Arya Permana's parents are attempting to cut down his diet. Photo / YouTube
Arya Permana's parents are attempting to cut down his diet. Photo / YouTube
A 10-year-old who has become the world's fattest child is being put on a crash diet as his parents are afraid he'll die.
Arya Permana weighs 192kg and is categorised as morbidly obese.
His rapid weight-gain has forced him to quit school because he can no longer physically walk.
Arya eats five meals a day, consisting of rice, fish, beef, vegetable soup and Tempeh - a traditional soy patty - which is normally enough to feed two adults.
Due to his astonishing weight, his parents have been unable to find clothes that fit him, leading to Arya wearing just a sarong.
"He is perpetually hungry and has an enormous diet, and can actually eat meals of two adults at one time.
"He is always tired and complains of shortness of breath. He only eats and sleeps, and when he is not done with both, he jumps into the bathtub and stays there for hours.
"There is no other pain than seeing your own child suffering. My son does not go to school because he cannot walk on his own and needs my around-the-clock assistance.
"He can only take small steps before he loses balance. I wish to see my son studying and playing with other kids in the neighbourhood."
Arya, the second son of Rokayah, 35, and her husband Ade Somantri, 45, a farmer, was born at home via natural birth and weighed a normal 3.2kg.
But by the time he turned two years old, Arya had gained weight at an abnormal rate for his age.
Arya's parents are worried about his health. Photo / YouTube
Despite this, his parents said they were not worried initially as they were happy to see their son "healthy".
Roykaya, who also has an older child called Ardi, added: "Arya was fatter than my first son and other children in the village but we did not think it was a matter of concern.
"We were happy to see him fuller and considered him to be a happy, healthy child.
"But it was only a few years later when he bloated and his weight went out of control, we realised he was suffering from a disorder and needed medical attention."
Rokayah and Ade took Arya to several doctors in their village in Cipurwasari in West Java, Indonesia, but surprisingly, doctors did not find anything abnormal about his alarming weight.
Arya eats two adult sized meals in one sitting. Photo / YouTube
Dad Ade, who makes $180 a month, said: "They asked us to take him to better hospitals if we think he needs medical attention.
"I have spent money beyond my capacity on his treatment but I am a poor farmer and making ends meet is a big task for me.
"I have insufficient money to buy food to fulfil his large appetite. I borrow money so that he can eat. Of course, I cannot keep him starving.
"I am exhausted now and I cannot afford expensive hospitals. But I hope to see my son perfectly normal one day."
The helpless parents have now put Arya on a diet of brown rice in the hope of controlling his weight.
