Franco, who comes from northern Mexico, used to be the world’s fattest man.

Guinness World Records certified the title after he weighed in at 595 kilos (1,310 pounds) in October 2016.

At the time, he was completely bed-ridden, suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure, and had a severely obstructed lung. Doctors warned his life was at risk if he didn’t lose weight.

That’s when Franco decided to undergo double gastric surgery.

He and his mother moved from his home state, Aguascalientes, to Guadalajara in the west, the city where his bariatric surgeon, Jose Antonio Castaneda, has his clinic.

Castaneda put Franco, who suffers from hypothyroidism, on a “very severe” diet of Mediterranean cuisine for six months.

Then, in May 2017, came the first surgery: a gastric sleeve operation, which involves removing part of the stomach to reduce its volume by up to 80 percent.

Six months later, he underwent a gastric bypass, in which Castaneda halved what remained of his stomach, and then connected one of the smaller pouches to the intestines.

The intestines themselves were also divided, to reduce his absorption of nutrients.

Since Franco could barely move at the time, burning off calories would never have been enough, doctors said. The only option was to radically reduce the size of his stomach.

Now 33 years old, Franco currently weighs in at 345 kilos (760 pounds). Castaneda expects him to lose about 100 kilos more in the next year and a half.

He is still connected to an oxygen tube 24 hours a day, but he spends less and less time lying in bed.

Using a walker, he has managed to take his first steps in years.

Now, he says, he has one big dream: “I want to walk again.”

‘Saving a life’

Franco’s skin is pale white from lack of exposure to the sun.

He spends his days knitting scarves and making sweets for his family to sell — his way of contributing to the household budget.

In his free time, he likes to sing and play guitar.

But a large part of his day is devoted to his exercises.

These include lifting weights, pulling resistance cords and pedaling his hand-cranked stationary bike.

“I’m very happy because everything is going very well,” he told AFP from his bed, which is outfitted with a custom-built metal structure that enables him to lift himself to his feet.

“He’s doing more exercise each day,” said Castaneda, at his side.

“He is making an effort to stand up by himself, to get his life on track. He has a very positive attitude.”

According to the clinic, a lot now depends on how well he progresses and how he responds to treatment for the lymphedema in his legs — accumulated fluid caused by the blockage of his lymphatic system.

“He remains a complex patient and will be at risk until he no longer suffers from extreme obesity,” his medical team said in a statement.

“We are trying to save a life, and we will remain vigilant until he is out of danger.”

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, 58 percent of people in Latin America and the Caribbean are overweight.

Mexico is one of the countries worst affected by the problem, along with the Bahamas and Chile.

Franco is not the only Mexican to have been the world’s fattest man.

His compatriot Manuel Uribe claimed the title in 2007 after weighing in at 597 kilos. He later went on a diet that brought him down to 394 kilos.

Uribe got married in 2008, after being lifted to the ceremony by a crane.

He died in May 2014 at age 48.

The show, presented by Verventia, organisers of the Singapore Yacht Show, and sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, is an international event, bringing together leading brands and dealers to present their most popular products at the show.

Among the craft available to try out are yachts, super-yachts, catamarans, sailboats, sports-fishers, dinghies, tenders, water sport boats and day cruisers. This year’s exhibitors include Asia Marine, Asia Yacht Agency, Azimut Yachts, Boat Lagoon Yachting, Cholamark Boat Co, Fraser Yachts, Lee Marine, Multi-hull Solutions, Northrop and Johnson, Princess Yachts, Sky Marine, Sunreef, and Sunseeker, amongst many others.

The stellar lineup at this year’s show includes some of the world’s biggest and best super-yachts, including the 90-metre Cassens-Werft-built Lauren L, the biggest yacht ever to be exhibited at any show in Asia and presented by Titan Fleet Management, alongside Feadship’s 60m motor yacht M/Y Paraffin which will be presented by Fraser Yachts. For those looking for an exquisite and timeless yacht, this is one of the most luxurious yachts available for charter or sale on the market. She can accommodate 12 guests in six staterooms and has ample interior and exterior space for relaxing and entertaining. Her wine cellar is as enviable as is the range of toys and tenders on board.

Ferretti Group’s Custom Line 47m M/Y Happy Days is be available for private viewings through Lee Marine. A powerful motor yacht with a top speed of 28 knots, this is the perfect yacht to discover the Andaman Sea.

