National Obesity Week begins today (January 10), where a light is shone on the devastating effects excessive weight can have on a person. Here, we look at some of the heaviest to ever walk the earth
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Obesity is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with the UK estimated to have one in every four adults and around one in every five children aged 10 to 11 living with excessive body weight.
While obesity has become a worrying commonality in the modern western world, a select few have become notoriously known for their excessive weight.
From breaking scales to world records, these are some of the heaviest humans that have ever walked the earth – and the tragic tales they have left behind.
Manuel Uribe
Mexican Manuel Uribe was once hailed at the ‘world’s fattest man’ before he met his demise in 2014. He was cited as the heaviest man alive by Guinness World Records in 2006 after weighing in at a massive 1,230lbs (87st).
Though the title didn’t bring much happiness for Manuel, who was mostly bedridden for the last 12 years of his life, it did help him get attention he was so desperately wanting.
Guinness World Records measured and gave Manuel the title after seeing his television plea for help with weight loss. His need for help caught the eye of many, which led to the Mexican man recieving medical assistance and him losing weight.
He successfully managed to lose around 400lbs in his five-year pursuit of slimming. However, Manuel sadly started to pile the weight back on in 2009 after his wedding to Claudia Solis the year prior. It would mark the only time he left the house before his death, other than hospital visits.
Manuel Uribe remained bedbound for his last years of life (Image: AFP)
At the time of his passing, Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief, said: “I had the pleasure of meeting with Manuel at his home in Monterrey when he first agreed to be weighed. Despite being bed-bound, he had a redoubtable spirit and vowed to do all he could to lose his world record status.
“He was very open and honest about his condition, and hoped that by bringing his story to the wider public, Guinness World Records could help him secure the medical attention he needed.”
Manuel’s cause of death was eventually listed as liver failure caused by his obesity.
Walter Hudson
American man Walter Hudson dedicated a large chunk of his life to excessively consuming junk food, which would ultimately cause him to meet his untimely end.
At his heaviest, the New Yorker weighed a huge 1,197lbs (85.5st) in 1987 – making him the heaviest person alive at the time, recorded by Guinness World Record. Walter also is the title holder for the world’s largest waist circumference ever recorded at 119in (300cm).
But, how did he get there?
Walter became notorious for his weight and destructive life that saw him balloon to 200lbs (14st) by the age of 12 – heavier than the average adult male.
Walter Hudson had a breakfast including 32 sausages (Image: Bettmann)
It is believed that Walter always had issues around binge eating after his father left the family home when he was just a tot. The once world’s heaviest man alive would leave early for school just so he could scoff extra food. He was thought to have gone to the lengths to collect recyclable packaging in exchange for sweets.
His weight continued to spiral after he broke his leg and dropped out of school when he was 13. Walter would then become permanently housebound at the age of just 15 – weighing 352lbs (25st). Despite growing health concerns, Walter struggled to kick his habit of spending the ‘majority’ of his waking moments gobbling processed food. He even risked going under the knife for weight loss surgery, which sadly did not help Walter.
He spent his years gorging on breakfasts composed of 32 sausages, a pound of bacon, a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread all guzzled down with a pot of coffee.
These extreme eating habits would see Walter trapped in his bedroom doorway after experiencing a fall, with his family struggling to move him. The local fire department was called out to attempt to free Walter – they spent four hours cutting into the doorframe before finally freeing him.
This did spur Walter on to lose weight, which he managed to do for a short while. However, despite going outside for the first time in 18 years by using his own power – Walter eventually piled the weight back on. Tragically, Walter died from a heart attack at the age of 47 on Christmas Eve 1991 where he weighed a massive 1,025lbs(73st) – which is about five times heavier than the average adult male.
Before he could be laid to rest in a specialised coffin, firefighters had to cut a hole in his bedroom wall in order to remove his body from his home.
Jon Brower Minnoch
Though Walter Hudson was once the heaviest man alive at one point, the heaviest human ever in recorded history is Jon Brower Minnoch – who monumentally tipped the scales at 1,400lbs, or 100st.
American-born Jon was reportedly obese since he was a young child and weighed a huge 294lbs (21st) by the age of 12. His weight would only continue to increase from here as he more than doubled in size just 10 years later, with the scales coming in at 705lbs (50st).
Throughout his adult life, Jon would waver between 798lbs to 888lbs(57-63st), which was a lot of weight for his 6ft1 frame to withstand.
Jon Brower Minnoch is the heaviest man to ever walk the earth
As Jon continued to age, the number on the scales continued to rise exponentially. And that meant so did the array of health issues that come as part and parcel of obesity.
