EXCLUSIVE: Rocker Neil Young, 79, Gains 30 LBS as He Battles Type 1 Diabetes and Agonizing Arthritis
Neil Young, 79, experiences weight gain while battling Type 1 diabetes and agonizing arthritis.
April 29 2025, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Neil Young has gained a whopping 30 pounds in recent years, but the 79-year-old singer refuses to do anything about his blubbery bod – even though he suffers from type 1 diabetes and agonizing arthritis, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
These shocking photos obtained show the Heart of Gold warbler waddling around at a car repair shop on April 4 in Oxnard, Calif.
The performer, who stands 6 feet tall, sported ripped jeans and a T-shirt stretched over his tremendous tummy.
Polio survivor Neil Young faces health concerns as friends note his significant weight gain despite past ailments like epilepsy and a brain aneurysm.
"He's got a big potbelly and clearly let himself go – and friends are worried," an insider said
"People around him are shocked at how huge he's gotten. It's concerning – especially with his health history."
Some of the Harvest Moon hitmaker's past ailments include being stricken by polio as a child, enduring epileptic seizures as a teen and experiencing a brain aneurysm at 54 that required surgery.
Sources shared Neil, who wed Splash siren Daryl Hannah, 64, in 2018, has long been walking a thin line when it comes to his health, which makes his widening waistline even more surprising since his wife is in such good shape.
"But Neil has a hedonistic attitude – and all his bad habits are catching up with him."
Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who has not treated Young, told RadarOnline.com: "He looks like he's gained at least 30 pounds. I estimate his present weight at 205 to 210."
According to Dr. Gabe Mirkin, Young's estimated 30-pound weight gain and inactivity may be linked to post-polio syndrome, potentially worsening his diabetes.
Mirkin believes Young's childhood polio likely left him with permanent nerve damage and loss of muscular control – and points out that over time, the remaining healthy nerves can lose their ability to pull double duty covering multiple muscle fibers.
"This is called post-polio syndrome," Mirkin explained. "His inactivity is likely caused by his childhood polio and is making him fat. He genetically stores that fat primarily in his liver, which can worsen his diabetes.
A medical expert suggested Young's history of diabetes likely contributed to his current weight gain, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle changes for the rocker.
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"There is a direct relationship between diabetes and blood vessel damage. So, it is very likely that his aneurysm was caused by his diabetes, damaging his nerves and brain, and made him more inactive, so that he is now gaining weight – even if he's not eating more."
The doc suggested Neil's arthritis also stems from polio, and added: "It is incredibly important that his doctor teach him lifestyle changes."