Also included in a fleet of some 15 super-yachts is the 38m classic sailing yacht S/Y La Numero Uno, the very first yacht built by one of the most elite names in the industry, Perini Navi. One of the most luxurious sailing yachts available for viewing, she is available for charter through broker Asia Marine.

The ITAC 54, designed by world-renowned Italian naval architect Riccardo Bulgarelli, will make its world debut here. Presented by Multihull Solutions, Asia Pacific’s leading multihull specialist, this new long-range passage-making catamaran delivers the features and performance of a 70ft monohull with the benefit of being easy to handle without additional crew.

Based on “Try-it-and-See” concept, morning cruise trips, live demonstrations and electric parties allow visitors to discover the luxurious yachting lifestyle even if they can’t afford a yacht of their own. Interactive activities hopping on board for a quick cruise at sea or trying out the latest in water toys  will let interested visitors try everything out first hand.

Sustainable mobility and some of the latest developments towards mindful conservation at sea will also be part of the show, with electric boats and cars presented by sponsoring partners Torqeedo and BMW.

The latest marine toys and water sports such as stand up paddle boarding by SeaDoo, and the latest cool water craze, the Schiller water bike, will all be available for trials at the open Demonstration Platform. Visitors can chill while floating on bean bags or attend live demonstrations and be amazed by professionals showing Jet-Blade and Jet-Surf equipment.

Food and wine are offered throughout the day on and off the water. Thai cooking lessons, street food vendors, night markets, sommelier-led wine tastings and chef demonstrations complete the experience. The youngest members of the family can enjoy a day out at the TYS Kids Club, where dedicated activities will be offered just for them whilst their parents discover the best of the yachting world.

Get your tickets at http://www.ThailandYachtShow.com,

Forty three per cent of Thai travellers say they want to update their home because they like interior design that reminds them of happy times spent on holiday, and one in five (23 per cent) like to recreate their holiday experiences when back at home.

The study, conducted through 19,000 global travellers, also revealed that the interior design of our holiday accommodation can provide such an unforgettable experience that more than half of travellers (56 per cent) are motivated to undertake interior design work inspired by their travels when they return to their own home. The figure rises to 67 per cent amongst Millennials. Thai travellers are among the top, with eight in 10 of them supporting this thinking.

Interior design is also a lead factor in travellers’ decision-making process ahead of booking somewhere to stay. Six in 10 (64 per cent) say the interior design of their accommodation is the most important factor when choosing where they stay. In fact, one in two (53 per cent) say they have spent more time in their accommodation than originally planned, because they loved the interior design so much.

With such a variety of holiday accommodation options available today, more than four in 10 (44 per cent) travellers say that it is the chance to stay somewhere new that inspires them to refresh their home.

It’s rental homes (such as cottages, villas, gites) that lead the way when people are selecting unique types of stay for their inspirational decor. In fact, over two thirds (67 per cent) say they would choose to stay in a holiday home over a hotel if they wanted to experience unique or unusual interior design.

For just under half of Thai travellers (49 per cent), a key motivation for choosing somewhere to stay on holiday is that its design (look and feel) is different from their own home. This allows travellers to escape physically and mentally, with six in 10 (63 per cent) enjoying being in a completely different setting, as it helps them to get the most from their holiday.

The large majority (88 per cent) of Thai travellers report that going on holiday encourages them to be more creative with their home interiors. With that said, Booking.com has partnered with interior stylist and lifestyle expert, Will Taylor, to provide practical interior design tips to empower more travellers to be able to bring that holiday feeling home with them. Three of Will’s top tips include

>> Turn the pieces you fell in love with and brought home from your holiday into statement design features in your house from lighting to scent or everyday utensil.

>> Colour is an emotive element of design and it’s perfect for recreating a holiday moment or favourite view back at home. Why not DIY an ombre blue wall behind the bed or in your entryway to remind you of that Mediterranean trip of a lifetime? There are countless painting tutorials online that can guide you through creating a design statement such as this with paint.

“The experiences we have while on holiday can last for a lifetime; whether that’s the memories we create, the purchases we make or the inspiration we come home with. Passion for interior design is one that spans all continents, and what better way to get new ideas and fresh inspiration than looking to the accommodation we stay in while on holiday,” says Pepijn Rijvers, Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com.

“At Booking.com we offer 30 different types of accommodation – from home and apartment rentals to tree houses and igloos, all of which are designed to give travellers the ultimate holiday experience, and may even inspire them to make home decor changes in the process.”

