A man who was once the world’s fattest person and weighed the equivalent of more than four baby elephants has undergone a commendable transformation making him almost unrecognisable.
Juan Pedro Franco, 40, couldn’t even haul his 93-stone body to the toilet due to the weight. Hailing from Mexico, he has been working hard to shed the pounds after a terrifying near-death experience jolted him into action.
He started experiencing problems with his weight as a child, hitting 10 stone when he was just six years old.
An injury in his teens made matters worse and by 17 years old he’d grown to more than 36 stone. At the age of 32, he broke the world record with 93 stone and was left bedridden due to his size.
It took a team of eight strong people to move him and he was unable to go to the toilet unassisted – meaning he was forced to wear a nappy.
Juan told Guinness World Records: “My body just followed its own path without any control whatsoever. I tried to diet day after day, but nothing worked and I became desperate.”
However, he soon realised that if he carried on with his way of life his body would soon give in a desperate. He began to look for help then.
An obesity specialist in Guadalajara, Mexico, threw him a lifeline and agreed to operate. He was able to leave his bed for the first time in years to attend the surgery.
While in hospital he was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, hypertension and liquid in his lungs.
He said at the time: “The most important thing for me is to walk again. I haven’t left the house for six years or even walked anywhere.”
By 2017, he had already lost a significant amount of weight, enabling him to undergo a second life-altering surgery to have a gastric band fitted.
Following the surgery, he experienced a revitalised sense of life and made changes to his diet and exercise routine, further reducing his weight. By 2019, he had shed a third of his body weight.
Over the next three years, Juan astonishingly lost a total of 52 stone and weighed 41 stone by 2023.
Speaking about the transformation to Telemundo in Mexico, Juan said: “Just being able to lift up your arms and get up every day, get up for a glass of water or to go to the toilet, makes you feel great.
“It feels fantastic to be able to move more and be more self-sufficient.”