Richard Simmons Underwent a Drastic, Dangerous Diet to Shed Over 100 lbs. After Being Told, 'That Weight Is Going to Kill You'

Angela AndaloroFri, May 15, 2026 at 8:08 PM UTC

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Richard Simmons answering fan mail (left) and leading a class
Credit: American Broadcasting Companies/Getty; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty -

Richard Simmons's life as a fitness guru began with a difficult childhood, where he was bullied by peers because of his weight

Simmons admitted having an unhealthy entry to the world of fitness, which later inspired him to bring exercise to people of all situations and circumstances

The Mystery of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special delves into Simmons's complex and mysterious life

Richard Simmons's journey to fitness isn't what most would expect.

In the new special, The Mystery of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special, Sawyer speaks with those closest to Simmons about his complicated life journey.

As a child, Simmons was overweight and suffered bullying at the hands of his peers. When a doctor put him on a diet, he began looking for shortcuts to weight loss that were extremely dangerous.

"Diet pills in elementary school. Throwing up four or five times a day, trying to be accepted, trying to change what you look like. Hopefully, you could be a new person and get rid of the old person you didn't like so much," Simmons said in archival interview footage included in the special.

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Richard Simmons in 1984
Credit: American Broadcasting Companies via Getty

By the time he graduated high school, the 5'7" star had reached nearly 270 lbs. Sawyer shares, "A stranger left him a note, 'That weight is going to kill you.' "

"There was a note on my car, and it said, 'Dear Richard, you're very funny but fat people die young.' "

Sawyer explains this led to further dangerous behavior from Simmons, who "starves himself, [ingesting just] lettuce and water, losing more than 100 lbs. in only two months. But it ends up in the hospital, with dehydration and problems with his kidneys and lungs.

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Richard Simmons in Nov. 2013
Credit: Charles Norfleet/FilmMagic

Simmons was "horrified by the damage he had done" to himself as he settled into life in Los Angeles at age 25. In another interview clip, Simmons explains, "If you don't exercise while you're losing the weight, you will end up looking like a very thin GLAD blag."

This led Simmons to plastic surgery to manage the excess skin. "The chin had to go up, eyes had to be done, nose fixed, 900 hair transplant," he revealed.

Simmons maintained he was honest about his experience because he didn't want another person to "make the same anguished decision that I made, because I almost died."

Richard Simmons in 1980
Credit: Getty

It was beginning his career this way that led Simmons to want to create inclusive fitness solutions that made a healthy lifestyle feel more accessible to everyone.

"He was inviting everyone to the party, to dance like you would have at the high school prom," Sawyer says in the special, pointing out that Simmons' early classes in his first studio were designed for overweight women to help them regain confidence and community.

She then notes, "It's how he became the fitness kind who created stretch and exercise tapes for senior citizens. He also made exercise tapes for the disabled."

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”