Jul. 20 2021, Updated 11:33 a.m. ET
When somebody's been on tv for greater than a decade, it’s easy for lovers to pick up on changes to their appearance. So naturally, Frank Fritz’s significant weight loss in between American Pickers’ eighth and 9th seasons elicited a robust reaction from History Channel viewers.
The Iowa native printed that his smaller body is the result of making some changes so as to take care of himself in gentle of his ongoing fight with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that he’s been affected by for more than 30 years.
Frank Fritz is unrecognizable as he's seen for the first time in over a yr
Posted through Frank Fritz from American Pickers on Monday, July 19, 2021The 54-year-old addressed rumors surrounding his slimmer determine in a Facebook post revealed a couple days prior to the Season Nine finale. "A lot of you have been wondering about my health and my weight loss," he wrote on Aug. 17, 2013. "I have an illness called Crohn’s [disease], which at times is difficult to deal with."
Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal ache, bloody stool, and lowered appetite. "I started losing weight and ran with it!" Frank shared on the time, adding that he had felt significantly better in recent times. "I have been exercising and eating good… Thanks for all of your kind words of concern! I couldn't do what I do without all of you!"
In a July 2021 interview with The Sun, Frank shared some further details about his weight loss. "The weight loss is me watching what I’m eating so I can keep my disease under control the best I can. I’m just eating healthy. After a while I started watching what I’m doing and I’m doing a little bit more walking. I keep pretty busy around here too, taking care of the grass and getting rid of the weeds.”
In a 2011 interview with the Quad-City Times, Frank said his "terrible" Crohn’s disease not only affects him but also his family members and co-workers. Luckily, he became a master at dealing with his condition on the road, which was of the utmost importance while filming American Pickers.
He and co-star Mike Wolfe would travel across the country in a recreational vehicle equipped with portable facilities so that he never had to worry about finding a bathroom in the rural locales they would frequent.
"Crohn’s and trip is all about control," Frank explained in a 2012 chat with the National Enquirer. "My whole team knows about my Crohn’s. They know it when I desire a ruin. I mean… if I have to pass, I've to go!"
Frank hopes to inspire those in the Crohn’s community who feel limited by their disease. "I’m attempting to display folks that irrespective of the adversities... and the social scenarios, the awkwardness, injuries, that you'll are living a productive existence," he told the Quad-City Times.
The reality star publicly disclosed a prescription for Xanax after being charged with an OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) in 2017. Along with the anti-anxiety drug, THC was detected in the motorbike junkie’s system at the time.
Frank told the Quad-City Times that having people watch his every move due to his celebrity status led him to seek medication. As for the THC, "I still had [it] from the 3 weeks I'd spent in Colorado. When in Rome," he stated before insisting, "I'm not a large drug consumer. I don't have time for that."
The collector ultimately pled guilty to the OWI charge but claimed the media blew the incident out of proportion. "They made me sound like Public Enemy No. 1," he shared of local TV reports. "They mentioned I was under the influence of alcohol and weaving in all places the road. I blew a point zero, zero, zero on alcohol. There was none in my gadget."
Frank admitted he 'hasn’t been out picking much lately'
Posted by Frank Fritz from American Pickers on Monday, July 19, 2021Fans of the show know that Frank has not appeared on any new episodes since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Mike has been doing the picking and is sometimes joined by Danielle, his brother Robbie, Jersey Jon, or another guest picker. Given Frank's absence from the show, people have been wondering what happened to Frank, and whether he is still part of the show.
In that same interview with The Sun, Frank said that he did not leave the show. Rather, his absence was due to a combination of him getting back surgery and then the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. "It’s up to the community whether or not I come back at the show. It ain’t gonna impact me one bit. I didn’t leave the show, I finished capturing and then I had a bit of back surgical treatment and the pandemic came," he said.
He also said that he would like to come back to American Pickers, although he is a bit wary of rejoining the production right now. "I would like to come again to the show, however we will see. I was doing it for Eleven years, however there's a lot of controversy going on at the moment," he said, most likely referencing the recent announcement that Mike goes through a divorce from his spouse Jodi.
Regardless of what happens to the display one day, enthusiasts are no doubt satisfied to see Frank making his well being and happiness a most sensible precedence in his lifestyles.
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