When Jessica Leonard was born, she was a perfectly healthy baby, just like any other child. No one could predict that in the years to come, she would turn into the heaviest seven year old child. Weighting staggering 200 kilograms, Jessica became sort of a celebrity and her name was all over the media, but sadly, for reasons that would make her early years a living hell.
Jessica’s mother, Caroline Shu Tug, recalls her daughter’s first years of life when she was a cheerful girl and a very healthy one. According to her, things turned the wrong turn with the fact that Jessica never refused anything when she was offered food.
Loved by everyone in the family, maybe even more than needed, she was spoiled rotten and everyone would please her wishes of having fast food, a bunch of snacks, cupcakes from the pastry shops, chips and nuts from supermarkets. Jessica would have all these in quite large quantities.
Although her parents don’t recall when the situation got out of control, they remember it was an eye opener for them that their child was in a desperate situation when the scale showed she weighted 220 kilograms at the age of just 7 and experienced troubles breathing.
When she was rushed to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in critical condition, child protective services finally took notice.
Jessica was broadcast in a show staring like a gimmick. Her mother asked for help and her plead was heard by renowned dietitians and nutritionists.
In an effort to maintain any progress her daughter would hopefully make at the clinic, Carolyn was also asked to attend parenting classes so that she could help her daughter stay on the right track once she was well enough to return home.
Jessica was sent to a clinic where she started a battle for every calorie she ate.
Doctors realized that her issue with food was that she got dependent from it from psychological aspect.
Once at the clinic, Jessica couldn’t figure it out why she was denied food that she would up until that point receive from her family with a smile on their face.
It was long months of diets, exercise, psychological treatments, and strong will that helped Jessica lose a significant amount of weight. The next time the world heard of her, she had lost 140 kilograms.
After losing the weight, Jessica also undergone a skin removal surgery during which doctors removed over 10 kg of excess skin from her body.
Today, Jessica resembles a completely different person. She’s very active, looks slim, and is engaged in gymnastics and basketball. She eats healthy, and leads a healthy lifestyle.