Miss Teen Tennessee International, Alyssa Belanger, visited Greeneville Thursday and shared her personal story of overcoming obesity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The now-fit 17-year-old from Johnson City spoke at Greeneville Middle School about how she lost 60 pounds to prevent diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

She also told the group of nearly 45 girls that their self-confidence and positive attitudes are what makes them beautiful.

"If you're confident with yourself, people are going to see you as pretty," she said.

"The way you talk to yourself, the way you feel about yourself, reflects on how you treat people. If you feel good about yourself, you're going to treat your friends nice. You're going to give them nice comments," she said.

Belanger spoke for about an hour after school to the group of girls, many of whom participate in "Girls on Track," a running program that promotes fitness and self-esteem.

Before the program began, many of the girls used their camera phones to take photos of Belanger. She also signed autographs for some of the girls.

Belanger was welcomed by GMS Principal Shelly Smith.

The program began with an activity in which the girls received handouts with drawings of faces and bodies. Belanger asked the girls to write on the handouts what parts of their bodies they like or do not like.

She then shared her own feelings about her body and how she focuses on her positive features.

Belanger also played a video on self-image and the media, which showed how television, billboards and other media portray women with unrealistic physical features.

'Eat Healthy, Exercise'

She stressed that successful weight loss does not require medication, surgery or starvation. "You don't have to do those crazy things that you see on TV," she said. "You just have to learn how to eat healthy and exercise."

A year ago, Belanger recalled, she began her effort to lose weight and get into shape. She went to the doctor with her mother, who had just been diagnosed with diabetes.

When she stepped on the scales, she weighed 188 pounds, she said. For her age and height, she should have weighed no more than 148 pounds, she said.

Belanger noted that the No. 1 cause of death in women is heart disease, which is caused by poor diets and lack of exercise.

Since December 2007, Belanger has lost 60 pounds by eating healthy foods and running. She added that she participates in a weekly dance class, and she enjoys lifting weights.

From day one, she said, she set goals and gradually worked toward them.

Her goals included studying hard so she could graduate early and enter pageants to share her story.

She said she did not lose weight for her looks or so she could enter pageants. She did it for her health, and the pageants allow her to tell others about the importance of healthy living.

Belanger attributes her success to support from her family and friends.

She encouraged the girls to talk to their parents and to choose friends who will challenge and support them.

Belanger said she thinks she's pretty because she's strong, because she can talk to people, because she shares her story and because she's happy with herself.

She said she hopes to appear on the Tyra Banks Show to tell her story.

"I encourage each and every one of you to enjoy and celebrate yourselves," Belanger told the girls.

A question-and-answer period followed her remarks. Many girls asked Belanger to share her favorite things, like colors, sports, television shows, celebrities, songs, movies, animals, gemstones and holidays.

Belanger is a student at East Tennessee State University.

She was crowned Miss Teen Tennessee International in September and will compete for Miss Teen International in July 2009 in Chicago.

For more information on Miss Teen Tennessee International, visit www.missteeninternational.us.

To learn more about Girls on Track, visit www.girlsontherun.org.