The serene and stylish wellness centre offers a choice of treatment rooms for singles and couples, along with an authentic Japanese onsen. With a millennial mindset, many of the treatments here can be completed in an hour or less  perfect for guests with busy lifestyles. Healthy spa cuisine and refreshments are also available for those with more time to unwind.

“Our exciting new wellness concept focuses on the lifestyle of millennial travellers. Our selection of energising express treatments will provide guests with the perfect boost before an important meeting or night out,” said general manager Charin Tuncharoen.

“We provide a range of beauty treatments that will leave you looking great and feeling fresh. Alternatively, guests can indulge their senses with a collection of sublime spa packages and signature therapies.”

This knowledge and skill will be combined with modern techniques and natural ingredients to create an extensive range of treatments, from body scrubs, facials, waxes and masks, to a wide range of massages such as traditional Thai, Swedish and Balinese techniques, aromatherapy, hot stone massages and many more.

The spa also aims to share the ancestral massage tradition throughout its variety of exceptional treatments. Guests seeking express revitalisation can enjoy a series of 45-minute massages, body scrubs and masks.

There is also a 30-minute Express Facial and half-hour waxing treatments for a quick boost, while a choice of 60 or 90-minute treatments like the X2 Vibe Signature Massage combines hot stone and coconut oil massages.

For the ultimate indulgence, the 4-hour-and-a-half X2 Vibe Royal Package features Black Sesame Honey Body Scrub, Gold Honey Body Mask, Pure Relaxation Massage, onsen and facial treatment, followed by healthy spa cuisine and refreshments.

“Thai wellness is entwined with nature, so we offer a collection of classical therapies that use native ingredients such as tamarind, coconut and honey,” said Charin.

Find out more at (02) 331 9091 or email book.suk@x2vibe.com.

“The St Regis Bangkok remains one of my favourite comfort zones anywhere. It is such a pleasure, to bring my passion and expertise in music, to this collaboration with this luxury Bangkok property. More importantly, together, we are looking forward to presenting a unique variety of music acts, from the little ones to the professionals, as we continue to prove Bangkok a cultured city,” commented Paye.

The St Regis Master Series will showcase the finest musical crafts by the best professionals in the business, from classical music to jazz and beyond and is slated to take place towards the end of every month.

In March, the St. Regis Little Artist Series Afternoon Tea Concert sees special performances by extraordinarily gifted young individuals. During Saturday afternoon tea or evenings, discover talents as young as five years old in this family-friendly highlight, for all ages. The debut performance will be held on March 31 from 2.30pm

The St. Regis Rising Talents will feature aspiring, and carefully chosen, young local professional music acts, including students from the Viemus Music School and others, The first in this series is set for April 28, from 8pm to 10pm.

Prices for the February 23 show are Bt990-plus per person with two cocktails and Bt9,900-plus per table including a bottle of spirits & mixers, or a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne (75cl.)

During afternoon performances, the Western Afternoon Tea set at The St Regis Bar is priced at Bt1,500-plus per set for two people, including a selection of exclusive TWG tea and coffee.

Book your table at (02) 207 7777, e-mail fb.bangkok@stregis.com or visit http://www.stregisbangkok.com.

So there was Pojsawat Kang, all of eight years old, helping two of the top chefs in Thailand cook a fancy duck dish. He chopped and peeled the Chinese radish for them, but it was also his job to learn how to prepare the dish. And it was the job of Philippe Guadal of the Landmark Bangkok and Kevin Thomson of the JW Marriott Hotel to show him how it’s done.

Pojsawat is one of 11 young (some very young) “aspiring chefs” getting lessons from the masters participating in the ninth annual Bangkok Chefs Charity coming up on March 3 in the ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental.

Twenty professional chefs are participating this year, not just in preparing the 10-course feast for the gala fund-raiser – which Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Siridhorn will attend – but also in cooking dinners for underprivileged kids upcountry and training the next generation.

The first Bangkok Chefs Charity was held in 2009 and the organisers had chef Norbert Kostner of the Mandarin Oriental as an adviser to the Royal Projects.

Two years earlier he’d travelled to Chiang Mai to see the Royal Projects on Doi Ang-Kang. Kostner saw more than just exceptional farm produce. There were needy children up and down the northern hills. When he got back, he suggested that the food industry in Bangkok do something to help them.

