I know DJ had cancer at one point, but from what I read he beat it when he was in his teens...so why is he still so gaunt and rail thin? Did chemo/treatments do something to permanently keep him looking like an emaciated skeleton? Maybe he has kidney issues? Not bashing him in any way, just curious. Seems to me he is still far below his natural body weight.
"Dammit, Sulik died again! I'm taking back my Mega Powerfist, worthless tribal!"
i wonder if he keeps the weight off by choice. He's always typecast because of how he looks. He was a former model too so maybe he even has some experience in keeping a low body weight.
It has been explained that due to his cancer when he was younger and the treatment is part of the reason he's so thin. It's probably also some genetics thrown in there. Some people, regardless of how much they eat, can't really gain weight. My husband "let himself go" when we started dating and he's a paltry 170 lbs. now but he's also 6'6". His younger brother eats nothing but fast food and drinks pop but he's skinnier than DJ.
He could just be naturally thin. I know a fair few people who eat like horses, but never seem to gain any weight. Some people just have it in their genes.
I am thin like DJ is. I stand about 6' and weigh around 115lb, which might seem to some of you outrageously underweight. I have small bones, nearly no body fat and little muscle on my frame. I'm 29.
I doubt it has much to do with cancer/chemo and more to do with body type. As there are people genetically predisposed to being overweight and packing on fat easily, so are there with the exact opposite problem. Consider us the "1%" of skinny. I have never had any sort of medical condition (other than being underweight my whole life) and several of my relatives are similarly thin.
I have, in the past, attempted to diet to gain weight. For ectomorphic people (the body type we have) it is outrageously difficult to put on weight. During my dieting phase, I had to eat five medium sized protein heavy meals per day. A medium sized meal would be something like a 6-inch meatball sub with a drink and a bag of chips. Five times per day. Considering that I'm only awake about 18 hours per day, you're talking about eating a meal roughly every three hours - and I'm simply not hungry that often. In addition to this, I had to work out constantly. To be frank, it is a little bit embarrassing going to the gym (for me at least) being underweight, but I did it anyway.
After a month of doing this - and it was exhausting - I had put on a meager 4 pounds onto my frame. I didn't enjoy eating that much nor exercising that much, nor the comments and glances from people who don't understand. I gave up and the weight shed off nearly as fast as it took to gain.
I have spoken to my doctor about being chronically underweight and my doctor said that as long as I'm eating well and I don't suffer from any other chronic ailments (which I don't) that it isn't particularly a problem. There is a higher risk for bone issues like osteoporosis as you get older, but other than that the only risk are comments from ignorant people who call you anorexic or tell you that you need to eat a burger or lift weights.
A free tip: no one who is underweight by genetics likes hearing about it - trust me. When someone makes a comment like "oh man you should eat more" it's exactly like telling a fat person they need to eat less. The only difference is that it seems socially acceptable to poke fun at skinny people and not so much on the other end of the spectrum.
Other than the occasional comment that hits a nerve, I am ok with my body type. I probably eat more than you do (because my body burns more calories typing this than yours does) but not so much as to make eating a chore anymore. I don't think too much about what I'm eating other than what I want, which is typically a lot of meat and carbs.
Though I certainly can't speak for DJ himself nor his medical history/conditions, hopefully my story can shed a little bit of light on the subject. Not everyone is built the same!
I admire your open honesty about this. It was very educational and showed a strong character.
I, personally, was just curious if DJ might have had an illness so I privately could stand in faith for him.
Again, thanks for your openness.
I was also naturally skinny and had a hard time gaining weight. Was about 5'7 and 120 lbs when I finished high school. I spent years working out and eating healthy to gain weight. I finally got up to nearly 155 lbs by my late 30s which is about right.