Nigerian-born, United States-based actor, Obi Ndefo, has died. The actor was known for his roles in Dawson’s Creek and Stargate SG-1. He was 51.
According to his older sister Nkem, Obi’s “heart gave out in his longstanding battle against the eating disorder orthorexia.”
Experts say orthorexia nervosa is a proposed eating disorder characterized by an excessive preoccupation with eating healthy food. Online platform, WebMD, adds that orthorexia is an unhealthy focus on eating in a healthy way; warning that while eating nutritious food is good, “if you have orthorexia, you obsess about it to a degree.”
The actor’s sister Nkem announced her brother’s death on Facebook, with a throwback photo of herself and Obi.
She had posted: “Heartbroken at the loss of my younger brother, and knowing he’s finally at peace.”
In another Facebook post, Nkem said, “We share this news to bring attention to orthorexia’s severity and in the hopes that those suffering from this devastating disease receive the compassionate care they deserve.”
Obi’s death comes five years after he lost both his legs in a hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles. According to Wiki entry, the incident happened in August 2019 while coming out of a grocery store.
He had since been focused on his health and recovery, remaining active as a yoga teacher over the years.
After graduating from Yale University’s drama school, Obi began acting in various TV roles on episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Wayans Bros., The Jamie Foxx Show and 3rd Rock from the Sun.
His most memorable performance came as Bodie Wells, the brother-in-law to Katie Holmes‘ Joey Potter on Dawson’s Creek, a role in which he appeared from 1998 to 2002.
Obi’s other credits include episodes of Angel, Star Trek: Voyager, Crossing Jordan, NYPD Blue, The West Wing and NCIS: Los Angeles.
The actor also founded the non-profit Arts Alliance for Humanity, which supports arts education in public schools and communities.
