Elvis' weight? Aug. 77'

[Phoenix78]

Since he took enough drugs to kill himself on August 16, we have to assume his concerts were going to be something on the order of Omaha the next day. Could he have spoken of the book "What Happened" in that condition?

This tour sure could have been another train wreck.

Steve L.

oh...that would be speculation at best.......no one really "knows" what actually killed him. like it or not

[Phoenix78]

And given the fact, that he was most likely around the 230 lbs mark for the last tour AND the only pictures we have of him in August is from the face and part of his upper body, it's hard to tell. The last pic of him on the 16th doesn't really strike me as a person who suddenly gained a lot of weight. But that's all we have. The "book" destroyed him mentally. I doubt he really had the motivation to lose any significant weight, unless he was so nervous about the reaction, that he didn't eat much. No one really knows, except that he was probably still around the same weight or so.

[rjm]

His abdomen was severely distended due to the megacolon condition: it was paralytic. It wouldn't make any difference to diet or anything else; his system was non-functioning. And then, when people experience death, the body undergoes changes. His body was not normal at that point, so who knows exactly what he was like post death. Perhaps that's why the field is blank.

rjm

[TJ]

Elvis' ideal weight when he was fit and healthy seems to have been around 12 to 12 and-a-half stone. He was probably at the low end of that in 1969 and the top end in 1970. I don't believe the 250-260 guesses for 1977. The photos in Hawaii of him playing football show that he wasn't as overweight as some assume. The jumpsuit did not flatter him when he was heavy. I'd guess 220 or so was the max in 1977. Some 6-footers could carry that weight pretty well, but Elvis was bloated and looked sickly.

For some people, it doesn't take a dramatic weight gain for their appearance to change really noticeably. Ricky Gervais looks in great shape now compared to a few years ago, but he claims that he's only 20 pounds lighter.

[minkahed]

Most of it, is speculation. Did he lose weight for the August tour? How much was his weight on August 16? We dont know, and certainly not a fake doctor on this forum. The weight-field on the autopsy report is blank. Who knows what his weight was in June 1977? Speculation.

In the book Elvis The Final Years by Jerry Hopkins the author states Elvis went on a crash diet or fast the day before the tour, but what was he (Elvis) expecting? A 10 or 15 pound loss would have made zero difference to his appearance. He was in awful physical and mental shape.

The laser jumpsuit would have masked a lot of the problems once it was available for the fall shows.

Stop making excuses !!!

[A. C. van Kuijk]

Elvis was definitely overweight. Not because of mysterious illnesses, but because of lack of sport and too much of unhealthy food. But it's also true that the drugs made him look bloated and that the jumpsuits didn't improve his appearance.

To me Elvis did not look extremely fat, but extremely sick.

[paulsweeney]

It all doesn't really matter what his weight was when he died. Even if he weighed 175 pounds, with his lifestyle, death was always just around the corner. Here are a few decent shots of Elvis from 1977. Many more can be found here - http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/central77.html

January 3, 1977


April 8, 1977


May 2, 1977


June 26, 1977

[Winston]

Thanks for posting the picture from May 2, 1977. I never seen that. What is that near the banana in his hand?

[luckyjackson1]

Looks like a lollipop to me.

[Winston]

... Looks like a lollipop to me ...

I think also but I want not believe. Very cool!

[Juan Luis]

You have to look at the first tour photos . Within a matter of days, he looked like a different guy (looking much better and slimmer due to getting out the excess of water retention due to his illness)..... he was weaker after that. AND...... He never looked better (for photographs or otherwise) at the end of his first 1977 tour.I wish he was here.

[r&b]

Whatever his weight was, does It matter? he was still overweight, a pill addict, and didn't know proper nutrition. Even with all the doctors he knew, his idea of losing weight was a crash diet the day before a tour? How very sad.

[the squirrel]

Great pics Paul....thanks......to me- he looked in pretty good shape, and it wasn't so much that he was fat- he just had a bit of a belly as most men do around that age (i'm 46 and been struggling to get rid of mine since i was about 40 lol)....BUT the jumpsuits didnt help him AT ALL....in normal clothes he looked pretty much the shape of lots if not most men of 42.

I don't know what's the big deal ALL the time about his weight.

[Rob]

The weight would have been an issue with the critics, but it wouldn't have been the big deal that it was made out to be at the time had he chosen different stage attire. I've seen other entertainers who have acquired a "paunch" and hid it well with loose fitting shirts and jackets.

Elvis should have done the same -- especially the last couple of years.

[r&b]

Great pics Paul....thanks......to me- he looked in pretty good shape, and it wasn't so much that he was fat- he just had a bit of a belly as most men do around that age (i'm 46 and been struggling to get rid of mine since i was about 40 lol)....BUT the jumpsuits didnt help him AT ALL....in normal clothes he looked pretty much the shape of lots if not most men of 42.

I don't know what's the big deal ALL the time about his weight.

