ESPN star Stephen A Smith has revealed the dramatic physical transformation he has undergone over the past year, following a series of health issues that nearly cost him his life. In an interview with biologist Gary Brecka on his YouTube channel, Smith detailed how his lifestyle changes have improved his health.
Smith shared that a year ago, his body fat was nearly 30 per cent, his cholesterol was over 300, and he was just 0.1 points away from being diagnosed with full-blown diabetes. He also revealed that his battle with Covid-19 'damn near killed' him.
'That was me a year ago,' Smith said, pointing to an image of his former self. 'I can't even tell you how bad I was.' He then showed his current leaner appearance, stating: 'This is a year later. As you can see, times have changed.'
Smith, who is usually private about his personal life, said he felt compelled to share his journey to encourage others to take proactive steps for their health. He confirmed that after changing his diet and increasing exercise, he is no longer pre-diabetic, his blood sugar is normal, and he has gained around six pounds of lean muscle.
Addressing speculation that his weight loss was aided by the diabetes drug Ozempic, Smith denied using it. 'I'm doing cardio six days a week, weightlifting five days a week, I take my supplements and vitamins, but I'm not doing that,' he said. He added that his mindset towards exercise has changed: 'I went from being conniving and slick and trying to avoid the gym to being pissed off that I missed going to the gym.'
