Big Boy in December 2002

April 28, 2005 No Big Deal Is it so bad to be a big fat loser? Not if you're losing fat. At least that's what hip hop radio station Power 106 seems to be saying with its latest billboard campaign. The ads give props to their own "Big Loser," morning show host Big Boy who recently dropped over half his body weight. Fans of his show have followed Big Boy's weight loss struggle for years. In 2002 Will Smith got jiggy with a challenge for the 510-pound radio personality: lose 50 pounds, and for every pound Smith would give $1000 to charity. Challenge met. Through diet and exercise, the DJ melted off 111 pounds. But the diet demon bit back, and he put the weight on again. Gastric bypass surgery in November 2003 gave Big Boy a big boost. In the 17 months since the surgery, he's dropped an astonishing 270 pounds, bringing his current weight to a manageable 240. Big Boy (born Kurt Alexander) is the first to say gastric bypass surgery isn't for everybody, and he has had his share of complications. Take this complication: Not that long ago, Power 106 used his super-sized physique to sell the show. Today his trademark name doesn't fit any better than his outsized pants. So how do you sell a Big Boy who's no longer big? Guess you'll have to watch the billboards to find out.