By Dani M. Stone
Joe Messina is a good dad. He works hard as a truck driver in Auburn, New York to provide for his three children and wants the best for them. There is one thing, however, that has been steadily creeping away from them, play time. Joe, who currently weighs 357 pounds, admits that over the years, as his weight increased, the time being active and playful with his children has decreased. Joe joins his older brother Mike this season on Biggest Loser 13. 
People often need a turning point in their lives to spark the flame for weight loss. Recently, Joe had two of them. On a trip to an amusement park, Joe was surprised and embarrassed to learn he was unable to fit on the ride. Then at home, his youngest son, not quite 4, asked him to go play outside. Joe said he lasted only a few minutes before he had to sit down and catch his breath. When his son took his hand and asked him to play again, Joe had to tell him he couldn’t. In an interview for Biggest Loser 13, Joe said of the incident, “man, it just rips your heart right out of your chest. It just makes you feel so bad and. . . guilty, that you can’t be there for your children. I’m only 38-years old.”
Joe wants to make the most of his time on the ranch and appreciates the opportunity to work with world class trainers and dietitians in a structured environment. His goal is not only to lose weight, but to become a role model to his children and close-knit Italian family.
The weight loss milestones Joe is looking forward to include swimming in a public pool without worrying about his body, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and shopping for clothes off the rack. He also wants to invite his children back to the amusement park for a do-over and outlast his young son while playing in the yard, instead of watching from the porch.
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