Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty has died in a hospital in the United Arab Emirates due to complications with her weight, such as heart disease and kidney dysfunction. At her heaviest, the 37-year-old weighed 1,100lbs (500 kgs) and was bed ridden for the majority of her adult life.
The parents of the woman, once dubbed the heaviest in the world, believed she suffered from elephantiasis, which is an infection which causes extreme swelling in the arms and legs. They say she had been heavy from the moment she was born, and she lost the ability to walk when she was just 11.
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Her large weight as a young girl caused her to have to crawl to move locations, however, she suffered a cerebral stroke in her teens. That forced her to remain in a bed for years, and her lack of movement caused her weight to skyrocket.
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Doctors believed she had an issue with her thyroid, which is the hormone inside your body that helps regulate metabolism. According to the American Thyroid Association, in general, 5-10 pounds (2.2-4.5kgs) of body weight may be attributable to the thyroid, depending on the severity of the hypothyroidism. However, it's clear in Eman's case that her issue was definitely not normal.
Her sister started a campaign online to help raise awareness about her plight. Eventually, a doctor in Mumbai took on her case, for free, and managed to fly her in a modified plane that could take her weight. That was reportedly the first time she had left her house in 25 years.
But before the procedure could even begin, Eman had to drop 220 pounds (100kgs), so that she could be placed on the operating table. Once the bariatric surgery was completed, it resulted in her losing an impressive 660 pounds (300kgs).
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That type of operation is described as a last resort for overweight people, which consists of either using a band to reduce the size of the stomach, or rerouting the digestive system past most of the stomach.
However, her family accused the Saifee Hospital in Mumbia of lying about the dramatic weight loss. Ms El Aty's sister, Shaimaa Selim, told the BBC: "He [Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, who led the operation] didn't weigh her before and after. If he has any proof of her weight loss, show us the video of her weight before and after."
Eman was supposed to stay in the hospital for physiotherapy to help her get used of the limbs that have been basically dormant for years.
The hospital has issued the following statement: "Our prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to her family."
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Sources: The Daily Mail, BBC