Paul Mason Loses 644 Pounds: 'World's Fattest Man' Explains Weight Loss (VIDEO)
Paul Mason, once dubbed the world's fattest man by media critics, has shed over 644 pounds following a gastric bypass surgery in 2010.
At his heaviest the 52-year-old formal postal worker once tipped the scales at 980 pounds, which led to him being unable to leave his bedroom. However, a humiliating ordeal that occurred over a decade ago would eventually lead to a turning point for the Ipswich, England native which motivated him to finally change his life, according to the New York Times.
Mason required a hernia operation in 2002 and therefore had to be admitted to hospital which was evidentially a challenge due to his bed confinement. The procedure required his local fire department to break down the front wall of his home and transport him into an ambulance using a forklift.
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After enduring years of humiliation and battling weight struggles, the 6 foot 4 U.K. native is no longer being ridiculed but instead former critics are now applauding him substantial weight loss. Mason has shed close to two-thirds of his body weight since 2010 and while he currently weighs 336 pounds, which is technically still obese, he is expected to reach his goal of a healthy weight.
"My meals are a lot different now than they used to be," Mason told the Times. "Food is a necessity, but now I don't let it control my life anymore."
Mason claims that his weight struggles stemmed from childhood tragedies including the loss of his father and being forced to care for his arthritic mother. After leaving school he became engaged to a woman 20 years his senior although one day she abruptly left with little explanation.
"I thought it would be for life, but she just turned around one day and said, 'No, I don't want to see you anymore...goodbye,'" he said.
At one point Mason would ingest up to 20,000 calories a day and he has since acknowledged where his desire to eat substantial amounts of food came from.
"I still had all these things going around in my head from my childhood," he said. "Food replaced the love I didn't get from my parents."
