The man who has chronic urticaria, an autoimmune condition, has now become a witness advocate. He weighed 310 pounds (140 kilograms) in 2005 and spent his 30s experimenting with traditional and non-traditional medicine to treat his disease. With his regular smoking and drinking habits, the doctor even forewarned him that he would die young. So, in 2005, Joe began a 60-day juice fast under the supervision of his doctor. During his juice diet, he traveled across America, interviewing people about their food attitudes. He used 80% vegetables and 20% of Mean Green Juice, which is a blend of apples, ginger, kale, lemon, celery, and cucumber.
Joe stated that he felt groggy and unstable for the first three to five days, but after five days, he began to feel better both physically and mentally. So, by day 61, Cross had lost 82 pounds and reported complete relief from his urticaria symptoms. Joe documented his juice fast, traveled across America, and released the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead in 2011. Following the release of the film, he continued to travel around the world to promote juicing and has plans to make a second film about life after juicing. He did, however, release the second installment of the film, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead 2, in 2014. This film features the people from the first film, as well as expert interviews and Cross’s efforts to maintain his weight. Similarly, Joe produced The Kids Menu, a health documentary that focuses on preventing childhood obesity.
