Henry VIII, the Brain, and the Obesity

Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson · Mar 26, 2026 · 11m

The Madness of King Henry VIII—and What We Got Wrong About Obesity

The King We Forgot

There is a moment in history that most of us think we understand. King Henry VIII—large, immobile, temperamental—has become almost a caricature of excess. We picture a man who simply ate too much, moved too little, and paid the price. It is a tidy story. Unfortunately, it is also likely the wrong one.

Before the 1530s, Henry was something very different. He was athletic, charismatic, and energetic. He hunted, he jousted, he played sports, and he carried himself like the Renaissance ideal—educated, capable…