The appeal of Oscar Pistorius' culpable homicide conviction could be a matter of life or death.
Several media outlets are reporting that the double-amputee Olympic sprinter has lost considerable weight in prison because he now fears that his prison food could be poisoned.
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The Telegraph is reporting that the 28-year-old athlete, serving a five-year sentence in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day morning in 2013, is living on tinned food he buys from the prison tuck shop - roughly the equivalent of a convenience store.
"He decided to shun prison food because of threats from inside the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria where he has been held for the past three months, You magazine reported," according to The Telegraph.
"The austere diet means he has lost a considerable amount of weight, the magazine added, to the extent that his prosthetic legs no longer fit him. The athlete's doctor told his trial that ill-fitting prostheses resulted in blisters and infection and had caused him considerable pain in the past."
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The publication added that Pistorius is buying cans of chakalaka, described as a kind of South African spicy stew.
Prosecutors in Pistorius' original trial have been granted an appeal to retry Pistorius case before the South Africa Court of Appeals in hopes of landing a murder conviction.
Pistorius, whose prison status recently was changed to allow him more privileges because he is not considered a threat, has served nearly five months of his sentence. He is eligible for house arrest after 10 months, or 1/6th of his current sentence.
But that could change with the upcoming appeal that does not yet have a firm start date.
According to most reports, the minimum sentence for a murder conviction that the prosecution seeks is 15 years. It has not been mentioned publicly whether the same 1/6th rule applies in murder-conviction cases. But even if it is, Pistorius would have to serve 30 months.
If Pistorius is not persuaded that his fellow inmates aren't trying to poison him, his continued unbalanced diet could lead to more severe health issues.
During his trial, Pistorius was ordered to undergo a 30-day exam to determine whether he suffered from a general anxiety disorder, but reports indicated he was not suffering from a mental condition.
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