Mexico ranks first in the world in childhood obesity. This can be explained by a culture of fast food, a problem of physical inactivity, a lack of knowledge and information on the risks of poor nutrition as well as a genetic predisposition. The case of 10-month-old Luis Manuel Gonzales, however, is more complicated.
At birth, this little boy weighed 3.5 kilos for 52 centimeters, a perfectly normal weight. Two months later, the baby weighed 10 kilos, and now 10 months old, Luis weighs 28 kilos. The causes of this dazzling weight gain are still unknown.
A genetic disease?
Luis tires very quickly and cannot walk, even on all fours. This situation is very difficult to manage for parents who constantly have to wear it. His diet would not, however, be questioned. Little Luis is fed low-fat milk, mother’s milk, and pureed fruits and vegetables. Worried, his parents decided to take him to the hospital and it turns out that the baby has a life-threatening fatty liver, lungs and heart.
Two hypotheses have been put forward by the surgeon who takes care of him. The first is that he may be suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic condition that alters the satiety regulator, causing mental retardation, heart and muscle problems. The second hypothesis, much better, is that it could be a question of “cellular inflation” caused by a diet of the mother too poor in anti-inflammatory nutrients during her pregnancy. If the analyzes confirm it, hormonal treatment would be enough to treat Luis.
A costly situation
Everything in the daily life of the child must be readjusted for his weight. Diapers for adults, reinforced stroller, and clothes for children aged 2-3 years are now mandatory investments for the parents of little Luis. The family not earning much money and the hormonal treatments presented being very expensive, the father opened a Facebook page and a bank account in order to finance the medical care.
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