World's Heaviest People

Walter Hudson (1944? - 1991) of Hempstead, NY 5 ft 10 in, Died age 47. 1197 lbs. His chest was measured at 106 inches, his waist at 110. Hudson was discovered by the press in 1987, when he became wedged in the door of his bedroom and had to be cut free by rescue workers. He spent 27 years in bed. Activistturned- nutritionist Dick Gregory used Hudson to promote his Bahamian Diet. Other celebrities and diet promoters also claimed to have helped him lose weight. Hudson died in his sleep after years of intermittent starvation dieting, a few weeks after announcing wedding plans. His body was found to weigh 1125 lbs, and his coffin required twelve pallbearers

Jon Brower Minnoch (1941 - 1983) of Bainbridge Island, WA. Died age 42. 6 ft 1 in. Estimated at more than" 1400 lbs in 1979. It took 13 people to roll him over in bed. Minnoch's weight was augmented by 900 lbs of fluid at its peak. The former taxi driver reached 975 lbs in 1976, but he claimed to have continued working. Dieting was his undoing. A 500- calorie diet sapped his muscle strength and left him at the brink of death. Subsequent hospitalization brought him down to 476 lbs in 1981. He was readmitted later that year after regaining 200 lbs in seven days. He weighed 800 lbs at the time of his death. Minnoch was the father of two children by his 110-lb wife, Jeannette.

Roselie Bradford (b. 1944) of Sellersville, PA; 5 ft 6 in, measured at 1053 lbs. She spent most of the 1980's in bed, eating as much as 15,000 calories per day. At her peak, she measured eight feet wide. Her bustline measured over 100 inches. "People would visit me and sit on the bed, not realizing they were sitting on part of me," she recalled. When she fell out of bed, rescue workers used an inflatable cushion designed to right overturned cars to get her back into place. She was persuaded by Richard Simmons to embark on a five year diet and she got down to under 300 pounds.

Michael Edelman (1964 - 1992) of Pomona, NY; Died age 28, Guinness listed him at 994 lbs. He spent most of his time in bed, or sharing meals with his 700-pound mom. When the two were evicted from their Wesley Hills home in 1988, Michael had to be moved by forklift. Later Michael developed a pathological fear of eating and rapidly lost several hundred pounds, taking nourishment only when spoon fed. At about 600 lbs, he literally starved to death.

Michael Hebranko (b. 1954) of Brooklyn 6 ft, "nearly" 1000 lbs. Hebranko first came to public view as a spokesman for diet promoter Richard Simmons in 1989, claiming in infomercials and talk-show appearances that Simmons helped him to go from 907 lbs to less than 200 lbs. He gained most of it back again. In 1996, Hebranko made news when he was taken to a hospital for treatment of a gangrenous infection. Rescue workers had to remove a bay window to make an opening big enough for his 110- inch waistline. He had been unable to move from a loveseat in his home for the previous ten weeks and weighed 850-pounds. Simmons tearfully vowed to slim him down again. As of March 2012, he resided in Staten Island, New York and weighed 550 lbs

Mike Parteleno (b. 1958) of Struthers, OH; 6 ft, claimed a maximum of 1022 lbs while a spokesman for Dick Gregory's Bahamian Diet. Parteleno was a popular favorite in belly-flop contests when he weighed about 650 lbs.

Robert Earl Hughes (1926 - 1958) of Monticello, MO, 6 ft 1/2 in, weighed 1069 lbs in February, 1958. His weight made him a national celebrity: even his custommade blue jeans made news. At his peak, he claimed a chest girth of 124 inches and a 122-inch waistline. His death was due to kidney failure. Unable to fit through the door of a hospital room, he was treated in a truck trailer parked outside. His coffin was built to order, and he was eulogized as a man whose heart was as big as his body.

Carol Yager (1960 - 1994) of Flint, MI; Died age 34. 5 ft 7 in; 1600 lbs. Despite promises by Richard Simmons and Jerry Springer, Yager received little assistance in return for her media exposure. In 1994, she was refused hospitalization on the grounds that her condition was not critical, despite massive water retention and signs of incipient kidney failure. These problems led to her death a few weeks later.

Francis John Lang (b. 1934) of Gibsonton, FL 6 ft 2 in, 1187 lbs. He blamed his weight on prescription drug abuse. Lang had a mobile home built with observation windows, and traveled the country putting himself on display at carnivals and fairs. Lying nearly nude on an oversize circular bed, he preached about the evils of drugs. By 1980, Lang had reportedly reduced to 369 lbs.

He who has overcome his fears will truly be free." - Aristotle