Mr. Zhou, 26, is in hospital waiting for bariatric surgery, an operation that helps a patient to lose weight by making changes to their digestive system, after he gained over 100 kilos during the coronavirus pandemic.
After staying at home for months, Mr. Zhou, an employee of an Internet cafe, has filled his days with eating, drinking and sleeping, which has caused his weight to jump to 228 kilos from over 175 kilos at the end of last year.
![Known as the fattest man in his hometown of Wuhan, Mr. Zhou was recently treated at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in early June 2020. [Photo: Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University]](http://img3.zhytuku.meldingcloud.com/images/zhycms_chinaplus/20200618/030a7c12-f5a4-4951-8799-3882666b4c22.jpg?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_650)
Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University has confirmed that he is, so far, the heaviest of all the obese patients who have been treated there.
According to the Hubei-based Chutian Metropolis Daily, Mr. Zhou is unable to lie down and sleep, and he is also suffering from heart failure and respiratory dysfunction.
A doctor of the hospital told the newspaper that Mr. Zhou’s obesity is caused by genetic factors and an unhealthy lifestyle, and there is currently no particularly effective treatment.
He can only achieve partial weight loss through gastric bypass surgery, which will reduce the size of his stomach. Otherwise, excessive weight gain will continue to threaten his life, added the doctor surnamed Li.
CHINA PLUS
