Why was Henry VIII so fat?

Answer 1

Presumably it was the result of over-eating.

Henry VIII did indulge in food, and drink, excessively, as he aged. One of the key reasons he gained so much weight, in the last years of his life was due to his lack of physical activity. Many are not aware that Henry was a lover of sports, and competition, and was an excellent athlete; and from the time he was a child, well into his late 30s, he continued to engage in a variety of sports, almost daily, until about age 44.

Also, Henry was a large man, even by today's standards, both in height and bone structure. By the time he was 18, he was 6'2" (188 cm).

Henry regularly participated in playing tennis, riding, hunting, jousting, and Wrestling from the time he was a boy until he was injured while jousting, and had two bad falls.

At age 33, during a jousting tournament, Henry failed to lower the face visor on his helmet, and was hit in the head, above his right eye by his opponent's Launce. The injury was serious enough to have been the source for many migraine headaches, in years to follow. He also injured his foot, on another occasion, while playing tennis. He also developed increasing leg soars, likely due to poor circulation, and the use of leg garters. He had endured a few more injuries from falling from his horse, while hunting. When Henry and his entourage went hunting, the physical exertion was grueling, spending 10-12 hours a day in the saddle, for 4-5 days at a time. It was no wonder both he and his horse were injured during some of these hunting trips.

As Henry grew older, and endured physical injuries of one sort or another, he became less physically active. He always enjoyed his food and drink, and did not seem to tapper back on his intake, as he became more sedentary. Also, everything that Henry endeavored, he did to excess, giving 120% of his mental and physical devotion. This approach likely was not a good way to monitor caution, when others knew "it was time to slow down, or take a break".

The injury which truly ended all physical activity for Henry occurred in 1536 during a jousting tournament, yet again. He was in full armour, and his horse threw him, and fell on him. This caused a terrible head injury, where he lay unconscious for 2 hours. Many feared the worst. He obviously did recover but not entirely. He was not quite the same after this last accident. He still rode, and hunted but became increasingly sedentary, with each passing year.

Answer 2

Henry was quite sporty but when he got an injury while jousting near the end of his life, he became ill and didn't do much so the last few years he became very fat from 1544 to 1547. In the time of rule by kings and queens, only royalty could afford to eat well. Peasants paid much of their crop yields to the upper classes, and consequently, often starved during the hard winters. Many royals, having no real physical work to do, spent much time in feasting and holding court celebrations and parties. Henry VIII had a well-known love of eating as a pastime. Strawberries and cream were first popularized at Henry VIII's court. Henry had orchards of Pears, apples, plums, damsons, cherries and strawberries at his disposal. Cherries and strawberries were his favorite fruits, and he ate them as tarts, pies and cakes. Honey was used as a sweetener, and added liberally to many dishes. Henry VIII and the 800 people of his court consumed 8,200 sheep. 2,330 deer, 2,870 pigs, 1,240 oxen, 24,000 larks, and 33,000 chickens in one year. With the best cooks in England at his command, it isn't hard to see how or why Henry became fat. he also became fat because of an ulcer when he had the best of cooks he didn't pay them alot he usually invited them to eat with him instead of paying them

Answer 3

He was obese for multiple reasons. His personality was "bigger than life" in multiple meanings, and after having a wound, he kept on eating just as much as his active days. His earlier days were described by the people as, Attractive and Handsome.

Answer 4

In the time of rule by kings and queens, only royalty could afford to eat well. Peasants paid much of their crop yields to the upper classes, and consequently, often starved during the hard winters. Many royals, having no real physical work to do, spent much time in feasting and holding court celebrations and parties. Henry VIII had a well-known love of eating as a pastime. Strawberries and cream were first popularized at Henry VIII's court. Henry had orchards of pears, apples, plums, damsons, cherries and strawberries at his disposal. Cherries and strawberries were his favorite fruits, and he ate them as tarts, pies and cakes. Honey was used as a sweetener, and added liberally to many dishes. Henry VIII and the 800 people of his court consumed 8,200 sheep. 2,330 deer, 2,870 pigs, 1,240 oxen, 24,000 larks, and 33,000 chickens in one year. With the best cooks in England at his command, it isn't hard to see how or why Henry became fat. he also became fat because of an ulcer when he had the best of cooks he didn't pay them alot he usually invited them to eat with him instead of paying them

Answer 5

Henry the eighth got hugely over wieght by eating way too much food at his home and at all of the many parties he went to.

He also didn't get any excersise because he thought that gettinng children under the age of twelve to ride horses for him and winning horse races was excersise.

Answer 6

Why not? He got to eat whatever he wanted, all day, got little to no exercise, and wouldn't lose anything by getting fat.

Answer 7

he ate way to much food in a month .