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Mark Wahlberg launches new nutrition line, MARKED

MARKED

(CBS News) "Ted" star Mark Wahlberg has joined up with GNC, the retailer of health, wellness and sports nutrition products, to launch MARKED, a new line of performance nutrition products. It's a move that the fitness-conscious actor and family man says seems like a natural fit.

Pictures: Mark Wahlberg

"I've wanted to be in the health and wellness business for a long time," Wahlberg told CBSNews.com."Obviously, fitness has been a big part of my life since I was very young and I just wanted to do it in a way that I could have the most control."

The 41-year-old father of four says he was able to use "the best scientists, ingredients and formulas" when he partnered with GNC. He even tested out the products himself when preparing for movie roles that required major physical transformations, something the actor enjoys.

"In my projects I look to try and find things where I can change physically," said Wahlberg. "For 'Broken City' the director wanted me to be as thin as possible. So I changed my exercise and my diet. Then, right after that I was on to do a movie where I had to put on 40 pounds of muscle and play a bodybuilder."

Now, Wahlberg is filming "2 Guns" in New Orleans with Denzel Washington, for which he had to ditch the pounds of muscle he put on for "Pain and Gain," something that he says caught the attention of his son Brendan Joseph.

"My 3-year-old son noticed that I'm losing weight and he was like, 'Daddy, why are you losing weight? Are you losing weight?' He asked me four times when he was in New Orleans last week visiting me," explained Wahlberg. "I said, 'Yeah, buddy, but I have to for work.' He said, 'No, don't lose weight, Daddy.'"

Wahlberg, who has another son and two daughters, says his sons, 6 and 3, follow him to the gym in their backyard at 6 in the morning just to see him lift weights. He says they try to do some of their own lifting, hoping to one day look like their father.

"There's a picture that my wife and him [Brendan Joseph] did for me when they were at a fair and they basically put his head on the body of a body builder on the cover of a fitness magazine," Wahlberg explains. "I have this binder that I have my script in and I have all these family photos and artwork from my kids. He wanted me to make sure that that was right on the top of all the pictures."

Wahlberg has been busy with multiple projects. His movie "Ted" is in theaters and he is filming "2 Guns." His film "Broken City" comes out in January, and "Pain and Gain" in the spring. His other film "Lone Survivor," is in pre-production and on top of it all, he is developing multiple TV shows.

But, the project he is most excited to tackle is coaching his 8-year-old daughter's basketball game.

"My daugher's basketball coach won't be there this weekend so I'll be filling in to coach. I'm just excited to be a part of it and see her play. She'll be like, 'Dad, don't embarrass me.' But, I'm just so proud of her."

MARKED is available at GNC retailers and online. A portion of the profits will benefit the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for inner city youth.


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