My parents always told me to be myself. I was always funny and silly as a kid. And I would always make them laugh. And they always told me to dream big and follow those dreams.

Miley Cyrus, like all of us, needs to be loved. We all come from complicated parents I understand her, and I love her, and I think things will be different with her. But you know, in the music business, sometimes you have to shock a little.

Work hard, take care of yourself, and you'll be just fine.

When you gain weight, for every pound that you gain, it adds four pounds of stress on your knees. So if you gain five pounds, you've got 20 pounds of stress on your knees. So that's why I'm extremely careful with my portions and my workout, because I can't be overweight.

I have rules about eating, exercising and rules about staying positive. And these rules are sacred to me.

I get an abundance of e-mail every day, some say 'dear Richard, can you call my husband, he weighs 400 pounds...' or 'my 14-year-old is 200 pounds...' or 'I just got divorced, no one wants me, I am 500 pounds.' So I pick up the phone and I call people.

After all the throwing up, I would starve myself. Which meant eating lettuce and water for two and a half months. I almost lost my life.