Half-Ton Mexican Dies After Pleas For Help

990-Pound Man Suffers Heart Failure, Days After Television Appeal

(AP)  A 990-pound, bedridden man who had appealed on Mexican television for help tackling his weight problem died Tuesday of heart failure, his family said.

Emergency officials had to knock down Jose Luis Garza's bedroom wall and load him onto the back of a friend's pickup truck as he fought for his life. The 47-year-old was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital in northern Mexico.

Garza followed in the footsteps of the world's fattest man, fellow Mexican Manuel Uribe of Monterrey, by taking his weight problem public. Garza lived about an hour away from Uribe in the town of Juarez.

Garza said he always struggled with his weight, but that he fell into a desperate cycle of depression and overeating nine months ago after his parents died of natural causes within two weeks of each other. He had been bedridden for four months.

Garza's condition deteriorated over the weekend as he struggled to breathe and eat. At his funeral, family members slammed state officials for not moving Garza to a hospital before he became critically ill.

"If he had received support at the time he asked for it, he would still be with us," said his brother Pedro Garza.

State officials argued there was little they could do.

"The attention he would have received at a hospital would have been the same he got at home," said Julio Cesar Cano, spokesman for the Nuevo Leon state health department. "Moving a patient of that magnitude is very difficult. A normal ambulance won't work."

Uribe, whose record weight of 1,230 pounds earned him a place in the 2008 Guinness Book of Records, has claimed to have lost around 550 pounds by following the Zone Diet invented by Dr. Barry Sears.

Uribe tried to help Garza by sending him kiwis, grapefruit, pears and a protein supplement. Uribe's fiancee, Claudia Solis, delivered the food on Friday evening.

[indianaman13]

Libluv2cnsor? I thought since we''ve had 5 rep presidents in the last 40 years to the dems 2 that censorship would be on the heads of state who''ve been in office the most and longer. Actions speak louder than any lie screamed. Look at the direction this country has gone in since the 60''s, since Republicans have been in power. 5 to 2 Republicans to Demacrats. 30 years compared to 12. Wake up and open your eyes.

[indianaman13]

While Conservative Texas Republicans give teachers guns to take to school. Yea, I bet Jesus would want his followers carrying instruments of death with them everywhere. I can see Jesus now waving and AK-47 preaching peace love and understanding.

[libluv2cnsor]

Posted by brianbwb at 09:08 AM : Oct 08, 2008
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to add, if that was to happen in california and ended up in a jay leno show...liberals would ban excessive food consumption and declare food as ''dangerous''

[libluv2cnsor]

So next time you want to rant about liberals in an article that has nothing to do with the subject, remember that you are one of the worst liberals, as your liberalism helps the fewest people.


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Posted by brianbwb at 09:08 AM : Oct 08, 2008
+ report abuse


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actually liberals PROMOTES this kind of "its not me its them" attitude.

if a liberal did help they would propably hug him and give him more food..

[mytoosense]

The moral of this story:

Never eat in bed.

[runningralph]

I don''t blame the people who fed that guy. They had probably tried for years to reform him. Most likely he had been useless dead weight since he was about 250. They eventually got tired of trying and let him kill himself. Wasted space turned into useful space.

[questionnews]

The family could have just placed food at the end of a treadmill or at the top of a hill & told him if wants that platter of fried chicken, it''s the treadmill or the hill.

[easeup-2009]

I sure as hell wouldn''t want to be a pall-bearer....

[gowerd]

You are all sick who bring politics into this story, I saw an article on tv about this person, and he was sweet and kind hearted. Sure the person(s) who fed him are to blame, he knew what the consequences would be,what else did he have to do but to eat? He was at fault and it cost him his life. A sad story.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by mrcrosby1

You are funny, the party that you will probably vote for, has followed liberal policies far larger that those who actually call themselves liberals, the only differences being the cost (yours are larger) and the welfare recipients. (in your case, the already wealthy)

So next time you want to rant about liberals in an article that has nothing to do with the subject, remember that you are one of the worst liberals, as your liberalism helps the fewest people.

[gmcnally2]

Kind of like our economy.

[myopinion1]

The family has a LOT of nerve trying to shift blame. He weighed HALF A TON! If it was so important that his life be saved, then why didn''t they step in earlier? It''s like the family of the street thug, "He was such a good boy!" Yeah, I guess his 2 foot long rap sheet was just his "community service".

[checkthepast]

''family members slammed state officials''

The state didn''t have any control over him getting in the shape he was in. I guess bereavement causes blaming anyone you can sometimes, but if the family doesn''t help this guy until it''s too late, don''t blame the government. (They must have been dems) ;)

[jlagat]

"i eat because i am depressed and I am depressed because i eat'''''''' excuse is THE BIGGEST LIBERAL BULLSH*T EVER

Posted by libluv2spit

Except the fact that the biggest fat@$$es in America are conservative Southerners.

[spiritwalk]

here is the support this fat *** should had recieved..STOP GIVING HIM FOOD..no need to for an entire nation...no need for appeal..no need to slam and blame the govt...JUST GIVE HIM ENOUGH..

"i eat because i am depressed and I am depressed because i eat'''' excuse is THE BIGGEST LIBERAL BULLSH*T EVER

Posted by libluv2spit
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I was agreeing with you up until the "liberal" bit. Why did you have to go there? This is not a liberal/conservative issue it''s a stupidity issue.

As for the 990 lb guy, I think the bit at the end about the 1,200 lb guy is even stranger. He weighs over half a ton and he has a fiance. I would love to hear her explain the attraction.

[pete_in_az]

the thing that shocks me about these stories is the people around these huge men and women that bring them the piles and piles of food it takes to gain and maintain this size. enabling comes to mind.

[rational_1]

Poor guy. R.I.P.

I doubt the hospital could have done much for him at this late stage - his heart wouldn''t have lasted while he slowly lost the weight even if he had survived the trip to the hospital.