Early Life

Hudson was born in 1945 in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, he was a compulsive eater. His father left the family when he was a baby. By the time he was 6 years old, he weighed 125 pounds (57 kg). He would often leave home early on the way to school just to eat extra food, and would routinely eat late at night. He dropped out of school in the 7th grade after breaking his leg, eventually earning his high school diploma via a tutor. Around age 15, he became permanently homebound.^[2] He and his family moved to Hempstead, New York on Long Island when he was 25.^[3]

Obesity

While living in Hempstead, Hudson shared a house with his brother George, sister Barbara, and her children. He was bedridden except for going to the bedroom, never left his home, and kept himself occupied by reading the Bible daily.^[4] In September 1987, he fell and became stuck in the doorway to his bedroom. His family were unable to remove him, and the Hempstead Fire Department worked for four hours to cut the doorframe and extricate him.^[3] Afterwards, Hudson decided to go on a diet with the assistance of comedian-turned-health activist Dick Gregory. When Gregory's professionals attempted to weigh Hudson, a team of weightlifters had to carry him onto the scale; he overloaded the scale's 1,000 pounds (450 kg) limit, and his weight was estimated at 1,200 pounds (540 kg).^[4] The Guinness Book of World Records officially recorded his peak weight at 1,197 pounds (543 kg), with a waist circumference of 119 inches (300 cm), the largest ever recorded; this also made him the heaviest man alive since the death of Jon Brower Minnoch and the second-heaviest person of all time.^[1]

After a year of dieting under Gregory's supervision Hudson weighed 520 pounds (240 kg) in September 1988, indicating a weight loss of nearly 680 pounds (310 kg). He also left his home under his own power for the first time in 18 years. Gregory discontinued his assistance shortly after, citing Hudson's fear of leaving his home as a major impediment for further treatment; other reports suggest it was tension between Hudson's family and Gregory's professionals providing 24-hour live-in care. In 1989, a bronchial infection disrupted Hudson's diet and exercise routine, causing him to relapse and regain nearly 200 pounds (91 kg).^[3]

Inspired by his difficulty finding clothes that fit him, Hudson started a mail order plus-sized clothing company named Walter Hudson Ventures in 1989 in partnership with a woman named Alexis Blass.^[2] It included a women's fashion line named "Invitation to the Dance," which Hudson described as aimed at women "from 200 to 1,000 pounds"; he also had plans to start a plus-sized men's clothing line.^[3] Hudson established a relationship with Sunday Cruz, one of his customers, and the two had become engaged by 1991.^[2]

Daily diet

Hudson described his typical daily diet as consisting of two boxes of sausages, 1 pound (0.45 kg) of bacon, one dozen eggs, and a loaf of bread for breakfast; four Big Macs, four double cheeseburgers, and eight large portions of French fries for lunch; and three large ham steaks or two chickens, four baked potatoes, four sweet potatoes, four heads of broccoli, and most of a large cake for dinner. Each meal would be accompanied by 6 US quarts (5.7 L) of soda and "the better part of a large cake" for dessert, plus snacks throughout the day.^[4]

After enlisting Dick Gregory's help, Hudson was put on a strict 1,200 calorie vegetarian diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, Gregory's commercial powdered diet mix, orange juice, and 6 US quarts (5.7 L) of water.^[3]