Khaberni - Mexican Juan Pedro Franco, who was recorded in the Guinness World Records in 2017 as the heaviest living human in the world, died at the age of 41 due to complications from a severe kidney infection, according to what the British "Daily Mail" newspaper announced.
Death of the world's fattest man
The treating physician, Dr. José Antonio Castaneda, who has been accompanying Franco since 2017, confirmed the death in an official statement, indicating that his condition deteriorated quickly in recent days due to systemic complications related to the kidney infection, while he was receiving treatment at a hospital in the state of Aguascalientes, central Mexico.
Losing half his weight
Franco's weight peaked in 2017 at about 595 kilograms (over 1300 pounds), which confined him to bed for many years, unable to move on his own. However, he later underwent an intensive medical program under the supervision of Dr. Castaneda, which included a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables, followed by two bariatric surgeries (sleeve gastrectomy and then bypass).
The treatment resulted in a stunning loss of about half his weight, which enabled him to walk again after years of partial paralysis, and reduced the risks of complications from diabetes and heart diseases.
Franco described his feelings after the weight loss saying: «Just the ability to raise your arms and get up to drink a glass of water or go to the bathroom makes you feel great, it is a wonderful feeling of movement and independence»
Kidney infection ends the life of «the world's fattest man» at the age of 41
Surviving Coronavirus in 2020
Franco survived the coronavirus in 2020 despite being classified as high-risk due to his health history.
The most complex cases
His doctor described his case as «one of the most complex cases» he faced, praising his openness to share his suffering, which helped highlight obesity as a chronic disease requiring long-term care and medical sympathy, away from social stigma.
Franco's passing reminds us of similar cases that ended with fatal complications, such as American Jon Brower Minnoch (died in 1983 at 41 years old weighing about 1400 pounds), and Mexican Manuel Uribe (died in 2014 at 48 years old after losing significant weight).