But by his side through the number of hospitalisations, primarily to do with his congestive heart failure, was wife Jeanette – who weighed a tiny 7.8st. They gained a joint record for being the world’s married couple with the largest weight difference.
They later divorced in 1980 after spending a number of years hitched before Jon remarried in the early 80s. Despite his massive size, Jon managed to father two children throughout his marriages. But, Jon’s fatherhood was stunted by his two-year stint in hospital – where he managed to lose an impressive 813lbs. This meant Jon would exit hospital at 476lbs, or 34st.
However, he wasn’t able to keep the weight off after no longer being restricted to 1,200 calories a day under the watchful eye of hospital staff.
Jon eventually succumbed to health complications caused by his weight at the age of 41 and weighed a huge 57st – though that number seems like nothing in comparison to his once heaviest 100st.
Carol Yager
Carol Yager, also from the US, is infamously known as the heaviest woman to ever walk on the earth on record, weighing 1,189lbs at her peak.
She quickly became a frequent name in the media due her scale tipping size and even appeared on controversial The Jerry Springer Show.
Intrigued as to how Carol became the heaviest woman alive at the time, she was quizzed about her life leading up to her world record.
Carol Yager is the heaviest woman ever recorded (Image: YouTube)
And the tragedy of Carol’s life was quickly unwrapped. She claimed that she was a victim of sexual abuse when she was a child, leading to psychological trauma. However, Carol stood by her claims that she would eat the same amount as her peers – though just happened to gain more weight.
As her weight continued to balloon, the cruel playground taunts would increase. This made Carol to turn to food even more so in aid to comfort her emotions. Carol’s eating spiralled out of control until she reached her heaviest weight of nearly 1,200lbs. She eventually became seriously unwell due to her obesity where she has hospitalised for cellulitis, a bacterial infection and an immunodeficiency.
Despite having an array of health conditions to deal with, Pauline’s admission was somewhat a good thing for her bid to shed the stones. After being restricted to 1,200 calories a day, she managed to lose a huge 521lbs. However, it is believed that most of this was water weight.
Unfortunately, Pauline’s health did not improve as she was admitted to hospital 13 times in just two years, with each trip requiring 15 to 20 firefighters to remove her from the house into the ambulance – where she would ride on the floor – and then onto a ward.
This would continue until Pauline’s tragic death in 1994, aged just 34. In her years leading up to her death caused by mass organ failure, Pauline had a boyfriend – who then married Pauline’s friend after her passing.
Pauline Potter
The current title holder of the heaviest living woman is American Pauline Potter, who weighs a huge 643lbs (46st). Californian Potter was first awarded the Guinness World Record back in 2011.
This ‘achievement’ however came as a huge dose of reality for the then 47-year-old, who has strived to better her health over the last 14 years. She found it difficult to breathe as she continually tipped over the scales before her dramatic weight loss, along with having to rely on a mobility scooter to get about.
Since then, Pauline has been hard on the self-improvement train and has even become a recognisable name for attempting to quiet her penchant for mass eating binges.
Pauline Potter is the most recent heaviest woman alive (Image: James Ambler / Barcroft USA)
She has starred in TLC show ‘My 600lbs Life’ where Dr Younan Nowzaradan assisted Pauline in her endeavours to shed the stones and later admitted he is “very proud” of her “commitment” and “progress.”
Instead of boasting about her record breaking size, Pauline admitted that she intitally got in touch with Guiness World Records because she grew “tired” of her size.
Pauline wanted it to be a wake up call for her, which is most definitely did serve as. Looking into the future at the time, the world’s heaviest woman believed that having the title would be a great opportunity for her for more than one reason.
Speaking to Guinness World Records, she said: “I knew I was getting close to 700 (pounds), but I wanted to get my story out there so that a doctor or nutritionist could help me.”
“Also I thought it would be a great opportunity to open the door for once I start losing, then maybe I could get another record for the woman losing the most weight.”
Pauline miraculously changed her life around (Image: Facebook)
Pauline found it difficult to breathe as she continually tipped over the scales before her dramatic weight loss, along with having to rely on a mobility scooter to get about.
She sited her family’s obession with centering life around food as the cause for her excessive body fat, with seven of her siblings all weighing over 300lbs bar one. Her mum weighed 400lbs and the dad’s weight came in at a whopping 600lbs.
But, Pauline wanted to the change the course of her family’s heavy legacy. With the help of professionals, Pauline managed to significantly trim down.
Impressively, Pauline managed to lose a massive 520lbs with the help of weight loss surgery and the expertise of Dr Nowzaradan. While it looked like she was in for a tragic end, Pauline rewrote her story and managed to get a healthy quality of life for the first time ever.