15/07/2025
This X-ray belongs to Keith Martin, a man whose life was shaped by extreme morbid obesity.
At his heaviest, he weighed around 445 kg (981 lbs), but his journey began with tragedy. After losing his mother at age 16, Keith spiraled into depression and began compulsively overeating to cope with the emotional pain.
Struggling with anxiety and agoraphobia, he spent over a decade confined to his home-eventually becoming bedridden for the last two years of his life. His sister, Tina, became his full-time caregiver, as Keith described feeling
"trapped" in his own body and certain he would die that way.
Determined to survive, Keith sought medical intervention.
Doctors placed him on a strict 2,000-calorie-per-day dietโa massive shift from his previous intake of up to 20,000 calories daily. He lost around 160 kg (353 lbs), which finally made him eligible for bariatric surgery.
Although the operation was initially successful, Keith left the hospital early and faced complications. Just eight months later, in March 2014, he died at age 44 from pneumonia.
Keith Martin's story opened up global conversations about the deeper causes of morbid obesity-from untreated trauma and mental illness to the damaging effects of food addiction and isolation. His life remains a powerful reminder of the urgent need for compassion, mental health support, and access to healthier food systems.
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