Life after Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

A friend recently gave me a copy of the documentary film Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. It is an amazing and inspiring tale of a man named Joe Cross who successfully conquered his weight problem by taking control of his diet.

Joe is a businessman with a flourishing career as a trader in the Sydney Futures Exchange where he worked from the early ’80s to 1998. He also managed various assets in telecommunications, media, technology and financial services for Queensland Press Ltd. His investment vehicle Jaymsea Investments Pty Ltd has a portfolio of active investments which includes Thakoon, a leading US-based high-end fashion label; Willow, a first-class Australian-based fashion label; and Citibabes, a club and education center for families with small children.

Despite Joe’s professional success, he was a physical failure because he did not manage his health properly. He had an unhealthy lifestyle — he consumed large quantities of processed food, smoked and drank excessively — all of which took its toll on his heavy but fragile body. When Joe was 40 years old, he weighed over 300 lbs. and was diagnosed with a rare disease called Autoimmune.

He was prescribed with several medications like the steroid Prednisone for eight years, day and night. But his condition did not improve. Physical movements were difficult for him — a mere handshake, sitting on a chair or lying in bed caused his body to break out into hives, red blotches and swelling in the joints resulted in excruciating pain. Doing normal things like carrying a shopping bag, holding a baby, or walking long distances were not normal anymore for him. He felt nearly dead.

Joe did not dwell on self-pity but instead decided to take control of the problem. His quick remedy was to drink only freshly-juiced vegetables and fruits for the first 60 days. That personal journey gave him the basis for his documentary film Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. Joe realized that he could transform the story into a literal journey. He left for New York and went on a cross-country expedition. He bought a truck, a juicer and a generator to operate it when he was on the back roads. A cameraman and a sound guy rode with him throughout his exciting escapade. He stayed in restaurant parking lots waiting for his crew to finish their meals. What’s amazing about this guy is that he did not eat a single bite of solid food for two months.

Along the way, he met hundreds of people from all walks of life and talked with them about food, health and longevity. Their conversations would last 10 minutes and sometimes hours. During this time, his physical appearance started to change. He looked healthier because of his diet.

One time, his truck stopped in Arizona where he met Phil Staples who weighed 429 lbs. He was a cheeseburger away from a heart attack. While Joe was recovering his health, Phil started his journey to get well. Both of them realized that the persons who could save themselves were themselves.

After 60 days of vegetable and fruit juice only, followed by another 70 days of eating just fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and seeds, Joe was 100 lbs lighter and off from all medication.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead was seen by over six million people around the world and has inspired a health movement of over 150,000 people in the US. The film reached No. 3 on iTunes documentary rentals, averaged 4.2 stars out of five in 350,000 Netflix ratings, and attracted over 500 written reviews.

In 2010, the film won the Turning Point Award in Sonoma International Film Festival, Best Documentary Feature in Iowa Independent Film Festival, and Audience Choice Award Documentary in Sonoma International Film Festival.

Joe recently founded Reboot Your Life, a lifestyle brand that provides information, tools, media and entertainment, consumer products and community support that encourage people to consume more fruits and vegetables in order to improve their health and vitality.