The man lost almost 400 kilograms, keeping his promise to his grandmother

HATTISBURG, Ms. – The maximum weight Nicholas Kraft ever weighed was 649 pounds. He said he was miserable, in pain and choking.

The doctors told him that he “looks like a ticking time bomb”.

“Depression led me to overeat and I couldn’t move around like I should,” the Mississippi native told FOX.

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Kraft began his weight loss journey in June 2019 and said he lost over 365 pounds in four years.

“What made me start my journey was that I wanted to live longer,” he continued.

Kraft said he immediately cut out unhealthy and carbohydrate-rich foods such as fried foods, bread, sodas, pasta and rice.

But Kraft said another big motivation for losing weight was his grandmother.

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“My grandmother also made me want to change,” he explained. “She wanted to see me more often, and I promised her that I would lose weight. This way I could visit her more often.”

Kraft said he is no longer short of breath and has much less pain. He also said that he doesn’t have to worry about fitting into a particular type of car.

“My message to people is if you believe, you can achieve,” he said. “You can do anything if you put in the effort. Be consistent and trust the process.”

More than two in five US adults (42.4%) are obese, according to the National Institutes of Health. Almost one in five children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 (19.3%) are obese.

Obesity – which means not just being overweight, but seriously overweight – is one of the leading public health problems in the country. Obesity in adults is also on the rise, but childhood obesity is of particular concern because it can put children on the path to developing problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

A number of factors contribute to childhood obesity, including consumption of large amounts of processed foods and sugary drinks, and lack of exercise.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.