Caitlin Van Zandt
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Guiding Light star Caitlin Van Zandt has lost 65 pounds. Yes, 65 pounds!

She recently spoke with celebrity gossip tabloid Us Weekly about the laparoscopic adjustable gastric-bandin surgery than enabled her to shed so much weight. Here are excerpts from the interview:

What made you ­consider surgery?
In high school, I looked into weight-loss procedures on the Internet, but gastric bypass scared me. And there’s such a stigma toward weight-loss surgery. When I landed a great gig on Guiding Light [in 2006], I felt comfortable exploring that option again.

What was the surgery and recovery like?
To be fit enough for the procedure, I went on a two-week liquid diet before­hand. That was the most extreme thing I did. In terms of the surgery, I walked into the hospital on a Friday at 6:30 a.m. and left at 1:30 p.m. On Tuesday, I was back at Guiding Light shooting a love scene. I felt some abdomen pain and could only sleep on my back, but I felt absolutely normal in about four days. Right now, I have two tiny scars, but by the time I am ready to wear a bikini they won’t be noticeable.

Caitlin Van Zandt was a keynote speaker at "The Walk from Obesity - Walk on the Capitol" national obesity event held in Washington, D.C., on June 17.

The Guiding Light star spoke in front of an audience of thousands, regaling them with the challenges faced by 93 million overweight Americans. Including herself.

"I'm honored to share with you my personal journey with weight and weight loss," Van Zandt said at the podium. "My hope is that by sharing with you my story today, I can in some way raise further awareness of the impact of obesity, a disease that not only affects one's health, but also one's quality of life."

Speaking out for obesity awareness is personal for Van Zandt. She spoke about the conflicts between loving yourself as you are, while also being mindful of the health risks and self esteem ramifications of obesity.

"My goal is to be healthy and happy," Van Zandt said. "By participating in this event, I want to help others understand the physical and emotional impact of this disease and to give people hope that their lives do not need to be compromised by obesity."

Caitlin Van Zandt wil sever as special guest speaker for The Walk on the Capitol's National obesity awareness event in Washington, DC later this month.

The Walk from Obesity - Walk on the Capitol is a history-making awareness event that will gather thousands of individuals impacted by obesity to bring attention to the obesity epidemic and the need for expanded efforts in prevention and treatment.

"I decided to make a big change, because I wanted to avoid potential health problems that could arise from this condition," the Guiding Light star said of her recent weight loss. "My goal is to become healthy and happy. By participating in this event, I want to help others understand the physical and emotional impact of this disease and to give people hope that their lives do not need to be compromised by obesity,."

The Walk on the Capitol will take place on the National Mall in Washington, DC, at 6:30 pm on June 17. For more information, visit www.walkonthecapitol.com.

In a recent interview, Caitlin Van Zandt spoke to TV Guide about her weight loss

"I don't know why it's such a taboo topic, but it is! I'm always reading articles where celebrities talk about everything from their drug rehab stints to the people they've slept with, yet I've gotten flack on the internet for doing the Lap-Band as if I'm somehow being a bad role model.

A lot of the fans relate to me because I'm real looking — which I think is wonderful — but they also had this predisposed notion that I was proud of the way I looked. The truth is, I've been self-conscious about my weight since I was a kid. I haven't worn a bathing suit since I was six — we even used that as a line on the show."

The magazine also asked the Guiding Light fan about viewer reaction; after all, fans griped that Ashlee hadn't seemed all that bothered by her weight on the show..

"I know! We hadn't seen her try to diet or exercise or deal in any way with the issue so people were wondering why she was suddenly having surgery," Van Zandt said. "But the show wanted to play this out in real time with my own weight loss, so we had to fast-track it.

As is the tradition when a year winds down, awards are being handed out.

We already published the fact that James Scott was named Best Hunk of 2007 by fans. Meanwhile, a star of Guiding Light has earned TV Guide's honor as Star of the Year.

Star of the Year: Guiding Light's Caitlin Van Zandt (Ashlee)
Sweet, touching, funny and not a size 2, she's the most exciting young thing to hit soaps since... well, maybe ever. Van Zandt's character, a love-struck teen warped by her glam monster mommy, is more than a revelation — she's proof soaps have been doing it wrong for years.

We don't want to see plastic, runway-gorgeous kids. We want to see real ones.

Wanna see who else in the soap opera world earned this publication's top honors? Follow our link now (and scroll down a bit) to find out!

In the latest edition of "In the Soap Opera Spotlight," we present Guiding Light star Caitlin Van Zandt. Here are a few fun facts about the actress:

• Van Zandt is fluent in Italian.

• She has two older half siblings.

• Van Zandt auditioned for the lead role in both the 2007 remake of the movie Hairspray and the Broadway musical version.

• She's a religious studies major at Hunter College in New York City.

• Van Zandt loves Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin films. She's also a devoted fan of Harry Potter books and movies.