Dwight Howard had a serious sugar problem

Published Dec. 12, 2013 12:46 p.m. ET

Louis Ojeda Jr.

Dwight Howard is one of the premiere athletes in the NBA, so you'd think he works hard to stay in shape.

However, a CBSSports.com report revealed he was eating nothing but sugar.

Dr. Cate Shanahan wanted to study Howard's diet after watching him play for the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

"It looked like he was wearing oven mitts out there," Shanahan told CBS Sports. "It reminded me of patients who have pre-diabetes and neurological problems because of how sugar impacts the nervous system. That's where I became really concerned."

Shanahan's husband, Luke, was also involved in the study and was shocked with what he found.

"We knew Dwight had a sugar-intake issue," he said. "We just didn't know how bad it was."

Howard had candy and sugary drinks everywhere in his house, but he decided he get rid of it all after realizing it was a serious problem, according to CBSSports.com's report.

"I said, 'I can't live this way because it's not healthy to have this high level of sugar in me,' " Howard said. "I just made a commitment."

It's just one of many life changes Howard has made since his struggles with the Lakers.