Brando's Battle of the Bulge

I'll admit it, I find Marlon Brando interesting. Not just as an actor but as a person.  Not admirable - but fascinating and unusual. For example, unlike most leading men of the 1950s and 1960s, Brando had a real weight problem. Some highlights:

• George Englund writes that Brando needed to lose 30 lbs for "The Ugly American" and was doing well on his diet, until Brando and Englund went to a Beverly Hills Party. Brando disappeared into the Kitchen where Englund found Brando. wolfing down an entire cherry pie and a bottle of milk.
• In 1993, Brando had an insurance examination for his book and weighed-in at 305 lbs, but otherwise had no major health problems.
• Apocalypse Now. Brando showed up in the Philippines in 1976, 80 lbs overweight, and was so obese Coppola had to use a body double, and shoot Brando in shadows and from the waist up.
• In 1968, Kazan wanted him to lose weight for the Arrangement and was shocked at how fat Brando was in the The Countess from Hong Kong. By Comparison, Brando is in great shape in Night of the Following Day, shot in October 1966.
• Ghost-writer Lindsey writes Brando was so fat in 1991, he put his plate on his stomach, where it was perfectly flat.
• The One Eyed Jacks crew gave Brando an expensive belt at the wrap-party with the note: "Hope it fits".
• On Mutiny on the Bounty, Brando kept gaining weight and splitting his costume. requiring constant sets of new clothes.
• In most movies after 1973 the director's shot around Brando's weight by keeping the camera above the waist, or shooting Brando behind a table. Another trick was to give him flowing robes, or a well-tailored dark suit to hide the pounds.
• During the 1973 Dick Cavett interview, Brando hides his weight by wearing a Denim Jacket over a very dark sweater, with dark pants. He's either shot over the shoulder, or straight on. Its only when he's shown - once or twice -in close up at slight angle, that you can see his massive stomach spread. Comparison to his 1968 interview with Carson, shows the weight gain.
• In Appaloosa he wears loose fitting Pancho's and uses a stunt double for the action scenes.
• Brando swam and skin-dived, but there's no record of him hiking, jogging, playing tennis or golf, or any sport after the age of 20. According to his personal assistant, the older Brando would occasionally do exercises in the pool.
• In Autobiography, Brando claims he could lose up to fifty pounds, "whenever he wished", but as he got older and more fat, losing that "Fifty Pounds" meant he was bouncing between being 30-80 overweight.