Taking his last breath on his deathbed at the age of 42, Elvis Presley’s weight gain has been one of the shocking yet saddening things about the musical icon. Known for his record-breaking songs, iconic fashion styles, and appealing moves, Elvis Presley had to face the harsh consequences of weight gain.
An Icon of his Era, the God of Sex appeal, Elvis Presley‘s name has been known far and wide to date. Beginning his music career in 1954 at Sun Records with producer Sam Philips, Elvis Presley is known as the King of Rock and Roll even today.
Presley became a pioneer of an upbeat, backbeat-driven combination of country music and rhythm and blues under the influence of Sam, who wanted to spread the sound of African-American music to a larger audience.
He sold a million copies of his debut single, Heartbreak Hotel, within a year of its publication in 1956, and with a string of number-one hits, he rose to prominence as the pioneer of the new rock and roll sound.
Elvis Presley sold more than 500 million recordings worldwide, earning him the title of the best-selling solo musician of all time according to Guinness World Records. He has the most albums with RIAA gold and platinum certifications, the most albums to chart on the Billboard 200, the most albums by a solo artist to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, and the most number-one singles by any act to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart.
Elvis Presley has recorded music in a variety of genres, including pop, country, R&B, adult contemporary, and gospel, and has found financial success in all of them. He has received many halls of fame inductions. At 36, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in addition to his three Grammy Awards.
Not just the King of Music but also a Fashion Icon is known for his sensational and fabulous fashion sense. Amidst all the applause and glory, Elvis Presley’s weight gain has been one of the most surprising and the most talked about topics.
With significant weight gain, Elvis was unable to maintain his glorious appearance which was shocking to his entire fanbase. So, here’s what really happened to Elvis Presley and how his weight gain affected his mental well-being.
Previously, we touched on the weight gain efforts of Taylor Swift and Russell Crowe.
Elvis Presley’s Weight Gain: From ‘Fab Elvis’ to ‘Fat Elvis’, Elvis Presley’s 180 lb+ Weight Gain Was a Shock to the World!
It was very much unlikely for someone like Elvis Presley to gain weight since he always took care of how he looked. A fashion icon of his era, Elvis’s weight gain was not just a big show to the world but also to himself. Weighing 350 lbs when on his deathbed, there were a lot of factors that contributed to Elvis Presley’s weight gain.
During his final years, Elvis Presley appeared to have given up the title of King of Rock and Roll and adopted the moniker ‘Fat Elvis’. Presley’s shocking physical shift frightened his followers, including Linda Thompson, as he looked nothing like he did in his prime. The musician reportedly weighed 350 lbs even on the day of his death in 1977, which is around 187 lbs more than he did ten years earlier.
His fiancée Ginger Alden discovered him at first lifeless on the toilet floor of his Graceland residence. He was taken to the hospital at that time but passed away from cardiac arrest. Presley supposedly took three different packages of medicines and painkillers to aid in his sleep prior to his performance in Portland, Maine but instead experienced severe constipation.
Fans remarked that he appeared more unwell than previously, was excessively bloated, and sweating heavily during his final shows. People began to wonder how he initially became overweight as a result.
His gluttony, according to many’s opinions, was what caused him to gain so much weight. In reality, ‘The Elvis Presley Story,’ a 1960 biography by James Gregory, demonstrated how heavily Elvis Presley consumed food. Gregory revealed,
Note for his future wife: Elvis loves enormous breakfasts complete with sausage, bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, home-baked rolls, and coffee. He has a tremendous appetite at breakfast. His wife should never develop elegant or expensive tastes.
Presley reportedly desired to regain his former shape as a sex symbol. He apparently thereafter engaged in exceedingly risky weight-loss practices.
For instance, he once attempted to stick to a diet where all he ate was jelly made from bananas and his preferred black cherry Coke. In order to lose weight, he also requested that a doctor put him into a medically induced coma.
Sadly, it did not continue long because he suddenly woke up by himself after falling out of bed. He gained three and a half stone as a result of his dangerous diet, but it eventually reached 25 stone. In the end, The Mirror reported that Elvis Presley’s health continued to deteriorate and resulted in liver damage, enlarged colon, glaucoma, and hypertension.
Suffering the consequences of his weight gain, along with his desperate efforts to lose weight, led Elvis to lay on his death bed. Eventually, he took his last breath on August 16, 1977.
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Last modified: September 8, 2022
