller servings have meant a smaller food budget.

"The side benefit has been that we're now able to donate the money we used to spend overfeeding ourselves to buy health and wellness for someone else," he says.

M5: Measurement

"You have to have a way to know you're doing OK," says Kerr.

While some folks prefer jumping on the scale once a week, Treena Kerr - with Graham as coach - weighs herself daily. She also monitors her blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

"Daily monitoring allows us to know right away when we're doing something wrong," he says. "We're not going to wait until her blood sugar is out of sight or she's gained 10 pounds."

M6: Mood swings

It's the rare human being who doesn't occasionally lose control. That's why Kerr espouses the need for a good friend who can "catch you when you fall."