Jon B. Minnoch
Heaviest recorded human, weighing about 1,400 pounds at his peak.
Jon Brower Minnoch (September 29, 1941 – September 4, 1983) was an American man from Bainbridge Island, Washington, who is recognized as the heaviest person ever recorded, reaching an estimated 1,400 pounds (635 kg) at his peak. He ran a taxi company and worked as a driver. His story is also known for the massive weight loss he achieved under medical supervision.
Minnoch was born in Seattle in 1941 to John Minnoch and June Brower, weighing about 7 pounds at birth. The family later moved to a hotel apartment in Bellingham. He was an only child. His father, a machinist, died of a heart attack in 1962; his mother, a registered nurse and telephone operator, died in 1991. His grandfather Peter emigrated from Scotland to Utah with the Latter-Day Saints movement in 1876.
Minnoch struggled with obesity from childhood. At age 12, he weighed 294 pounds; by 22, he was 392 pounds. He reached 700 pounds in 1963. As an adult, he typically weighed between 800 and 900 pounds, stood 6 feet 1 inch tall, and had a body fat percentage around 80%. He attributed his condition to water retention, though a British specialist later argued the retention was a result of his extreme weight, not its cause.
Despite his size, Minnoch insisted he was "in no way handicapped." He attended Bothell High School and drove taxis for 17 years. In 1960, he committed second-degree burglary. He married Jean McArdle in 1963, and together they ran the Bainbridge Island Taxi Co., the island's only cab company. Friends described him as a "warm and funny family man." In March 1978, he weighed 12 times his 110-pound wife, setting a record for the greatest weight disparity between a married couple. They divorced in 1980, and he married Shirley Ann Griffin in 1982. He had two sons, John and Jason.
Tired of his weight, Minnoch drastically cut his food intake to a 600-calorie-a-day diet of vegetables, prescribed by a doctor. He also took large doses of a diuretic, which failed to remove excess fluid. After three weeks bedridden and weak, he agreed to go to the hospital in March 1978. Firefighters removed a window from his home, placed him on thick plywood, and used a specially modified stretcher to transport him to the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. He was unable to move or speak. At the hospital, he was placed on two beds pushed together, and it took 13 attendants to roll him over.
D
- born
- September 29, 1941, Seattle, Washington
- died
- September 4, 1983, aged 41
- field
- Taxi company owner and driver
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Heaviest recorded human in history, with a peak weight of approximately 1,400 lb (635 kg)
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1941-09-29
- Birth Place
- Seattle, Washington, U.S.
- Death Date
- 1983-09-04
- Burial Place
- Mount Pleasant Cemetery, King County, Washington
- Burial Coordinates
- 47.64328 · -122.36626
- Education
- Bothell High School
- Occupation
- Taxi driver
- Known For
- Heaviest person ever recorded (1400 lb)
- Height
- 185 cm
- Spouse
- Shirley Ann Griffin · 1982
- Children
- 2
- Signature Size
- 190px
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Minnoch suffered from obesity since childhood. At age 12 he weighed 294 lb, and by age 22 he weighed 392 lb. He normally weighed 800–900 lb during his adult years and stood 6 ft 1 in tall. Despite his condition, he tried to live a conventional life, attended Bothell High School, drove taxi cabs for 17 years, and operated the Bainbridge Island Taxi Co. with his wife. He married Jean McArdle in 1963; they divorced in 1980, and he married Shirley Ann Griffin in 1982. He fathered two sons.
In March 1978, after a 600-calorie-per-day diet and being bedridden for three weeks, Minnoch was admitted to the University of Washington Medical Center. It took over a dozen firefighters to transport him. Doctors diagnosed a massive edema, and endocrinologist Robert Schwartz estimated his weight at about 1,400 lb. He was placed on a 1,200 kcal per day diet and after two years lost over 900 lb, the largest documented human weight loss at the time. After discharge, he regained much of the weight and died in September 1983 weighing nearly 800 lb.
Reader's Guide
Jon Brower Minnoch's significance lies in his status as the heaviest recorded human, with a peak weight of approximately 1,400 lb (635 kg). His case is also notable for the largest documented weight loss at the time—over 900 lb during a two-year hospitalization. The article notes that his water retention was a subject of dispute: Minnoch said it was the primary cause of his obesity, while British specialist David Haslam contended it was a consequence of his severe weight. Minnoch's life illustrates the extreme challenges of severe obesity, including the physical and medical difficulties of transport and treatment. His death at age 41 from cardiac arrest, with respiratory failure and restrictive lung disease as contributing factors, underscores the health risks associated with extreme weight. His burial, requiring a plywood casket and two cemetery plots, reflects the practical challenges of his size. The case remains a reference point in discussions of obesity epidemiology and human weight extremes.
Did You Know?
- Minnoch's peak weight of about 1,400 lb was estimated by an endocrinologist; he could not be weighed on a scale.
- He lost over 900 lb during a two-year hospital stay, the largest documented human weight loss at the time.
- His casket took up two burial spots at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Seattle.
- In March 1978, Minnoch weighed 12 times his 110 lb wife, breaking the record for greatest weight disparity between a married couple.
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