TV host and national weather anchor Al Roker has long been famous for his likable personality on NBC's Today show, which he has appeared regularly on since 1996. As a TV celebrity, Roker's heavy weight has also been up front and center throughout his long media career. How did Al Roker lose weight? Did he have weight loss surgery to shed so many pounds?
While American TV fans had always been familiar with the "fat" and jolly Al Roker, Roker's heavy weight was taking a toll on both his physical and mental health. In 2001, Roker's weight was at an all-time high, with some sources claiming that at his peak weight he weighed around 350 pounds. According to Roker, his unhealthy relationship with food was even starting to negatively affect his marriage, with his secret binge eating becoming a source of contention between Roker and his wife. "It's a vicious cycle because now you feel judged and you're upset, and if that's the case, what do you do? You eat. And then your spouse is upset. Or you even lie about your food," said Roker.
Along with causing issues in his personal life, Roker's heavy weight even forced him to undergo emergency knee replacement surgery in his mid-forties. Likely inspired to lose weight after his knee replacement surgery, in 2002 Roker underwent a stunning celebrity weight loss transformation, with some reports stating he lost 100 to 150 pounds. How did he lose weight? Did Al Roker have bariatric weight loss surgery?
How did Al Roker lose weight? While weight loss surgery was still a relatively new elective surgery back in 2002, like fellow TV stars Roseanne Barr and Randy Jackson, Al Roker also publicly admitted to undergoing gastric bypass surgery in 2002 to get his weight under control, partly due to a promise he made to his dying father to lose weight so he could "be there" for his kids. While gastric bypass surgery helped Roker get down to 190 pounds, he has spoken openly about his own struggles with continuing to keep the weight off in the years following his bariatric surgery. As Roker stated somewhat jokingly in a 2013 interview, "You can eat through a bypass."
Having struggled with being overweight throughout his life, Al Roker actually wrote a book about his weight loss journey called Never Goin' Back. According to Roker, redefining his emotional and psychological relationship with food was the key to keep the weight off long-term. While he admits to experimenting with weight loss fad diets and at one point even underwent a 28-day detox cleanse in an effort to lose weight fast, for Roker a combination of healthy, whole foods and high-intensity workouts are keeping his health on track, but the famous weatherman acknowledges that everyone must find their own path to weight loss success. Surprisingly, for Roker regularly weighing himself on the bathroom scale helps keep him focused on maintaining his weight. "I weigh myself in the morning and at night, because this way I know where that number is," he stated in a 2016 interview, then adding jokingly, "Dr. Nancy thinks I'm nuts!"
Al Roker is an inspiration to anyone who has struggled to maintain a healthy weight throughout their life. Like many dieters, Roker has tried many different methods to achieve weight loss — bariatric gastric bypass surgery, cleanses, and fad diets — he has shown that his perseverance and determination are the true secrets to his weight loss transformation. We wish Al Roker and all others determined to keep the weight off continued success in 2018!