World’s heaviest man, Juan Pedro Franco, is attempting to lose weight with the help of local doctors. Juan, who hails from Mexico, weighed 595kg in his mid-20’s. Reportedly, he was confined to his bedroom for many years after a car accident in at the age of 17 “broke” half his body and he never fully recovered. Doctors, however, have been unable to identify the reason behind so much weight gain. Now 33, Juan has embarked upon his weight loss journey which is sure to be life-changing. His journey has been captured in a short film made by Natasha Pizzey-Slegert for the BBC.
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In 2017, Juan was declared to be the heaviest person alive by the Guinness World Records. In the short film, Juan reveals that after the accident, he developed diabetes, high blood pressure and hypothyroidism. Juan also explains that he tried all the remedies one could think of to reduce his weight. However, his efforts met with no success. This has prompted him to take surgical help for weight loss, he says. About a year ago, Juan relocated to a place several hours away from his home in a bid to be closer to the doctors. He has successfully managed to lose a third of his weight under the able guidance of the doctors, states an article in the Independent. Juan explains was rejected by a number of doctors. Fortunately, he now has a team of 30 professionals helping him for free. Dr. Jose A Castaneda explains that patients like Juan usually get rejected for two reasons. One is the availability of beds, operating room and special tools for them. “The second reason is the blame, ‘it’s your fault you’re here.’ But that’s really not how it is,” explains Dr. Castaneda.
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The Independent article states that Juan has undergone a two-part gastric bypass in the past year. This involves dividing the intestine into two parts; one which will be able to absorb nutrients, and another that can’t. With the operation, only 40 percent to 50percent of the calories that Juan eats will be absorbed by his body. For Juan, the first wish to be able to walk outside. “I want to feel the air, feel the street, be outside,” he said, adding that being in bed, trapped in four walls just watching everything is really hard. He is reportedly recovering well, and doctors hope that his weight will come down to 120 kg in the coming months.