Billy Gardell Loses 170 Pounds Post-Surgery

Billy Gardell, the comedian and actor best known for starring in the sitcom Mike & Molly, has lost approximately 170 pounds since undergoing bariatric surgery in July 2021, following a series of health crises that included a type 2 diabetes diagnosis and a severe COVID-19 scare in 2020.

Gardell, now 56, reached his heaviest weight of around 370 to 380 pounds by 2020, when he developed type 2 diabetes alongside other conditions such as sleep apnea, asthma, high blood pressure and a history of smoking. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic amplified his risks. "When the first wave hit, and they punched up that list of high-risk conditions, I had all of them," Gardell said in a recent interview. "Overweight, sleep apnea, smoker, type 2 diabetes, asthma. It was really the perfect storm." He described the combination of poor blood sugar levels, elevated blood pressure and the virus as a wake-up call that prompted him to commit to change, no matter the obstacles.

For years, Gardell had cycled through unsuccessful weight loss attempts, promising himself each year that he would start on a Monday, the first of the month or New Year's Eve. He would lose dozens of pounds only to regain them,...