in 2005, cross weighed 22 stone (310 pounds = 140 kilograms) and suffered from an autoimmune condition, chronic urticaria, for which he had been taking medications such as the steroid prednisone for years. he spent his 30s trying traditional and non-traditional medicine to solve his illness. and unsuccessfully tried various diets in fits and starts. his daily diet mainly consisted of processed foods. cross was a smoker and consumed alcohol regularly. according to cross, he believed that his eating habits had caused his illness and he wanted to change his lifestyle. he wanted to get off medication as he believed that the medication or doctors were not able to offer a cure for his condition. in 2005 when he was 39, the doctors told him that with his health, he would die early and he decided to consume only juice for 60 days in order to improve his health. under the supervision of his doctor and a team that monitored his blood work regularly, he started the juice fast in may 2005. for his juice fast, he decided to travel across america while talking to people about their attitudes toward food. he travelled in a truck with a cameraman, a sound guy, a juicer and a generator. cross survived on nothing but juices for 60 days during his juice fast.