I was watching Outside the Lines on ESPN this morning.
They were doing a segment on brain injuries in boxing and football.
James Toney was interviewed during the segment. It seems that he's been diagnosed with damage to his pituitary gland (located at the base of the brain) that likely resulted from numerous blows to the head.
As a result, his pituitary gland can't function normally and release the right amount of hormones. Toney suffers from unusually low levels of numerous hormones, such as testosterone.
During the segment, they said this brain damage may be one of the main causes behind his weight problems, as his body can't produce the hormones needed to metabolize food.
Studies are showing that as many as 50% of boxers may suffer from pituitary gland brain injury. Results like this always bother me and make me worry about the quality of life for fighters like Gatti, Morales, and Holyfield who have suffered the same type of punishment over the years that Toney has.