Walter Hudson

Walter Hudson (June 5, 1944 – December 24, 1991) was an American man and the holder of the Guinness World Record for the largest waist circumference, at around. At his heaviest in September 1987, he weighed , making him the heaviest person alive at the time, and the sixth heaviest person in medical history.

Biography Early life Hudson was born on June 5, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York City. His father left the family when he was a baby. He was a compulsive eater growing up, and he weighed by the time he was 6 years old. He would often leave home early on the way to school just to eat extra food, collect recyclables for change to buy candy bars, and routinely eat late at night. He dropped out of school in the 7th grade after breaking his leg, eventually earning his high school diploma via a tutor. Around age 15, weighing , he became permanently homebound.

Obesity While living in Hempstead, Hudson shared a house with his mother, his brother George, his sister Barbara, and her children. He never went outside his home, both due to strong agoraphobia and the difficulty caused by his weight. He stayed in a queen-sized bed all day, only leaving to go to the bathroom, ate food prepared and served to him by his family members, and kept himself occupied by reading the Bible daily. According to Jet magazine, Hudson's breakfast was one dozen eggs, one dozen rolls, and of bacon.

Hudson's funeral was held on January 2, 1992, at Gospel Blessing Center Church in Roosevelt, New York and was attended by over a thousand people, including his former nutritional advisor Dick Gregory. He was interred in Greenfield Cemetery in a custom-built coffin that was wide, weighed more than , and required eight pallbearers to move.