Hey guys, fighters are typically put under pressure to focus on their weight from the earliest days of amateur competition. With the pressure to constantly make weight, as well as secondary pressure to fight at the lowest class possible, many fighters have an extremely unhealthy relationship with eating. So who were some champions or prominent fighters who suffered from disorder eating or fell into obesity?
I ask because I think a problematic relationship with food is a major predictor of that fighter's overall health in retirement. Both of my grandfather's have been dead for years now. My paternal grandfather was widowed in his late fifties. When he retired from the assembly line at General Motors his life basically consisted of eating hot dogs, going to the driving range once a week, but mostly spending time alone watching television. Although he was an unbelievably kind & decent man, he was soon seriously overweight and suffering from dementia. I can't help but think that his sedentary lifestyle and bad eating habits played a role in his mental detioration. My maternal grandfather was also widowed, one year before my other grandpa in fact. But after he took his early retirement (he was loaded), he divided his time between hiking the Cascade Mountains, traveling national parks out west, and had a number of hobbies including sharp shooting, fishing, and reading every new issue of National Geopgraphic. He also had a daily exercise regime and took care to eat healthy. He remained fit and mentally sharp for two decades after he retired. I attribute the opposite outcomes here to the benefits of mental and physical stimulation. It seems to me that many boxers are completely burnt out on dieting and working out when they retire. Their joints are compromised from constant impacts, and the stress of boiling off extra pounds makes them hate restricting calories, and so we see so many fighters badly out of shape in their 40s and 50s.
Interesting question. Can't really think of anybody with an outright eating disorder, but obesity is somewhat common after a career in the ring. Manny Pacquaio said he eats like 9000 calories a day when training. It's easy to keep the eating up long after the training comes to an end. See Hamed, Hatton and too many more to list.
James Toney seemed to have developed an eating problem during his weight cuts, which led to the 257lbs toney we know and love Butterbean, Chisora, Stiverne, etc started out with one lol
I don't think extreme weight issues post fight career are that common though there are quite a few but like most athletes fighters are not trained in nutrition or fitness they are simply put through it by others. The fact is most fighters do get sick of the diet and tend to go to excess away from it but not all I also knew quite a few who kept themselves reasonably healthy their entire lives. But most guys just eat and live like regular people and get heavier like so many people. Bernard Hopkins is one of the most disciplined and smartest guys out their when it comes to health and nutrition for him it was a lifestyle Sergio Martinez was the same a very healthy athletic guy. Really if a person is reasonable healthy otherwise the weight and health issues are habitually based.....I knew people who were skinny and lean most of their working life but once they retired their health went to hell....the reason IMO their eating habits were based off them working their butts off and using the excess calories but going from active to sedentary without adjusting diet habits. Weight and health is also partly genetic my grandmother died at 98yrs of age....she lived through the depression era and was like so many it affected here lifelong habits she was not surrounded by creature comforts, she ate fast food and or low quality lower budget stuff on sale etc....everything mainstream says she shouldn't have lived that long except she stayed active she was heavy her entire life but active my father on the other hand died at 73 and had an active life, healthy habits and eating vitamins etc......same with my mother and her mother. Most fighters or exfighters I know have a taste for the faster life but otherwise are of normal weight and fitness for men of their age
Taking genetics out of the equation it sounds like there was a fundamental difference between your two grandfathers in the purpose they attributed to their post retirement activities. I have observed people who remain regimented and assign purpose to their activities typically carry vitality into their later years.
Obviously, Odlanier Solis. Buster Douglas almost killed himself with diet and poor lifestyle, but eventually rebounded. Guillermo Jones has had plenty of issues.
Wilfredo Gomez has had some serious weight issues. Actually, from what I've read, as recently as a few months ago, he was in pretty bad health overall. I don't know how true that is though.
Jeffries comes to mind. He was such a specimen in some of the pictures when he was Champion then had to lose something like over 100 pounds that he gained in the seven or so yrs he was retired befor he fought Johnson. Totally went to #### in those seven yrs but pictures of him as a senior citizen suggest he reigned it in. Foreman was obviously another but looks good today. Not sure if he works out or not. Archie Moore had some crazy number that I forget now of the amount of weight he lost in his career. He didnt look too bad as a senior. Luckily these became success stories. Duran looks good today after being overweight for many yrs after his retirement. He seems to have overcome his bad eating habits so count that as a success story too. The obvious others are mentioned in above poste's. Dont know what's up with Gomez he looks the same way as the old late actor/comedian Jerry Lewis did for decades with the swollen face. I know hes heavie but hes got something else going on. I think this subject matter ultimately boiles down to self discipline though just like any other person who retires and decides whow active and healthy lifestyle they want to live.