The big deal about the weight was , this was Elvis, a man who always looked like a Greek God, a man who's physical attraction was responsible for much of his success as well as his talent. And don't think he and the Col didn't know the image was very important. That he let himself go at such a young age is something that could not be ignored. Can you imagine how the this discussion would be if he appeared this way in his 1968 comeback special or the Aloha worldwide broadcast? This is only a few years later, so the points are valid. The jumpsuits certainly did not help and had worn out their welcome already by 1974. I do not agree that he looked in pretty good shape. He looked unwell and very out of shape for such a young man. I'm talking about when he was also 39, in 1974, not just 41 or 42.

[LesterB]

hey Im 18 stone!!, ah no Im 17 stone but it depends what kind of weight you are carrying. Arnie was 22 stone when was winning Mr Olympia and look at him. Elvis was tall enough to carry 15 stone but 18 stone was too much for him and it was bad weight......

I'm pretty sure that Arnie was around 17.5 stone cut in competition. I saw Dorian Yates in person (out of competition) when he was around 7% body fat. He was 22 stone and, while a little shorter than Arnie, significantly bigger.

Elvis was not actually that fat which is why his physical appearance could alter dramatically in short periods of time. There's a photo around late 75 when he has just come out of hospital - having had his colon unblocked and water drained from his body - and he looks amazing. Elvis' problem was constipation (from the pain killer abuse) which he carried on his stomach, and severe water retention in his face from the drugs. Do you remember when he went to see Nixon where his face bloated as a reaction to eating chocolate?

In short, attributing 230 pounds to Elvis at the time of EIC seems reasonable - therefore he could well have gone down to 220 pounds just through water loss?

Maybe someone can find that picture - I think its at an airport??

[eligain]

hey Im 18 stone!!, ah no Im 17 stone but it depends what kind of weight you are carrying. Arnie was 22 stone when was winning Mr Olympia and look at him. Elvis was tall enough to carry 15 stone but 18 stone was too much for him and it was bad weight......

I'm pretty sure that Arnie was around 17.5 stone cut in competition. I saw Dorian Yates in person (out of competition) when he was around 7% body fat. He was 22 stone and, while a little shorter than Arnie, significantly bigger.

Elvis was not actually that fat which is why his physical appearance could alter dramatically in short periods of time. There's a photo around late 75 when he has just come out of hospital - having had his colon unblocked and water drained from his body - and he looks amazing. Elvis' problem was constipation (from the pain killer abuse) which he carried on his stomach, and severe water retention in his face from the drugs. Do you remember when he went to see Nixon where his face bloated as a reaction to eating chocolate?

In short, attributing 230 pounds to Elvis at the time of EIC seems reasonable - therefore he could well have gone down to 220 pounds just through water loss?

Maybe someone can find that picture - I think its at an airport??

The bloating appearance was from Cushing's syndrome from the steroids he took for his colon. He was also bloated like that in 73 at the time of the divorce hearing from the "acupuncture" treatments he was getting which were really cortisone and demerol shots. The bloating came from the cortisone. Apart from the constipation and the addiction, opioids in and of themselves do not harm the body. They don't cause water retention and bloating. The Acetaminophen in some opiods cause liver damage and speed causes liver damage but not opioids by themselves.

[LesterB]

hey Im 18 stone!!, ah no Im 17 stone but it depends what kind of weight you are carrying. Arnie was 22 stone when was winning Mr Olympia and look at him. Elvis was tall enough to carry 15 stone but 18 stone was too much for him and it was bad weight......

I'm pretty sure that Arnie was around 17.5 stone cut in competition. I saw Dorian Yates in person (out of competition) when he was around 7% body fat. He was 22 stone and, while a little shorter than Arnie, significantly bigger.

Elvis was not actually that fat which is why his physical appearance could alter dramatically in short periods of time. There's a photo around late 75 when he has just come out of hospital - having had his colon unblocked and water drained from his body - and he looks amazing. Elvis' problem was constipation (from the pain killer abuse) which he carried on his stomach, and severe water retention in his face from the drugs. Do you remember when he went to see Nixon where his face bloated as a reaction to eating chocolate?

In short, attributing 230 pounds to Elvis at the time of EIC seems reasonable - therefore he could well have gone down to 220 pounds just through water loss?

Maybe someone can find that picture - I think its at an airport??

The bloating appearance was from Cushing's syndrome from the steroids he took for his colon. He was also bloated like that in 73 at the time of the divorce hearing from the "acupuncture" treatments he was getting which were really cortisone and demerol shots. The bloating came from the cortisone. Apart from the constipation and the addiction, opioids in and of themselves do not harm the body. They don't cause water retention and bloating. The Acetaminophen in some opiods cause liver damage and speed causes liver damage but not opioids by themselves.

Thanks. Steroids, of course, cause severe water retention as do some painkillers I think. Are you saying that Elvis only suffered water retention due to a high salt diet?

