Obese woman, 35, who tipped the scales at 594lbs had to be resuscitated on the operating table after ‘dying’ during weight-loss surgery
- Vianey Rodriguez met Dr Younan Nowzaradan, star of My 600lb Life
- Lost 68lbs (31kg) on her own, leaving her eligible for a gastric sleeve
- After pulling through, she is now weighing a healthier 369lbs (167kg)
A morbidly obese woman briefly died on the operating table while undergoing weight-loss surgery.
Vianey Rodriguez tipped the scales at 594lbs (269kg), after years of overindulging in pizzas, burgers and fizzy drinks.
Deciding enough was enough, the 35-year-old and her husband Allen Lewis, 51, moved from Chicago to Houston to meet Dr Younan Nowzaradan, star of the hit TLC reality show My 600lb Life.
Ms Rodriguez managed to lose 68lbs (31kg) on her own, leaving her eligible for a gastric sleeve.
But doctors were forced to resuscitate Ms Rodriguez during the operation after her heart suddenly stopped.
Thankfully she pulled through, with Mrs Rodriguez now weighing a healthier 369lbs (167kg) a year on.
Vianey Rodriguez briefly died on the operating table while undergoing weight-loss surgery. Pictured before the operation, she tipped the scales at a morbidly obese 594lbs (269kg)
Pictured being wheeled down to surgery, doctors were forced to resuscitate Ms Rodriguez during the operation when her heart suddenly stopped
Pictured as a little girl, Mrs Rodriguez’s weight only became a problem when she was an adult
Ms Rodriguez and her husband, who weighed 648lbs (294kg), both went to Dr Nowzaradan for help.
Four months after they got in touch, the couple were weighed and told they needed to shift some pounds by themselves before they could go under the knife.
Bariatric surgery for patients who weigh more than 500lbs (227kg) can be ‘challenging’, according to Rush University.
This is due to them typically having other conditions, such as heart or lung disease, which makes the operation riskier.
It is unclear if Mrs Rodriguez or Mr Lewis were in poor health, other than being obese.
Doctors are pictured rushing to Ms Rodriguez’s aid after her heart suddenly stopped
Pictured before the ordeal, she pulled through and is now a healthier 369lbs (167kg)
Mrs Rodriguez’s husband Allen Lewis (pictured before his surgery) weighed 648lbs (294kg)
The couple would frequently gorge on ready meals and had a particular penchant for carbs
Despite struggling to cut out carbs, Mrs Rodriguez lost 68lbs in a month and was approved for surgery.
However, Mr Lewis only shed 28lbs (13kg) after admitting to visiting drive throughs while ‘running errands’.
Ms Rodriguez managed to lose another 44lbs (20kg) before her operation but then developed depression, which slowed her weight loss down to just 18lbs (8kg).
In a dramatic turn of events, Mr Lewis shed an impressive 133lbs (60kg) in just a few months and was finally approved for surgery.
At 369lbs (167kg), Ms Rodriguez went under the knife and nearly died in the process. Mr Lewis had a less traumatic operation and weighed 376lbs (171kg) a year on.
The couple, who met online, are healthier than they have been in years and celebrated over a picnic in the park.
Ms Rodriguez’s weight spiraled out of control after she overindulged on huge portions
The couple’s weight affected their daily lives; Mr Lewis is pictured helping his wife sit up
Ms Rodriguez would overindulge in pizzas, burgers and chips, and large fizzy drinks
Deciding enough was enough, the couple moved from Chicago to Houston to meet Dr Younan Nowzaradan, star of the hit TLC reality show My 600lb Life. Pictured during their assessment, the medic warned the surgery was too risky and they both needed to lose weight first
After sneaking off to drive throughs while ‘running errands’, Mr Lewis struggled to lose weight initially. But he eventually managed to shed an impressive 133lbs (60kg) in just a few months and was finally approved for surgery. He is pictured being wheeled into the operating room
Pre surgery, Mrs Rodriguez lost 68lbs (31kg) in a month and then another 44lbs (20kg). However, she then developed depression, which slowed her weight loss to just 18lbs (8kg)
Mrs Rodriguez now weighs a healthier 369lbs (167kg) and her husband 376lbs (171kg). The couple, who met online, celebrated their achievement over a picnic in the park (pictured)
WHAT IS OBESITY? AND WHAT ARE ITS HEALTH RISKS?
Obesity is defined as an adult having a BMI of 30 or over.
A healthy person’s BMI – calculated by dividing weight in kg by height in metres, and the answer by the height again – is between 18.5 and 24.9.
Among children, obesity is defined as being in the 95th percentile.
Percentiles compare youngsters to others their same age.
For example, if a three-month-old is in the 40th percentile for weight, that means that 40 per cent of three-month-olds weigh the same or less than that baby.
Around 58 per cent of women and 68 per cent of men in the UK are overweight or obese.
The condition costs the NHS around £6.1billion, out of its approximate £124.7 billion budget, every year.
This is due to obesity increasing a person’s risk of a number of life-threatening conditions.
Such conditions include type 2 diabetes, which can cause kidney disease, blindness and even limb amputations.
Research suggests that at least one in six hospital beds in the UK are taken up by a diabetes patient.
Obesity also raises the risk of heart disease, which kills 315,000 people every year in the UK – making it the number one cause of death.
Carrying dangerous amounts of weight has also been linked to 12 different cancers.
This includes breast, which affects one in eight women at some point in their lives.
Among children, research suggests that 70 per cent of obese youngsters have high blood pressure or raised cholesterol, which puts them at risk of heart disease.
Obese children are also significantly more likely to become obese adults.
And if children are overweight, their obesity in adulthood is often more severe.
As many as one in five children start school in the UK being overweight or obese, which rises to one in three by the time they turn 10.
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