Iraq's heaviest man undergoes surgery in India to lose weight

NEW DELHI -- A 43-year-old man, touted as Iraq's heaviest man at 301 kg, has reportedly undergone a surgery at a private hospital in the Indian capital to shed flab.

Ali Saddam underwent a sleeve gastrectomy at the hospital, a procedure which will enable him to lose weight of up to 150 kg over the next 12 months, The Hindu newspaper reported Monday.

For years, his usual diet has been 24 eggs for breakfast, two chickens with 12 chapattis (bread) for lunch, and one goat for dinner, along with two liters of milk and 15 kuboos (Arabic bread).

Now, with the surgery done, using minimally invasive surgery, Ali's hunger pangs will come down, which would help him lose weight that has triggered diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep disorder.

"When the patient first came to us, we weren't able to locate the abdomen as he had developed one foot of fat deposits around the belly," said Deep Goel, one of the doctors who conducted the surgery.

"My appetite increased day-by-day and I maintained a sluggish lifestyle for years. I did not realize that a heavy diet of saturated fats would end up making me weigh so much," Ali was quoted as saying.