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World's fattest man aims to lose half his body weight

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Juan Pedro Franco
Juan Pedro Franco
AFP

A Mexican man, who is believed to be the world's most obese person, plans to undergo gastric bypass this year and reduce his 590 kilos by half.

Juan Pedro, 32, has diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic lung obstruction, and needs to reduce his weight dramatically to reduce his health risks, Dr Jose Castaneda Cruz said.

He said the man, who does not give his family names to media, would actually undergo a couple of procedures along the way.

Read: Obesity more deadly for men than women

Drastic changes

"It's surgery that is going to be done in two parts. That is because of the high risk of complications he faces. So it's going to be done in two parts, six months apart," Dr Castaneda told reporters.

In the first procedure, surgeons will remove more than three-quarters of the patient's stomach.

And in the second procedure, his remaining stomach will be partially blocked, helping to give a feeling of fullness. Juan Pedro will also undergo intestinal surgery, his doctor said.

Read: Why you may be struggling to lose weight

A lot to lose, more to gain

Castaneda wants him to lose 59 kg in the first six months, which alone reduces his risk of obesity-related cancer by 52%.

Juan Pedro has a good chance of losing half his body weight by about six months after his first surgery, according to his medical team.

"Slowly but surely, I'll get there," Juan Pedro told reporters.

Read more: 

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