You may have heard of Jon Brower Minnoch, the American man who was once the fattest person in the world, weighing over 1,400 pounds at his peak.
But do you know how he managed to lose more than 700 pounds and find true love in the process?
In this article, I will tell you the amazing story of Jon’s weight loss journey and how he met his second wife, Shirley.
What made Jon the fattest person in the world?
Jon suffered from obesity since childhood.
He weighed 294 pounds at the age of 12 and 392 pounds at the age of 22.
Jon owned a taxi company and worked as a driver around his home in Bainbridge Island, Washington.
He married his first wife, Jeannette, in 1963 and had two children with her.
However, his weight continued to increase over the years, reaching 700 pounds in 1966.
Jon’s weight gain was partly due to a condition called edema, which caused his body to retain excessive amounts of fluid.
He also had a large appetite and consumed around 20,000 calories per day, equivalent to 10 times the average intake for an adult male.
He ate mostly fast food, sweets, and soda.
Jon’s weight made it difficult for him to move around and perform daily activities.
He had to use a wheelchair and a specially modified bed.
He also suffered from various health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea.
How did Jon lose weight?
In March 1978, Jon was hospitalized after suffering from respiratory failure.
It took over a dozen firefighters to transport him to the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.
There, he was diagnosed with a massive edema and weighed approximately 1,400 pounds.
His doctors placed him on a strict diet of 1,200 calories per day and gave him diuretics to reduce his fluid retention.
Jon followed the diet faithfully and started to lose weight rapidly.
After around two years in the hospital, he had lost over 900 pounds—the largest documented human weight loss at the time.
He was discharged from the hospital in November 1980, weighing around 476 pounds.
Jon’s weight loss attracted worldwide media attention and earned him a Guinness World Record.
He also received letters from thousands of people who admired his courage and determination.
Among them was Shirley Ann Griffen, a nurse from Nebraska who had seen Jon on TV.
She wrote to him and expressed her interest in meeting him.
Jon replied to Shirley’s letter and they soon began a long-distance relationship.
They talked on the phone every day and exchanged photos and gifts.
In June 1982, Shirley flew to Seattle to meet Jon in person.
They fell in love at first sight and got married a month later.
What happened to Jon after his marriage?
Jon and Shirley moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where Shirley worked as a nurse.
They lived happily together and enjoyed traveling, dining out, and spending time with their families.
Jon also continued to lose weight and reached his lowest weight of 216 pounds in October 1981.
However, Jon’s weight loss was not permanent.
He soon began to regain weight due to his old eating habits and lack of exercise.
He also developed arthritis and other complications from his rapid weight loss. By September 1983, he weighed nearly 800 pounds again.
On September 4, 1983, Jon died of heart failure at the age of 41.
He was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Seattle.
His casket took up two burial spots and required a forklift to lower it into the ground.
Conclusion
Jon Brower Minnoch was the fattest person in the world who lost half his body weight and found love in his life.
His story is both inspiring and tragic, showing the challenges and consequences of extreme obesity.
His legacy lives on as an example of human resilience and hope.
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