DATE: Wednesday, October 22, 1997           TAG: 9710220529

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   61 lines

CANDIDATE'S WEIGHT-LOSS AD DRAWS CRITICISM

79th District candidate D.R. ``Dan'' Evans is no longer a political heavyweight.

Literally.

Evans - a Republican running against Democrat Johnny S. Joannou for the seat - has lost 30 pounds since July.

He said he's still got about 20 more to shed. But he was so pleased about reaching his benchmark that he agreed to do a testimonial ad for Weight Loss Forever, the program that helped him.

The ad ran Sunday and Monday in The Virginian-Pilot.

But the ad - showing before and after photos of the Republican candidate - not only talked glowingly about Evans' new healthier lease on life. It also commented on his run for the 79th District seat.

It read in part: `` `My campaign schedule has me out knocking on doors every night (over 5,000 so far). The 30-pound weight loss has given me the energy I need to reach my ultimate goal, being elected on November 4th to the Virginia House of Delegates.' ''

The campaign element didn't please several citizens who telephoned the weight loss clinic Monday, protesting the ad, said Nicki Martin, one of the clinic's directors. Martin said the ad was dropped Tuesday, and another person is now being featured. Citizens weren't the only ones who took exception to the ad. M. Bruce Meadows, secretary of the State Board of Elections, said Evans should have included a disclaimer underneath the ad, saying that it was authorized by him or paid by him as required by the state election code. A copy of the ad was sent to the board's office in Richmond on Tuesday.

``I would classify it as a (campaign) ad,'' said Meadows. ``It should have a disclaimer. . . . It's sort of to cover his bases.''

Evans didn't see anything wrong with the ad; in fact, he said the Democrats are just ``jealous of it.'' He said Weight Loss Forever paid for the ad.

The state code defines a campaign advertisement as ``any printed or otherwise reproduced statement or advertisement made for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election for public office.'' The code also specifies that such ads must issue a disclaimer, informing the public who authorized it.

Weight Loss Forever staffers insist they weren't making a political endorsement. They were trying to attract more men to the program, which touts using natural herbs as part of its process. And they stress that they approached Evans.

John Martin, one of the owners of the clinic, said 80 percent of the clientele are women, so they occasionally like to feature a man. Martin didn't deny that Evans is well known, but he contended that the clinic ``wouldn't care if he was Democrat or Republican.''

``I didn't even know he was running for anything,'' said Martin. ``If his opponent wants to lose 20 to 50 pounds, I invite him to come on in. We'll get him on the program, and I'll put him in the paper immediately.''

Joannou said he hasn't given the weight loss program much thought. But he admitted he could stand to shed a few pounds. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

D.R. ``Dan'' Evans said he didn't see anything wrong with the ad;

he said the Democrats are just ``jealous of it.'' KEYWORDS: HOUSE OF DELEGATES RACE CANDIDATE CAMPAIGN

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