488-Pound American Idol Contestant Dies From Obesity
I don’t think obesity is an actual cause of death. The obesity would have to lead to something else more specific that kills you (diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, etc.), but regardless, “complications from class III obesity” is what a coroner says killed former American Idol contestant and Christian singer Mandisa. Via People:
The Grammy winner and American Idol alum died of complications of class III obesity at age 47, according to an autopsy reported obtained by PEOPLE. The report said the star was found dead in her home by friends on April 18, and that she “was last known alive approximately three weeks” earlier. Her manner of death is listed as natural. Class III obesity is a disease in which a person “has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a BMI of 35 or higher and is experiencing obesity-related health conditions,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The medical examiner noted that Mandisa weighed 488 pounds at the time of her death. It’s tragic to hear that she was last seen alive three weeks before she was found dead, and it’s hard to believe no one tried to make contact with her for that long?
Mandisa was just 47 when she died, and here she was on camera for the first time, auditioning for season five of American Idol in 2006. She would go on to make it into the top nine before being eliminated:
