'Heaviest woman' leaves India for UAE after 'losing 250kg'
- Published
An Egyptian woman who was believed to have been the world's heaviest has left an Indian hospital where doctors claim she lost more than 250kg.
Eman Abd El Aty, said to have weighed around 500kg, was flown to India for treatment on a special chartered plane.
She has left for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, to receive further treatment. She was flying business class on a passenger flight.
Her bariatric surgeon had said it was a "mistake" to move her.
The final days of Ms Abd El Aty's stay in India were marred after her sister, Shaimaa Selim, released a short video on social media alleging that her sister was still unable to speak or move, and had not lost as much weight as the hospital was claiming.
The hospital strongly denied the allegations.
The surgeon, Dr Muffi Lakdawala, told an Indian news channel that Ms Selim had wanted her sister to stay in hospital until she was able to walk again, but orthopaedic specialists had told her Ms Abd El Aty would never walk again.
He said this had prompted Ms Selim to make her allegations and also take the decision to move her to Abu Dhabi.
"I am heartbroken to have Eman leave my care and to be told that I cannot continue my treatment of her in phases, as I had planned to. However, I have confidence in her own ability to heal and we will always wish her the best in our hearts," he said.
What is bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is used as a last resort to treat people who are dangerously obese and carrying an excessive amount of body fat.
The two most common types of weight loss surgery are:
Gastric band, where a band is used to reduce the size of the stomach so a smaller amount of food is required to make someone feel full
Gastric bypass, where the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach so less food is digested to make someone feel full