Mexican Juan Pedro Franco earned the title of the world's heaviest man in 2017, weighing 595 kg. He gained global attention for his remarkable weight loss journey, shedding nearly 400 kg to reach 208 kg. Recently, he made headlines again by battling and overcoming COVID-19.
Mexico ranks as the eighth most affected country by COVID-19, with around 730,000 cases and more than 76,000 deaths as of late September 2020, according to Mexico News Daily. Juan Pedro Franco, who held the Guinness World Record for heaviest man, contracted the virus but recovered after a month-long fight. In 2016, at the peak of his weight, he tipped the scales at 595 kg—equivalent to an adult male polar bear. By 2018, his transformative weight loss propelled him back into the spotlight.
Speaking to AFP, Franco described the illness as a profoundly challenging ordeal. As a high-risk individual with a history of obesity-related issues like diabetes, hypertension, and lung fragility, he endured severe symptoms including headaches, body aches, fever, and shortness of breath.
Dr. José Antonio Castañeda, who supervised Franco's weight loss in Guadalajara, emphasized that those with diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular conditions face heightened chances of serious COVID-19 complications. Franco underwent three surgeries to manage the disease. Tragically, his mother succumbed to the virus at age 66.
A meta-analysis of 75 studies covering nearly 400,000 obese COVID-19 patients, conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found that obesity doubles hospitalization risk and increases ICU admission odds by 74%. Moderate to severe obesity raises mortality risk by nearly 50% compared to non-obese individuals.
