China’s ‘heaviest man’ gets weight-reduction surgery

An obese teen in East China, who at his heaviest weighed 334 kilograms, is preparing to be what his doctor claims is the heaviest man to undergo weight-reduction surgery in the country to date.

The sleeve gastrectomy aims to help Wang Haonan, 19, reduce his weight by around half, said surgeon Liu Shaozhuang.

In preparation for the surgery, Wang of Jinan, Shandong Province lost 24 kilograms in a single month.

A huge accomplishment, Wang credits the quick weight loss to quitting smoking and the use of a CPAP machine to alleviate his obstructive sleep apnea.

Even with the weight loss, Wang is still heavier than Huang Jiaxin, who at 265 kilograms made headlines in 2017 as ‘the heaviest man in China’ to successfully undergo a similar procedure.

“Wang currently has a body mass index (BMI) of 96, making him the heaviest man with the highest BMI to ever undergo weight-reduction surgery in the country’s history,” Liu said.

A sleeve gastrectomy involves reducing the stomach’s original size by about 85-percent, giving it a more cylindrical shape.

Liu said the procedure aims to reduce Wang’s weight to 150 kilograms.

“Once I get to 150 kilograms I can start exercising,” said Wang from his hospital bed. “Then I can become a fitness trainer.”