Is Henry Winkler gaining too much weight? One report says the Happy Days legend has been told to “diet or die.”
‘Flabby Fonzie Blimps Out!’
According to the Globe, Winkler’s doctors are telling him his health is at risk due to his weight. The Arrested Development star was recently spotted with a gut, and a shocked onlooker says, “It was sort of sad to see how he’s let himself go.”
A doctor says, “He is at a high risk for a heart attack and should either diet or face the potential of a life-threatening situation” because of his “humongous belly.” Another source says he must lose weight immediately or face a “health emergency.”
It’s A Classic
A spokesperson for Winkler personally denies this story. They say he’s “never looked better” and weighs in at “a trim 167 pounds,” far less than the tabloid figure of 220. We are more inclined to believe someone close to Winkler over the word of this tabloid, so we can comfortably say this story is false. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, for all of the Globe weight-bashing tactics are on full display.
First off, the number — how can the tabloid know exactly how much Winkler weighs? It says he’s “ballooned to around 220 pounds,” which can only be a made-up figure. In teeny tiny letters on the bottom of this story, the outlet is forced to admit: “The doctors quoted in this article have not treated Henry Winkler.”
Tabloids love doing this. They cite doctors who don’t have the qualifications to talk about the individual in question. These doctors are often quoted saying that excessive weight gain can be dangerous. Yes, it can be dangerous. These doctors are only giving generic advice and nothing more. These aren’t insiders. The tabloid also admits they have no experience with Winkler and that they don’t know him.
To prove its point that Winkler has let himself go, it compares a photo of him now to a photo of him as Fonzie on Happy Days. It pulled the exact same stunt when it compared Kurt Russell of 2020 to photos from Escape from New York. Obviously, Winkler and Russell aren’t in the same shape they were in the ’80s. It’s asinine to expect otherwise.
We’ve Heard Worse
Calling celebrities fat is a pastime for the Globe. Winkler joins an army of other celebrities who have been targeted with weight-based stories. Garth Brooks, Russell Crowe, and Brendan Fraser all had their bodies attacked by crude reports that didn’t provide any evidence or insight.
The list could go on. Hillary Clinton, Luke Bryan, and Kanye West have all been subjects of these dumb stories, yet they’re all alive and well. This is a pretty standard fat-shaming story, with very little insight. Henry Winkler seems to be doing fine.