[matilda]

Great pics Paul....thanks......to me- he looked in pretty good shape, and it wasn't so much that he was fat- he just had a bit of a belly as most men do around that age (i'm 46 and been struggling to get rid of mine since i was about 40 lol)....BUT the jumpsuits didnt help him AT ALL....in normal clothes he looked pretty much the shape of lots if not most men of 42.

I don't know what's the big deal ALL the time about his weight.

The big deal about the weight was , this was Elvis, a man who always looked like a Greek God, a man who's physical attraction was responsible for much of his success as well as his talent. And don't think he and the Col didn't know the image was very important. That he let himself go at such a young age is something that could not be ignored. Can you imagine how the this discussion would be if he appeared this way in his 1968 comeback special or the Aloha worldwide broadcast? This is only a few years later, so the points are valid. The jumpsuits certainly did not help and had worn out their welcome already by 1974. I do not agree that he looked in pretty good shape. He looked unwell and very out of shape for such a young man. I'm talking about when he was also 39, in 1974, not just 41 or 42.

agreed and not agreed.

he did not look in good shape concerning his face.
he looks awful.....it's the sickness you see in his face.
sickness, drugs..I don't know.
he looks sick and bloated.
for that...not good shape at all.....

talk about his weight...yes, it's way overrated and to call him fat is ridiculous.
take away the big sideburns and the stage costumes......he is in normal weight for a man his age and a man who is not very fit.
but between not fit and fat is a difference.....not fit=normal, not very slim or muscular

Elvis was not fit or fat I 1977.



but, true...since Elvis was always a very beautiful man.....critics and public waited for the time , as they all do with all sex symbols, when first signs are that those people are not anymore like they were when they were very young.
it's UNfair...but a fact.....that they measure people like Elvis different than average lookin Joe public,

Elvis always looked great...so no wonder ...they pick up and ridicule when he is not anymore.
they , press and public, do it all the time......part of the game.....and, believe it, a lot of people (among press and public) who were envious over the years secretly, of course, about Elvis his appearance....now took great comfort and pleasure in the fact that his appearance declined

Not so much because of age, by the way, cause 42 Is still very young in my understanding...

c'mon, George Clooney and brad Pitt are 50....and nobody talks about them beein old and bad lookin...

so yeah...no drugs etc.....Elvis would or could have looked outstanding with 42, 50 and beyond.......cause it's really no age.

[ep2]

Did Elvis heard or saw newspaper reports about bad shows or the way he looked???

[r&b]

Did Elvis heard or saw newspaper reports about bad shows or the way he looked???

The MM always hid the bad reviews from him according to Joe E. As for the way he looked, I think he had mirrors. He knew.

[ep2]

maybe it was better if the col. showed the newspapers......

[eligain]

hey Im 18 stone!!, ah no Im 17 stone but it depends what kind of weight you are carrying. Arnie was 22 stone when was winning Mr Olympia and look at him. Elvis was tall enough to carry 15 stone but 18 stone was too much for him and it was bad weight......

I'm pretty sure that Arnie was around 17.5 stone cut in competition. I saw Dorian Yates in person (out of competition) when he was around 7% body fat. He was 22 stone and, while a little shorter than Arnie, significantly bigger.

Elvis was not actually that fat which is why his physical appearance could alter dramatically in short periods of time. There's a photo around late 75 when he has just come out of hospital - having had his colon unblocked and water drained from his body - and he looks amazing. Elvis' problem was constipation (from the pain killer abuse) which he carried on his stomach, and severe water retention in his face from the drugs. Do you remember when he went to see Nixon where his face bloated as a reaction to eating chocolate?

In short, attributing 230 pounds to Elvis at the time of EIC seems reasonable - therefore he could well have gone down to 220 pounds just through water loss?

Maybe someone can find that picture - I think its at an airport??

The bloating appearance was from Cushing's syndrome from the steroids he took for his colon. He was also bloated like that in 73 at the time of the divorce hearing from the "acupuncture" treatments he was getting which were really cortisone and demerol shots. The bloating came from the cortisone. Apart from the constipation and the addiction, opioids in and of themselves do not harm the body. They don't cause water retention and bloating. The Acetaminophen in some opiods cause liver damage and speed causes liver damage but not opioids by themselves.

Thanks. Steroids, of course, cause severe water retention as do some painkillers I think. Are you saying that Elvis only suffered water retention due to a high salt diet?

Read my post. I said the bloated appearance was from the steroids he took for his colon. Pain killers (opioids) in and of themselves don't cause bloating or water retention aside from constipation.

[ranskal]

The big deal about the weight was , this was Elvis, a man who always looked like a Greek God, a man who's physical attraction was responsible for much of his success as well as his talent.

Elvis the human being, right? People seem to forget that he was human and they expect him to have no flaws. No doubt he had issues the last 3 or 4 years of his life that ultimately got the best of him, but that doesn't diminish the fact that he was an amazing performer that opened the door for those to follow.

[KiwiAlan]

Face the facts.

He was a fat bugger at the end who wore corsets on stage.


He went to seed after losing the discipline that movie filming required to control weight.