The world’s fattest child, who weighed more than 37 stone (523lbs/237kg) has begun his road to recovery after undergoing gastric bypass surgery.
Mihir Jain, 14, from Delhi, India, has lost over ten stone since his surgery in April, and is now 27 stone (379lbs/172kg), and able to walk unaided for the first time in years.
Mihir had been an average-sized baby, but thanks to a diet of fried food and fizzy drinks, he ballooned as he grew up, already weighing a whopping 12.5 stone (176lbs/80kg) aged five.
Getting better: Mihir Jain, 14, is thought to have been the fattest child in the world, weighing more than 37 stone (523lbs/237kgs), but has lost weight thanks to gastric bypass surgery
Peak performance: Mihir is seen when he was at his heaviest in December last year
Small steps: The Delhi teenager is seen taking his first few steps after his gastric bypass surgery at Max Hospital in the city in April this year
His mother, Puja Jain, 35, said: ‘We first realised he had a problem when he was five and the doctor told us he was obese and needed surgery. But he was too young so he gave him some medicine instead.
‘But that medicine had side-effects, which meant he lost energy and became weak on his legs.
‘As the years passed, he just used to sit in his bed all day, eating. So he kept gaining and gaining more weight.’
Growing up in a vegetarian family, Mihir’s daily diet would consist of fried potato and vegetable cutlets, rice and vegetable curry, more potatoes, ice cream, full-fat milk, milky coffee and fizzy drinks.
Even though Mrs Jain admits that Mihir’s addiction to fried food is the cause of the problem, she believes the medication made the situation worse.
Family first: Mihir sits on his bed with his mother Puja, 35, and his father Rajesh, 37
Big boy: Mihir was already 12.5 stone (176lbs/80kg) aged five, pictured, and kept gaining weight thanks to an addiction to fried foods and medication
Getting there: In the two months since his surgery, the 14-year-old has lost ten stone and can now walk unaided for the first time in years
As he was bed-bound, Mihir had to be home schooled, and says he eventually lost touch with all his friends.
Mrs Jain said: ‘He was very angry sitting in one place all the time. Every child wants to go here and there and spend time with friends, he was sitting in one place all the time so he was very frustrated.
‘It was hard for me watching other children playing outside and going to school and my child was not.’
When Mrs Jain and her husband Rajesh, 37, finally went to see a doctor about bariatric surgery in 2013, Mihir was so big he couldn’t walk properly.
‘The doctor said he needed to see him but we couldn’t get Mihir out of the house at the time,’ she added.
Mihir eventually made it to a hospital in December 2017, at which point the 5ft2in tall teenager weighed more than 37 stone (523lbs/237kg), and was suffering with diabetes, breathing issues and high blood pressure.
It is thought this made him the world’s heaviest child, a title previously held by Arya Permana, also 14, from Indonesia, who shed half of body weight after a life-saving gastric sleeve operation.
Operation: Mihir is filmed going into surgery on April 4, at Max Hospital, Delhi
After first losing weight thanks to a high-protein diet, the teenager was finally able to undergo surgery two months ago
In recovery: The teenager stands with Dr Pradeep Chowbey who carried out the surgery
Mihir was promised a gastric bypass, if he was able to lose some weight first. He was put on a high protein diet for three months, and dropped to 31 stone (434lbs/197kg).
Mihir said: ‘I was determined to do what the doctor suggested. And when I lost weight on my own it gave me the determination to keep going. I wasn’t even scared about surgery, I just wanted to do what was needed to get better.’
Mihir finally underwent a gastric bypass surgery at the start of April, and has since been eating soups and soft foods, and has swapped fizzy drinks for juice.
‘I feel wonderful,’ he said.
‘I used to get very angry and I was aggressive all the time, I had many problems. And anger was there a lot but much less now.
‘I couldn’t do normal every day things but I used to say to myself: don’t worry, you’ll do it some day. I have reached that some day.’
While he still loves playing video games and watching Netflix, Mihir has now begun taking exercise and is looking forward to the day when he is a ‘normal weight’ and can return to school.
Mihir said ‘This was a chance for me. I was excited about what will happen. Things have gone very well so far and for the first time in ages I am looking forward to the future.’