In 2010, a man named Joe Cross did something that most doctors at the time considered absolutely insane. He was 100 pounds overweight, loaded up on Prednisone, and suffering from a rare autoimmune disease that made his skin feel like it was constantly being stung by a thousand bees. He called himself Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.
Then he drank nothing but green juice for 60 days straight.
It’s been over fifteen years since that documentary took over Netflix and launched a million Breville juicer sales. People still talk about it. They still search for it. Why? Because the image of Joe—a high-flying Australian entrepreneur—hooked up to a juicer in the back of a truck while driving across America remains one of the most radical health transformations ever caught on film. But if you’re looking at Joe Cross today, or wondering if that "Reboot" lifestyle actually lasts, the story gets a lot more nuanced than just "drinking kale makes you skinny."
The Condition Nobody Talks About: Chronic Urticaria
Everyone focuses on the 100-pound weight loss. That’s the "before and after" that sells magazines. But for Joe, the weight was almost secondary to a condition called Chronic Urticaria.
Basically, his body was in a constant state of allergic rebellion.
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If someone shook his hand too hard, his palm would swell up like a balloon four hours later. He lived in fear of physical pressure. He was essentially a walking inflammatory response. To keep the hives at bay, he was on a massive cocktail of steroids. Prednisone is a "miracle" drug that comes with a heavy price: it makes you gain weight, messes with your moods, and thins your bones. Joe was trapped in a cycle where the medicine keeping him functional was also making him "fat and sick."
The 60-day juice fast wasn't just about fitting into smaller jeans. It was a desperate, scorched-earth attempt to reset his immune system. By flooding his body with micronutrients and removing every possible trigger—dairy, gluten, processed sugar, alcohol—he wanted to see if his body could remember how to heal itself.
Did it actually work long-term?
Honestly, the "happily ever after" of health documentaries is often a bit of a lie. We see the guy get skinny, the credits roll, and we assume he’s still eating salads in 2026.
With Joe, it’s been a mix. He’s been very open about the fact that he didn’t stay at his "day 60" weight forever. Life happens. Stress happens. He’s an entrepreneur who travels, and the road is not kind to people trying to live on spinach juice.
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However, the "Nearly Dead" part of the equation seems to be gone for good. Joe successfully transitioned off the steroids and managed to put his autoimmune condition into remission. That is the real win. He hasn't been a "juice-only" person for a long time; instead, he advocates for a 80/20 lifestyle where plants take the lead, but he’s not afraid of a meal you have to actually chew.
What the Science Says Now (The 2026 Perspective)
If you tried to do a 60-day juice fast today, your doctor might have a different reaction than they did in 2010. Recent studies, including a notable one from Northwestern University in 2025, have shed some light on the "cleanse" culture Joe helped create.
The reality is a bit complicated:
- The Fiber Problem: When you juice, you strip away the insoluble fiber. Fiber is what feeds your gut microbiome. Removing it for 60 days can actually cause a shift in gut bacteria that might increase inflammation in some people.
- The Sugar Spike: Even "green" juices often have 3-4 apples to make them drinkable. Without fiber to slow down absorption, that’s a massive hit of fructose to the liver.
- The "Reboot" Psychology: Joe calls it a "Reboot" for a reason. It’s a pattern interrupt. For someone addicted to ultra-processed foods, a juice fast acts like a circuit breaker. It resets the palate. Suddenly, a plain tomato tastes like a gourmet meal.
The Phil Staples Factor: The Part That Broke Our Hearts
You can't talk about Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Joe Cross without mentioning Phil Staples. Phil was the truck driver Joe met at a truck stop who weighed over 400 pounds and had the exact same rare skin condition.
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Watching Phil lose weight was the emotional core of the movie. It proved that Joe’s results weren't just "rich guy magic." But if you followed the sequel, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2, you know that Phil struggled. He gained a significant amount of the weight back. He went through a divorce and lost his brother.
This is the part most "wellness gurus" hide. Joe didn't hide it. He showed that health isn't a destination you reach and then park the car. It’s a daily maintenance project. Phil’s journey reminded everyone that a 60-day fast can change your body, but it takes a lifetime of work to change your environment and your coping mechanisms.
Actionable Insights: If You're Thinking of a "Reboot"
If you’re feeling "fat, sick, and nearly dead" yourself, don’t just run out and buy 40 pounds of kale. The landscape of wellness has shifted toward sustainability over extremity.
- Don't ignore the fiber. If you want to juice, great. But maybe blend instead. Keeping the pulp means you keep the microbiome-friendly fiber that protects your gut.
- Focus on the "Why." Joe wasn't just trying to look good; he was trying to stop his skin from burning. High-stakes motivation lasts longer than "I want to look good at a wedding."
- The 80/20 Rule. You don't need to be perfect. Even Joe Cross says that the goal is to get more plants into your body. If 80% of what you eat comes from the earth and 20% is "fun," you're ahead of 90% of the population.
- Check your meds. Joe did his fast under the supervision of Dr. Joel Fuhrman. If you are on blood thinners or diabetic medication, a radical diet change can be dangerous without a doctor adjusting your dosages.
The legacy of Joe Cross isn't that we should all stop eating solid food. It’s that most of us are "overfed but undernourished." We are eating plenty of calories but zero micronutrients. Whether you drink your veggies or eat them, the lesson remains: your body is a self-healing machine, but you have to give it the right parts to work with.
To move forward with your own health journey, start by swapping one meal a day for a plant-heavy alternative—whether that's a juice, a smoothie, or a massive salad—and track how your energy levels (and skin) respond over fourteen days. Most people find that the "fog" lifts long before the weight does.