The older generations out there — yours truly included — still fondly remember how truly dominant of a force the great Shaquille O'Neal was during his playing days with the Los Angeles Lakers. For some of us, it's hard to imagine that Shaq is actually already 50 years old.

Much like most other 50-somethings out there, health has become one of Shaq's biggest concerns at this point in his life. As a matter of fact, the Lakers legend recently got the shock of his life when he visited the doctor for the first time in a long time.

Shaq admitted that he hasn't been diligent with his visits to the doctor's clinic ever since he retired from the NBA 11 years ago. O'Neal recently decided to pay his physician a visit recently and this was when he received a shocking truth bomb about his life-threatening condition:

“So when I went back to the doctor there was some stuff I never even knew,” Shaq told Joe Holder of GQ. “They give you those certain words: ‘Hey man, you got sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause hypertension or strokes, you could die.' I said, ‘What?' ‘You could die.' So now I've got to sleep with a sleep machine.”

While some might underestimate sleep apnea, it's actually a very serious disorder. One of the most prominent symptoms of this condition is loud snoring. Sleep apnea is a disorder that involves the repeated starting and stopping of one's breathing while sleeping. As Shaq mentioned above, sleep apnea could potentially be a fatal disorder.

Shaq also said that he's already getting treatment for his condition. This includes being placed under a sleep machine, which by the looks of it, does not seem comfortable at all. Be that as it may, the silver lining here is that O'Neal's condition is totally curable.

Shaq then talked about how his doctor completely cut him off from the painkillers he has been taking for years. Apparently, these were already taking their toll on his body:

“Then, ‘All those painkillers you were taking, bro? Your kidneys are kind of weak. No more painkillers,'” Shaq continued. “I was dependent upon painkillers—not addicted. Certain days when I couldn't move, I just popped one or two, just to get me going. But I'm off that now.”

The Hall of Fame big man admitted that his most recent doctor's visit gave him a harsh reality check about what he's dealing with right now:

“I had to really get checked out,” he said. “When they hit you with that three letter word that starts with D and ends with E, it changes stuff up.”

This prompted O'Neal to turn his life around. He has since been on a fitness journey that has resulted in the four-time NBA champ losing up to 50 lbs. Shaq also opened up about the particular moment he realized he needed a major change. Unsurprisingly, he took the opportunity to have a dig at his NBA on TNT co-host, Charles Barkley:

“I had a new disorder called CBOTBD. Write that down. That's ‘Charles Barkley Over the Belt Syndrome,' O'Neal said. “I was waking up and going to work, chilling, eating whatever. I wasn't paying attention. I looked down one day, I was like, ‘Damn.' My belly was way over my belt.”

Shaq spoke about his journey towards fitness. After trying all sorts of different health products, the former Lakers superstar stumbled upon a company called Novex Biotech. O'Neal was more than happy with the results he got from their products. So much so, that he decided to put his own money in the company as an investor.

“I don't have Charles Barkley Over the Belt Syndrome any more,” he said. “I'm getting really good. I'm getting to the point where I'm going to change my mind and turn the knob to full discipline.”

Finally, Shaq shared a bit of advice for those that are also working their way towards a healthier lifestyle, which quite honestly, should be all of us. The Lakers icon outlined a handful of key elements that you must consider in order to reach your health goals:

 “I tell them to imagine how you wanna look, then get all the necessary information, and really understand and focus,” Shaq said. “It's all about the diet. Because even now, if I do 500 sit-ups a day, my six pack ain't right like how I want it, 'cause it's all about the diet. So diet, preparation, focus, and belief. You just have to stick to your routine. That's it.”

Obviously, this is easier said than done. However, it's also true that each and every one of us is capable of achieving this objective. We may not lose 50 lbs. overnight, but there's no denying that it's all worth it.