It is well known that George Frideric Handel, the composer of Messiah and other beloved oratorios, was a portly man. But was his case actually more severe than music historians have let on? Was he, in fact, a compulsive eater and drinker? Alas, it seems so. But don’t judge him harshly. He apparently was the innocent victim of a pathological disorder. He also may have been inadvertently poisoning himself. A Texas scholar makes the case in London.