Inside life of world's fattest man who died after becoming addicted to one drink

17 hours ago 3

The world's heaviest man, who tipped the scales at a staggering 70 stone, tragically passed away just over nine years ago.

Andres Moreno, aged only 38, suffered a fatal heart attack after becoming addicted to energy drinks. Dr. Jorge Ojeda said the Mexican was guzzling six of them a day.

"As an obese man, although he was losing weight and was starting to move, exposing yourself to a stimulant can cause an irregular heartbeat, and that or a heart attack can lead to death," he explained.

"He drank more than six energy drinks a day according to his family and we believe it could be a lot more than six."

As National Obesity Awareness Week prompts reflection, we look back at Moreno's remarkable journey and tragic end.

Moreno was born weighing 13 pounds and he was already 18-and-a-half stone by the time he turned 10.

Despite his size, Moreno had ambitions of becoming a police officer and also found a wife early in his life before she left. Moreno recounted the painful loss of his wife due to his size, saying: "I lost my wife, who I lived with for three years and left me because I was fat.

"I realised I was putting on more and more weight and getting bigger but it was like a snowball I couldn't stop. Friends and family would visit me and when they went I was left alone crying and sad because of my situation and begging God to put me back on the right path."

In a heart-wrenching health battle, Moreno, newly single and unable to work due to his weight, saw his weight skyrocket to an astonishing 70st, leaving him bedridden.

His plight caught the attention of the global media and, haunted by the prospect of an untimely demise, he resolved to undergo gastric bypass surgery.

In a touching gesture before his operation, football icon Cristiano Ronaldo sent Moreno a signed shirt. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he expressed: "Many thanks to everyone, including Cristiano Ronaldo, for taking an interest in my case. Sometimes you think they are in another world, far from ordinary people, but that's not true."

He also felt blessed, saying: "I feel like I've been given a wonderful Christmas present before it was time."

Additionally, Mexican football team Chivas Guadalajara cheered him on with a supportive video message.

Prior to surgery, Moreno had managed to shed 19 stone naturally, tipping the scales at 700lbs. It took seven individuals to lift him onto a specially reinforced stretcher for his procedure.

With aspirations of finding love, starting a family, and establishing a foundation for those struggling with obesity, Moreno said: "I want to show them that no matter how large they are, there is hope."

The surgery, which removed about 70% of his stomach, was performed at the Mexico Gastric Bypass unit in Arboledas Hospital, and soon after, he could wash himself again. However, tragedy struck when Moreno passed away from a heart attack in an ambulance on Christmas Day 2015, just two weeks after the surgery.

The publicist of Moreno said: "Andres died at 8.30am on Christmas Day in an ambulance from a heart attack as he was taken from his house to San Jose Hospital. We are dismayed by the news."

Subsequent revelations pointed out Moreno's excessive indulgence in energy drinks, equating his consumption to someone with no health issues gulping down a staggering 42 cans of Coke within 72 hours. Reports suggest that Moreno developed an addiction to these stimulating beverages whilst grappling with personal life stressors.

Expert nutritionist Edward Mathew has cautioned against exceeding one's caffeine tolerance, highlighting risks such as "gastrointestinal distress, jitters and restlessness".

Adding her insight, specialist Paediatric Eating Disorder Dietitian Annabel Gipp asserted: "The mounting body of evidence demonstrates that the consumption of energy drinks is detrimental to both the physical and mental wellbeing of young people, as well as encouraging other risky behaviours such as alcohol use."

Meanwhile, the NHS has flagged the high content of caffeine, sugar and acidity in energy drinks as particularly unsuitable for the under-16s, listing potential side effects for consumers including: