Overview
- Franco died on December 24 at a hospital in Aguascalientes, Mexico, according to his physician Dr José Antonio Castaneda.
- Doctors said his condition deteriorated rapidly due to systemic complications from a severe kidney infection.
- He drew global attention in 2017 when Guinness World Records recognized him as the heaviest living person at about 1,322 pounds.
- Under medical supervision he adopted a Mediterranean-style diet and had a gastric sleeve followed by a gastric bypass, losing roughly half his body weight and walking again.
- Clinicians said the weight loss reduced some diabetes and cardiovascular risks, yet his long-standing illness left ongoing vulnerability, and he previously survived COVID-19 in 2020.