He's been thin for at least a decade..... ever since he stopped doing drugs, re-united the Dictators and started visiting Ross the Boss's personal trainer in Forest Hills.... who happens to be a smoking hot aerobics instructor.
Since that link has a pic of Dick eating his favorite food.... Here's a clip made in my old hood on a cold rainy afternon at the White Castle on Queens Blvd in 1990 for a behind the scenes video for their then band Wild Kingdom. Left to right.... Ross, Dick and J.P.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_qgwd7h41M. You can see the handsome one was fairly thin back when this was filmed.
Back in the late 80's when Handsome Dick and Ross were touring as "Wild Kingdom" a couple of my friends were rodies and I joined them for the North American/Candian tour. A little tidbit is that the Wild Kingdom album "...and You" has a dedication to Ozzy and his friends as well my friends and I made a guest appearence as extras in the video "New York, New York".
The Dictators will be back for the final sat nite show at CBGBs this weekend when they shut the doors forever. Dick, Ross, Andy Shernoff, Scott Kempner and J.P. "Thunderbolt" Patterson will all be there. Blondie is also performing as well a few others from punks past. I'm trying to get up to NY this week for the shows since my friends and I are on a guest list.