David Caruso: TV Cop Eating Himself To An Early Grave

Former "CSI: Miami" hunk David Caruso has literally gone to pot — belly and all — by gaining at least 30 unsightly and unhealthy pounds that a top medical expert says could shorten his life span by up to seven years!

The 61-year-old carrot-top vanished from the public’s eye after striking it big as Lt. Horatio Caine on the South Florida version of CSI. But he hasn’t had a TV or film gig since the drama ended its 10-year run in 2012! A recent photo of the once whippet-lean 6-footer uncovered by The National ENQUIRER shows he’s turned into a flabby, fat slob.

New York diet and health expert Dr. Stuart Fischer says David has piled on at least 30 pounds — bringing his weight to 233 — and has stopped taking care of himself to the point that “he looks like a derelict!” The author of The Park Avenue Diet hasn’t treated the actor, but says his paunch “looks like he’s swallowed a bowling ball,” and warns “if he keeps this up he’ll be one of the residents of the CSI morgue.”

The doc says abdominal girth can be used to determine life spans — and Caruso’s “indicates he has shorted his life span by up to seven years! He’s the victim of pure sloth. His muscle has turned to flab, which is very hard to reverse. He’s definitely put his health at risk.”

One positive fat item for David is his bank account. After getting his big break playing Det. John Kelly on "NYPD Blue" alongside Dennis Franz (left) and Kim Delaney, he went on to earn a whopping $375,000 per episode on "CSI: Miami," ballooning his worth to $35 million.

The three-times divorced star also has three kids: 33-year-old daughter Greta with second wife, "Total Recall" beauty Rachel Ticotin, whom he divorced in 1987; and son Marquez, 11, and daughter Paloma, 9, with former galpal Liza Marquez (left). Now, his health is as messy as his private life.

According to Dr. Fischer, the overweight actor has a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure and cholesterol. “It’s time for him to grasp reality and save his life,” says the doc.