Fatso is a 1980 American comedy film written and directed by Anne Bancroft and starring Dom DeLuise, Ron Carey and Candice Azzara.

As the DiNapoli siblings -- Antoinette (Bancroft), Dominic (DeLuise), and Frank Jr. (Carey) - are growing up, whenever young Dom became upset by something, the one thing his mother did to comfort him was to feed him. This included giving him a cannoli after being urinated on by his baby brother as he's being changed. Because of this, Dom grew up with a love of food, a trait shared by his equally obese cousin, Salvatore (Sal).

When Sal suddenly dies at age 39, the family grieves. This prompts Antoinette to urge Dom to visit a diet doctor to avoid his cousin's unhealthy eating habits and not drive himself into an early grave as well. Dom agrees to do so once he recognizes signs that obesity is ruining his health. Dom is heartbroken when given his new diet plan, seeing the long list of things he can no longer eat. When the diet fails, Dom's eating habits drive his sister crazy, so she enlists him in the "Chubby Checkers" support group.

Meanwhile, Dom meets Lydia (Azzarra), who owns the town antique shop, and finds they have a lot in common. But being self-conscious about his weight, he fears rejection, and can't bring himself to ask her out.

Now further depressed, Dom seeks comfort from his Chubby Checkers -- Sonny and Oscar (Richard Karron and Paul Zegler) -- who turn out to be of little help, as their reminiscing about favorite desserts and dishes drives them to having a pig-out party in the kitchen. To help their brother, Antoinette and Frankie bring together Dom and Lydia. While dating, Dom doesn't realize that he has been eating less and less, and is shocked to discover at how loosely his clothes fit in a matter of weeks.

The film critic Peter Wu described the film as "A very humorous and yet serious movie about obesity," going on to write: "Maybe being overweight isn't the best thing for a person's health, but being one's self and being happy is all that really matters in life ... With a delightful blend of New York Italian culture and the human problem of overeating, Fatso makes for an entertaining movie experience. Loaded with some of the funniest comedy gags I have ever seen, Fatso is a very humorous and yet serious movie about a very touchy subject, Dom DeLuise!"

This film was also reviewed in the psychiatric monograph "The Eating Disorders", which concluded that the film "... veers between comedy and pathos as a man discovers ... fat is the ... only sin in America." They approvingly note that, "The motivation for overeating and binge dieting are lampooned ... [and] medical consequences ... are elaborated in ... comedic fashion."

The film marked a turning point in the lives of actors Richard Karon and Paul Zegler who played DeLuise's obese "Chubby Checker" support group members. Both actors lost large amounts of weight in the years subsequent to the making of the film.

This film is a must see for anyone who loves very funny movies and /or has a weight problem!

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