Eva Longoria Packs On The Pounds — The Secret Reason Behind Sudden Weight Gain

Former Desperate Housewives sexpot Eva Longoria is burying kidnap fears under a mountain of food and has gained nearly 30 pounds, say sources.

Viewing before and after photos of the once-petite 5-foot-2 beauty, New York City internist Dr. Stuart Fischer estimates Eva's "piled on at least 27 pounds" and now crushes the scales at 147!

The author of The Park Avenue Diet, who has not treated the chubby cutie, adds, "People often cope with worry by eating."

And pals say Eva's got plenty to worry about!

Her third husband — 48-year-old Mexican businessman Jose Baston — is the kind of fat cat who would be targeted for a ransom bonanza by gangs operating south of the border.

Now that Eva is the wife of the moneybags head of Televisa, the world's largest Spanish-speaking media conglomerate, she's likely got a bull's-eye on her back too, sources say.

"Kidnapping is big business in Mexico and it's only logical she and her hubby are targets," says a source.