It’s a disturbing story that has circulated for years, often used to scare people away from certain diets: Did legendary actor John Wayne, the epitome of rugged masculinity, die with 40 pounds of impacted feces in his colon, supposedly due to a diet rich in red meat? This claim often resurfaces in online discussions, particularly among groups advocating for vegetarianism or promoting colon cleansing products. But is there any truth to this shocking assertion about “Meats By John And Wayne” and their impact?
John Wayne in a classic Western film, representing a rugged, meat-eating persona, often associated with myths about diet and health
The Claim: 40 Pounds of Impacted Feces
The rumor states that an autopsy performed on John Wayne after his death in 1979 revealed an astonishing 40 pounds of impacted fecal matter lodged in his colon. This is frequently attributed to his supposed high consumption of red meat and animal fats, which are claimed to accumulate in the intestines, leading to this unhealthy condition. Proponents of this story often use it as a cautionary tale against meat-heavy diets, suggesting that humans are not naturally equipped to digest animal products efficiently.
Examples of this claim can be found across the internet, often in forums and articles discussing diet and health:
“By the way when they did an autopsy on John Wayne (Mr. Macho himself) 40 pounds of impacted fecal matter was removed from his death inducing cancerous colon. That’s because Humans are not evolved for Animal eating. Animal fats lodge in the folds and pockets of our intestines.”
“It’s said that, according to the autopsy, John Wayne had 40 pounds of impacted fecal matter in his body at death. Elvis reportedly had 60 pounds.”
The Reality: Myth Debunked
The truth is far less sensational. The claim about John Wayne and 40 pounds of impacted feces is unequivocally false. No autopsy was ever performed on John Wayne. He died in 1979 due to stomach cancer, a well-documented natural cause of death. Because his death was attributed to natural causes and he had been undergoing cancer treatment, there was no medical or legal reason for a medical examiner to conduct an autopsy. Furthermore, given the family’s desire for privacy after his passing, it is highly unlikely they would have consented to such a procedure.
Adding to the myth-busting, consider the sheer implausibility of the claim. While fecal impaction is a real medical condition where stool becomes lodged in the digestive system, accumulating 40 pounds of impacted feces is not only extremely unlikely but would also cause severe and obvious symptoms long before death. In a documented case, a patient experiencing extreme pain and rectal bleeding due to constipation was found to have only about one pound of impacted feces. The idea that someone could carry around forty times that amount without significant medical intervention is simply not credible.
Elvis Presley: A Misleading Comparison
The myth often links John Wayne to Elvis Presley, another celebrity whose name is sometimes associated with similar claims of extreme fecal impaction. While it’s true that Elvis Presley’s autopsy did reveal a severely enlarged colon, the reasons were significantly different and often misrepresented. Reports from the doctors who performed Elvis’s autopsy indicated his colon was significantly larger than normal and packed with fecal material.
However, attributing Elvis’s condition solely to a “meat and potatoes” diet, as some proponents of the myth suggest, is a gross oversimplification. The primary causes of Elvis’s megacolon were far more complex and related to his lifestyle. His congenital twisted ganglionic fold, chronic laxative abuse, and, most importantly, prolonged and heavy drug abuse were the major contributing factors. Narcotic drugs and depressants are known to slow down the digestive system significantly, leading to food and waste accumulating and stretching the colon over time. Therefore, while diet might have played a minor role, it was drug abuse, not “meats by john and wayne” or a general meat-heavy diet, that was the primary culprit in Elvis’s case.
The Real Agenda Behind the Myth
So why does this myth about John Wayne and impacted feces persist? Often, such sensational stories are used as scare tactics by groups promoting specific agendas. In this case, the myth is frequently employed by advocates of colonic irrigation and vegetarianism.
Proponents of colonic irrigation, a practice of dubious medical benefit, use such stories to create fear around “toxins” and “sludge” supposedly accumulating in the colon due to modern diets. They then promote colonic irrigation as a necessary “detox” method. Similarly, vegetarian and vegan groups sometimes use this myth to demonize meat consumption, portraying it as unnatural and unhealthy for humans, despite the long history of meat in human diets and the nutritional value it provides.
Conclusion: Fact vs. Fiction
The anecdote about John Wayne’s autopsy revealing 40 pounds of impacted feces due to red meat consumption is a complete fabrication. It is important to be critical of such sensational health claims, especially those circulating online without credible sources. While discussions about healthy diets and the role of meat are valid, they should be based on factual information and scientific evidence, not on unsubstantiated myths and scare tactics. Focus on balanced information and consult reliable sources when evaluating health claims, especially those related to diet and celebrity health. Don’t let misinformation influence your understanding of nutrition and well-being.
Sources:
- Brody, Jane E. “Personal Health.” The New York Times. 29 January 1992 (p. C12).
- Guralnick, Peter. Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1999.
- Hainer, Cathy. “Back in the Bloom of Health.” USA Today. 11 January 1999 (p. D1).
- Mega, Marcello. “Putting Modesty Aside.” The Scotsman. 12 October 1994.
- Rabinovitch, Dina. “But Is It Better Than a Bowl of Bran Flakes?” The [London] Independent. 10 December 1991 (Health; p. 15).
- Stacy, Pat. Duke: A Love Story. New York: Atheneum, 1983.
- Thompson, Charles C. and James P. Cole. The Death of Elvis: What Really Happened. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1999.
- Wayne, Aissa. John Wayne, My Father. New York: Random House, 1991.
- Wayne, Pilar. John Wayne: My Life with the Duke. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1987.
- The Jerusalem Post. “Pomegranate Feast Ends in Constipation.” 4 September 1994 (p. 2).
