The World’s Heaviest Man title is not something that one wants to claim proudly. For years, Juan Pedro Franco bore the weight of this title, but he decided one day that he had enough of it. The 34-year-old man from Aguascalientes, Mexico weighed a whopping 595 kg, earning him the title of the World’s Most Obese Man. But today, he’s 300 kg lighter and has also lost his Guinness title. He aims to drop at least 138 kilograms more after his dramatic weight loss.

Juan says that he weighed 60 kilos when he was just six years old, due to a disease. An accident at 17 left his body “broken.” After which, his weight shot further up and he never really left his bed. By his mid-20s, Juan was already touching close to 600 kilos. In 2017, he was declared the heaviest man alive. Weight Loss Tips: 12 Harmless Habits That Are Making You Fat!

On account of his burgeoning weight, Juan has also had diabetes, hypertension and hypothyroidism. Every year would add close to 10 kg to his weight. In an interview with BBC in January 2018, Juan said, “Doctors would tell my mum, ‘he’ll grow out of it.’ And look at how well I grew out of it.”

His mother Maria Salas said, “I’d ask the doctors, ‘What’s happening? I was watching him get bigger, bigger and bigger.’ I’d say, ‘Why don’t you do a blood test, a thyroid test, do some tests, anything?’” But the doctors never took their concerns in the right spirit, accusing Maria of teaching them how to do their jobs. He insists that despite dieting and trying out various methods, he never really lost any weight. Doctors were clueless about his weight gain. Weird Ways To Lose Weight: 11 Bizarre Weight Loss Tips For Those Who Hate Diet and Exercise.

Juan went to Guadalajara in Jalisco to undergo surgery at a specialised clinic. It took multiple surgeries for him to lose all the weight. He told the Mexican newspaper Milenio that taking six to 10 steps would leave him tired. After the weight loss, he can walk more than 100 steps.

In the first time in years, Juan stopped depending on his mother to get out of bed, to walk, to take a bath and get dressed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 06, 2018 12:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).