In Mexico, world’s heaviest man operated on to reduce his stomach

Mexican Juan Pedro Franco, 33, has just undergone successful gastric bypass surgery aimed at reducing the size of his stomach and cutting his weight in half.

By the age of 15, Franco already weighed in at 200 kilograms. Fifteen years later, that figure had tripled, making him the most obese man in the world at 595 kilograms and no longer able to support his own weight: he has been bedridden for the past seven years. He did, however, lose 175 kilograms before the operation as a condition of surgery.

After the operation on May 9, medics said they were watching the patient closely to deal with any complications that might arise. “I think everything is going well,” Franco said straight after surgery. “We’re making progress.”

We know there are risks, but the big scare is over now 

María de Jesús Lemus, mother of Juan Pedro Franco

“We know there are risks, but the big scare is over now,” added his mother, María de Jesús Lemus.

“We will have to see how he responds to the change,” saidDr. José Antonio Castañeda, who carried out the operation. “This is an extreme case and anything could happen.”

Franco said he was aware of the risks, but was optimistic the operation would work in the long-term and give him his life back.

More than 72% of Mexicans are now overweight, giving the country one of the worst obesity rates of in the world, due in large part to sugary drinks. In a bid to tackle the problem, the government slapped a tax on these products in 2014, causing sales to drop by around 15% by 2016.

English version by Nick Lyne.