Millions of moviegoers around the world recognize Matthew McConaughey as having one of the best male physiques in Hollywood — but for his latest role he has morphed into a scary shadow of his former self.
And Celebuzz can reveal that the 42-year-old hunk has lost an astonishing 50 pounds to play AIDS victim Ron Woodroof in his new film The Dallas Buyers Club.
The latest images of the popular father-of-two from the New Orleans set are sending shockwaves around Hollywood and leading nutritionist Lisa De Fazio believes that the keep-fit fanatic may have pushed the envelope too far.
“He appears to weigh 135 pounds, currently, and I estimate he weighed about 185 pounds in the images before the weight loss,” said De Fazio after examining before and after images.
“I therefore believe he lost about 50 pounds, with the most likely way to do this being through a fast starvation and cleanse,” she continued. “He may have only consumed 500 to 800 calories per day. Matthew would have required medical supervision and a doctor should be evaluating regular blood work, blood pressure plus other routine tests.”
De Fazio adds that while McConaughey may have lost weight for the good of the role, the harmful effects of losing weight so quickly may outweigh any positives.
“The harmful consequences of this type of rapid starvation weight loss are muscle wasting, hair loss, anemia, strain on the heart and other organs, dehydration and possible heart attack,” she said. “In my opinion he looks too thin for his height and appears unhealthy. I know it is for a movie; however, I hope his medical team are monitoring him closely.”
“Matthew really took this role seriously and was willing to put his body through nutritional and physical stress to look the part – sometimes that is part of their job as actors!”
Samantha F. Grant, a nutritionist who has worked with various celebrities, predicted McConaughey had lost at least 30 pounds.
“He was already lean, so the bulk of his loss is muscle tissue and water. Muscle is denser than body fat, which he had very little to begin with so the actual pounds could be higher,” Grant told Celebuzz.
“More than likely, Matthew is on a low carb, no sugar, very low fat diet. The bulk of his food probably comes in the form of protein shakes. More than likely he’s doing long cardio sessions and avoids lifting weights to keep from gaining bulk.”
She added:
“Weight loss of more than 2 pounds per week [for a person of healthy weight] can be damaging due to lack of key nutrients like calcium, Vitamin D and Potassium. This may lead to unpleasant side effects like irregular heartbeat, lightheadedness, or worse, heart failure. I am sure he is monitored closely by his physicians and probably on a comprehensive multi-vitamin and mineral regime to counteract any negative effects. In a worst-case scenario, the body begins to cannibalize itself by mobilizing muscle tissue for energy and stored nutrients.”
In order to get back to the physique he became famous for having, Grant advises McConaughey add “good healthy fats from avocado, coconut and a variety of nuts and seeds to his diet.”
“He needs to make sure he’s getting optimal proteins from whole eggs, salmon, grass fed meats and lots of fiber and nutrients from vegetables and fruits,” she said. “He may want to add in a protein shake to fill in the gaps between meals. By hitting the weights at the gym and making sure his testosterone levels are normal, he should be able to gain weight, mostly muscle, in a healthy manner.”
Actors losing weight for movie roles has become something of a trend in Hollywood as of late. Other actors to do it include Christian Bale, who lost a staggering 63 pounds for The Machinist after undergoing a diet of coffee, water, tuna and an apple a day, and rapper 50 Cent, who lost 50 pounds for his role in Things Fall Apart after partaking in a two-month liquid diet.
In The Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey plays real-life AIDS victim Ron Woodroof, a man who created a lucrative drug-smuggling business that helped fellow-AIDS patients. The film opens in 2013.
