"Roy Estep"
Inventor of the One-Step Estep
Three "P" Diet Plan

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The Poca Post is pleased to announce a commemorative stamp honoring Roy Estep

Mr. Estep was born in 1923 to Estelle Estep of Poca-on-the-Poca.  He was a strapping lad weighing in at 10 pounds, 6 ounces at birth.  He grew substantially, and was regarded as a "strapping youth."  In 1941 he was drafted into the U.S. Army.  He served four years as a cook at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  Upon his discharge Roy came in at 285 pounds.  He returned to the Poca River where his family showered him with affection and food.  

Within a period of a year his weight had advanced to 483 pounds.  By 1950 Roy had grown to 1138 pounds, and his health was endangered.  At this point he realized that he had to do something to control his weight.

He devised a diet that eliminated 'possum, pork, and potatoes.  Within six months his weight had fallen to 180 pounds.  He became the center of much publicity in the press since no one had designed such an efficacious diet.  It was known in the valley as the "Estep One-Step Three 'P' Poca Diet."  The Poca Post is indebted to the photography archives of the Poca River Weekly Chronicle for the image of Estep used on this stamp.

Roy Estep was able to maintain a weight below 180 pounds, and enjoyed much notoriety until 1956, when he was struck and killed by a motorist that did not see him walking along County Route 34.

The stamp honoring Roy Estep was issued on 29 August, 2002 in a pane of 16 stamps in the denomination of 75 poca units.

 


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