Boxing legend Mike Tyson recently appeared in a black-and-white advertisement for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s newly launched dietary campaign under the Trump administration.
The 59-year-old icon appears in the 30-second spot, and he opened up about a period in his life when his weight spiralled dangerously out of control.
“My sister’s name was Denise. She passed away from obesity at the age of 25. She had a heart attack,” Tyson tells viewers in the clip.
The personal loss clearly weighs heavily on the former heavyweight champion, who went on to experience his own health challenges.
Tyson candidly described his lowest point: “I was so fat and nasty, I would eat anything. I was like 345 lbs (156 kg). A quarter of ice cream every hour. I had so much self-dislike that I just wanted to end my life.”
The advertisement intersperses these confessions with footage of Tyson eating fresh vegetables, including carrots and apples, before he delivers a pointed critique of American dietary habits.
“We’re the most powerful country in the world and we have the most obese, fudgy people,” he states. “Something has to be done about processed food in this country.”
Tyson himself tweeted about his participation, writing: “The most important fi ght of my life isn’t in the ring. I’m not competing for a belt. I’m competing for our health. Processed foods are taking lives. We have been lied to and we need to eat real food again.”
The most important fight of my life isn’t in the ring.
I’m not fighting for a belt. I’m fighting for our health.
Processed foods are killing us. We have been lied to and we need to eat real food again. pic.twitter.com/vnxHoCqHTJ
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) February 6, 2026
The boxer’s weight challenges became public knowledge in 2009, when reports indicated he had reached 378 lbs (171 kg) and was classified as clinically obese. At the time, Tyson was approximately 170 lbs (77 kg) heavier than during his competitive prime and facing multiple health complications.
“I was so congested from all the sub stances and bad c**aine, I could hardly breathe,” Tyson previously admitted. “I had high blood pressure, was almost passing away and had arthritis. Turning vegan helped me eliminate all those problems in my life.”
Tyson adopted a vegan lifestyle in 2010, completely removing meat from his diet. The dietary change, combined with increased physical activity, helped him drop substantial weight over the following decade.
