I thought the weight might be more to do with lack of sleep
True! I imagine busy parents don't eat very well either.
It's impossible for me to pick a favorite Julian-as-Howard incarnation, just like it's impossible for me to choose a favorite body part. I like Series One Howard's lankiness and floppy hair, Series Two Howard's cheekbones and propensity for wearing loincloths and short shorts, and Series Three Howard's squeezability, the weird eye makeup when he was being a trash collector, and his even more amazing than usual eyebrow work. He's got fantastic bone structure, so he should keep his lovely looks, I agree!