For years, Billy Gardell was the familiar, big-hearted presence on screens across the world: whether fans first discovered him through stand-up or instantly warmed to him as Mike Biggs in the hit sitcom Mike & Molly.
The actor’s trademark warmth, dry humour and everyman charm made him a TV favourite long before anyone knew the private battles he was facing away from the spotlight.
Despite steady success through his 20s, 30s and 40s, including the career-defining CBS sitcom and later Bob Hearts Abishola, Gardell’s relationship with food had been complicated since childhood. He has spoken candidly about the habits he carried from his teenage years into adulthood, as well as the pressures and emotional coping mechanisms that shaped them.
By the time he entered his 50s, the toll on his body had become impossible to ignore, and the fear of what might come next forced him to confront a lifetime of patterns.
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It wasn’t one single moment that changed everything, but a stack of worrying health issues arriving at once. Reported by People, he said: “It was really the perfect storm. Between my blood numbers not coming back good, my blood pressure going up, type 2 diabetes and COVID — it was enough stuff to scare me to say, ‘Come hell or high water, I’ve got to make a change.’”
In July 2021, Gardell underwent bariatric surgery, something he’d previously considered but backed away from twice. This time, he was determined. What followed wasn’t just a medical intervention but a full rewiring of how he thought about eating. He added: “It really came down to a shift in everything I think about food…Food is fuel. It’s not reward, it’s not soothing, it’s not medication. I had to get beyond my emotional relationship with food.”
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With consistency, careful nutrition and regular exercise, Gardell lost more than 170lbs. The film & TV actor noted: “I fluctuate between 210 and 215…And that’s comfortable for me.” As well as his appearance, the transformation altered his entire outlook, adding: “I feel like I saved my life; I really do.”
However, Gardell is the first to admit it hasn’t been a perfect, glossy, overnight journey, saying: “You’re never going to do it perfectly, but if you’re doing it eight out of 10 times, you’re going to win the battle.”
He still allows himself small indulgences, but with moderation that once felt impossible.
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Gardell explained: “I’m able to have a bite or two of something decadent if I want…At a birthday party I took one forkful of cake just to taste it, and that was enough. I used to eat a whole pizza. Now I can have a slice and be satisfied.”
His new lifestyle has opened the door to experiences he once thought were off-limits: surfing, horseback riding, even the simple joy of buying a shirt off the rack. The biggest reward, though. has been closer to home. Gardell credits his wife Patty and son Will as the anchors who kept him focused.
He said: “They want me around longer, God bless them…When a man knows what he’s fighting for, he’s capable of doing some amazing things.”
Topics: Celebrity, TV and Film, Diet
Ben Williams