Pushing 300-Plus: ‘Lost’ Star Jorge Garcia’s Weight Gain Has Friends ‘Terribly Worried’ About His Health
Heavyweight Lost star Jorge Garcia has sparked concerned for his health — and alarmed pals reveal the 300-plus-pounder has refused to diet, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The 5-foot-11 actor, best known for playing curly-haired lottery winner Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the sci-fi TV series that ran from 2004 to 2010, was recently photographed running errands in Los Angeles and appeared bigger than ever.
In his first public sighting in three years, Garcia, 51, shocked fans with his oversized appearance. The sci-fi star was dressed in a blue striped sweatshirt, gray pants and wore a bandana over his head with sunglasses for an inconspicuous look.
While Garcia, who has kept a low-profile in recent years, seemingly tried to conceal himself during the outing, his weight gain was noticeable — and sources claim his inner circle is deeply concerned for his health.
"He's always struggled with his weight, but has now given up trying to lose and says he's happy the way he is and isn't going to endanger his health with crash diets anymore, even though he must be well over 300 pounds now," a spy spilled to the Globe.
The 51-year-old Hawaii-Five-O actor reportedly dropped nearly 100 pounds due to health concerns during the six-season run of Lost.
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"I can afford to not live on rum and burritos and take better care of myself," he confessed in 2006.
But now friends fear he's totally "sworn off restricting his diet."
"He eats whatever he wants, including tons of fast food, but no one can convince him to change his ways," a source noted.
"He's well aware that people around him are terribly worried, but he insists that he's fine," the insider added. "He's lived at this big size for a long time and isn't having health problems, so he claims that proves it's not as big a deal as people think it is."
But Dr. Stuart Fischer, author of The Little Book of Big Medical Emergencies, warned, "Just because you feel okay, that does not mean your health is good."
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"People who say they are healthy in spite of obesity have not had biopsies of their arteries to see if there's any arteriosclerosis," Fischer added.
The physician noted obesity can lead to cardiovascular illnesses, blood clots, bad circulation and an increased risk of cancer.
"Jorge can say he's fine all he wants but there's no denying being this heavy can have serious health consequences," the tipster declared.