Saudi man loses more than 700 pounds after King intervenes
By Schams Elwazer, CNN
February 3, 2014 -- Updated 2106 GMT (0506 HKT)
Saudi king orders help for obese man
(CNN) -- A Saudi man has lost more than 700 pounds
(320 kilograms) -- more than half his body weight -- since Saudi
Arabia's King ordered him hospitalized in August, according to a Saudi
magazine that interviewed him at a hospital.
.
In August, King Abdullah ordered Khalid bin Mohsen Shaari,
who then weighed 1,345 pounds (610 kilograms), to undergo treatment in
the capital, Riyadh. Shaari, estimated to be in his late teens, was
unable to move by himself and was transferred from Jazan in southern
Saudi Arabia.
.
Dr. Aa'ed al-Qahtani,
head of the medical team overseeing Shaari's treatment, told Sayidaty
magazine in a recent interview that Shaari's health is continuing to
improve at a steady rate. He has improved heart and lung function,
reduced inflammation and improved muscle strength, including the ability
to move his feet, he said.
.
A massive custom-made
wheelchair was built to help Shaari become more mobile and aid his
physical therapy, al-Qahtani said. Shaari still cannot move on his own
and needs to use a mechanized pulley to sit on the chair. Before being
taken out of his house on a forklift, Shaari had not left his bed for
three years, the magazine said.
.
In photos published in
the magazine, which has launched an obesity awareness campaign, Shaari
is shown smiling and holding up a victory sign. Doctors say his spirits
have constantly remained high. Dr. Abdeljabbar al-Yamani, the managing
director of King Fahd Medical City, has dubbed him "the smiling man."
His mother has stayed with him since he was admitted.
.
