Whatever you do make sure he does not go without eating for a couple days.
An overweight cat is at risk for hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) if
he stops eating abruptly.  Never let him starve.  You could try giving him
1/4 to 1/2 can per day with some crunchies set out in a bowl for him to
nibble on if he wants some.  That's what I do with my guys.

Overweight. I suggest a starvation diet *immediately*.

No way. You should go to 100% dead, as in having it put down. Problem
solved.

death?

I like the way you think. Starving them to death is fun, but a quick whack
on the head is more fun.

You mean every day-and-a-half? That's insane, you nutjob.

No problem. Together, we'll get through this.

He is a smart cat who instinctively knows that his body needs meat, not
meat flavored cereal.

Absolutely. Canned is much better for his health.

Read the following articles and explore the sites (exerpts are just to
capture your interest):

<http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whyc
atsneedcannedfood>
"Why Cats Need Canned Food"

http://catnutrition.org/obesity.html :
"even the worst canned food is better than dry food, because it will
invariably be lower in carbohydrates and have much more moisture..."

http://catinfo.org/
"We Are Feeding Cats Too Many Carbohydrates"
"Try various brands and flavors of canned foods - no matter how low in
quality. You can worry about feeding a higher quality canned food
later. The initial goal is just to get your cat used to eating canned
food and not dry kibble."

http://www.catinfo.org/commercialcannedfoods.htm :
"On a favorable note, no matter which category you choose from, when
comparing even the lowest quality canned food to a dry food, most
canned products at least cover the three most important issues:
1. Canned food contains the appropriate amount of water for a
species with a very low thirst drive and will result in an optimally
hydrated cat.
2. Canned food derives most, if not all, of its protein from animal
sources - not plant sources.
3. Canned food is lower in carbohydrates than dry food."

That would be stupid, forcing him to go to the poorer diet.

In any event, as a general rule, a cat MUST eat something at least once
a day (more often if he is diabetic). If he is stubborn and you have to
feed him a little bit of something you don't want to, then so be it.
Read the above sites thoroughly.

Again, all of these are nutritionally poorer choices. If you can afford
100% canned food, it is best for your cat. Otherwise, feed as much
canned as you can afford, I'd say 50% is absolute minimum.

The only time dry makes sense is when circumstances force you to leave
food out in advance. It is therefore a good idea to feed him a little
bit of dry once in a while, either as a treat or as 1 of his 14 meals
in the week (2/day), so he will eat dry when he has to.