“We came up with the idea of a charity dinner prepared by famous chefs from the leading hotels,” says Patcharin Hame-ung-gull, managing director of Gourmet One Food Service, which has provided the ingredients since Day 1.

“The idea was to raise money – with no expenses deducted – and give it to Princess Sirindhorn for the Royal Patrol Police schools, for scholarships for underprivileged kids and for buying teaching and sports equipment.

“One year we raised Bt25 million,” Patcharin says. “The biggest contribution was Bt15 million, from Charoen and Khunying Wanna Sirivadhanabhakdi, and Vichai and Juthamas Bencharongkul donated Bt3 million.”

That money built the Bangkok Chefs Charity Border Patrol Police School in Ban Mae Longtai in Chiang Mai.

Chef Markus Zuck of the Grand Hyatt Erawan is participating in the project for the third time.

“It’s a fantastic concept and the chefs are passionate about raising money for the kids,” he says. “The event is full of heart – both inside and outside the kitchen. And we get to see the results when it’s all over. We put the money where it’s most needed and you can see the wonderful schools that have been built.”

The main event features a Chef’s Auction. The successful bidders get the chef of their choice cooking them a formal dinner in their home.

But it’s the Young Chefs side-project that seems to produce the biggest smiles. Flanked by a pair of professionals, each aspiring cook tackles a dish his mentors have conceived just for the occasion. It’s a fun evening and there’s a lot of inspiration and encouragement.

After eight-year-old Pojsawat had peeled his radishes and finished his duck, he got to tour the hill communities with the chefs. “I met other children and I was very happy to help cook them kai pa lo [egg and pork in sweet brown sauce] and share toys with them,” he says.

Nitipen Kraivixien, 25, got to assist chefs Antony Scholtmeyer of the Okura Prestige Bangkok and Jan Van Dyk of the Anantara Siam Bangkok in preparing the agasta soup topped with lemon marmalade and crispy ham that will be served at the gala.

With a master’s in cultural heritage studies from University College London – an archaeology course – you’d think Nitipen would be digging up bones instead of making soup stock with them, but she says she’s “a food enthusiast” and had a blast in the kitchen.

“This is a great opportunity to meet world-renowned chefs and learn useful techniques. You get to see how they use their creativity making a dish – for example the way they chose lemon marmalade as a nice contrast in the agasta soup. That’s where the magic happens. Without the marmalade, the soup is bitter from the agasta, but the marmalade completely changes the taste.”

Nitipen says she also feels “truly honoured” to be part of the project helping underprivileged children get a better education.

“And the fact that these top chefs travel to remote villages is another way of broadening the children’s horizons. The kids get to eat really great food and try something new. Who knows – those kids might be inspired to become chef themselves one day!”

PLATES AT THE READY

•  Tickets for the March 3 Bangkok Chef Charity cost Bt12,500 per seat and there are 10 seats per table.
•  Call Gourmet One at (02) 403 3388, extension 511, or (085) 152 6857 or email bcc@gourmetone.com.
•  The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, which is hosting the event, can be reached at (02) 659 0302.

Researchers examining more than 57,000 cases of early-onset dementia in France found that well over half were either alcohol-related, or accompanied by an additional diagnosis of alcohol abuse.

Overall, alcohol use disorders were associated with a three-fold higher risk of all types of dementia.

Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are said to be premature before the age of 65.

Previous research was inconclusive on the effect of alcohol on cognitive health.

Some studies have show a possible benefit of light-to-moderate drinking, while others have found that heavy drinking boosts the risk of dementia.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines “chronic heavy drinking” as more than 60 grammes of pure alcohol — six or more standard drinks — a day for men, and in excess of 40 grammes per day for women.

For the new study, researchers combed through medical records of more than one million adults in France diagnosed with dementia from 2008 to 2013.

The link with alcohol was statistically unmistakable, leading the authors to suggest screening, brief interventions for heavy drinking, and alcoholism treatment to help reduce cognitive decline.

“The link between dementia and alcohol use disorders … is likely a result of alcohol leading to permanent structural and functional brain damage,” said lead author Michael Schwarzinger, a scientist at the Translational Health Economics Network in Paris.

Alcohol use disorders are also associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and heart failure, which may in turn increase the risk of vascular dementia, he said in a statement.

– Heavy drinking a ‘major risk’ –

Previous research has likewise established a link between heavy drinking and smoking, depression, and low educational attainment — all risk factors for dementia.

The study, based on discharge records from all French hospitals over a six-year period, excluded patients with diseases linked to rare dementias, and people with early-life mental health disorders.

During the same period, there were 94,5512 people — more than 85 percent of them alcohol dependent — diagnosed with alcohol use disorders.

“Our findings suggest that the burden of dementia attributable to alcohol use disorders is much larger than previously thought,” Schwarzinger said.

“Heavy drinking should be recognised as a major risk factor for all types of dementia.”

Clive Ballard, professor at the University of Exeter Medical School in Britain, described the findings as “immensely important”.

“We should move forward with clear public health messages about the relationship between both alcohol-use disorders and alcohol consumption, respectively, and dementia,” he commented in the same journal.

Their findings, reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, challenge two long-held assumptions about the benefits of physical activity for the elderly.

To improve health and reduce the risk of dying, according to many national health authorities, workouts must be strenuous and more long-lasting.

In Britain, for example, the elderly are advised to do moderate-to-intense exercise at least 150 minutes per week, divied up into segments of no less than 10 minutes.

“UK and US physical activity guidelines don’t mention any benefits of light activity,” lead author Barbara Jefferis, an epidemiologist at University College London, told AFP.

“When those guidelines were written there wasn’t enough evidence to make a recommendation.”

The study, which tracked 1,200 men without heart disease in their early 70s and late 80s, says such guidelines should be revised.

“The results suggest that all activities — no matter how modest — are beneficial,” Jefferis said.

Encouraging older adults to engage in no-sweat exercise also appears to be more realistic.

Only 16 percent of the volunteers lived up to current British exercise guidelines in sessions of at least 10 minutes. Two-thirds, however, did hit the weekly, 150-minute quota in shorter snippets of activity.

The research drew on data from the British Regional Heart Study, which began in 1978 with nearly 8,000 participants aged 40 to 59 from a couple dozen towns scattered across Britain.

In 2012, the 3,137 men still living underwent a physical check-up, and answered questions about their lifestyle and sleeping patterns.

– Couch potatoes –

The study focused on 1,181 participants who wore an accelerometer — a device that tracks the volume and intensity of physical exercise — for seven days.

“The availability of body-worn activity monitors has enabled us to investigate whether light activity is linked to longevity,” said Jefferis.

The men, who averaged 78 years old, were monitored for five years, during which time 194 of them died.

The study showed that each additional 30 minutes-a-day of light-intensity exercise was associated with a 17 percent reduction in the risk of death.

As expected, a half-an-hour of moderate-to-vigorous activity reduced the risk by even more — 33 percent.

What counted, however, was the total time spent exercising, not how the time was divided up.

The men who engaged in brief, sporadic bouts of moderately intense activity — mowing the lawn, swimming, walking briskly — were as likely to avoid the grim reaper as men whose exercise time was parcelled into longer sessions.

For both groups, the chance of dying was 40 percent lower compared to full-time couch potatoes who hardly moved at all.

The authors cautioned that the structure of the study — the fact that it was observational, and not a clinical trial — made it impossible to describe the results in terms of cause-and-effect.

And in the comparison between older men who exercise — sporadically or regularly — and those who don’t, the fact that the participants who volunteers to wear accelerometers were in better health to begin with may have somewhat skewed the results.

It was also not clear whether the findings would apply to older women, though Jefferis said there was little reason to think they don’t.

“We didn’t have the necessary data for women,” she said.

Over the years, this much-loved shopping event has attracted hundreds of bargain hunters on the lookout for treasures sold by members of the public, the expat community, socialites and celebrities, some of whom volunteer their time and clutter to help raise funds for cancer research.

This year’s proceeds will go to Chulalongkorn Hospital’s Genetic Cancer Research Centre under the auspices of the Thai Red Cross. Shoppers can enjoy bargaining over donated branded goods, vintage clothes, fashion accessories, jewellery, collectibles and small appliances.

Visitors get a chance to win air tickets, five-star meal vouchers, wines, personal care products, and more for a donation of Bt50 each. Interested prospective vendors are requested to book their tables early, as booking is on a first come, first served basis. Vendors with personal clutter are required to make a donation of Bt2,500 per table while the semi-business vendors’ donation per table is Bt3,000.

Find out more by emailing annabellesdaokaew@gmail.com.