Obese Mexican outside for first time in five years

MONTERREY, Mexico, Mar 8 (Reuters) A Mexican man who once weighed half a tonne left his house for the first time in five years after losing 440 pounds through diet and exercise.

A crane lifted Manuel Uribe, 40, off the sidewalk and onto a truck after friends and family heaved him from the house still sitting on his bed.

''It feels pretty beautiful, after five years without leaving here,'' Uribe told reporters yesterday outside the house, where he was greeted by a band of ''mariachi'' musicians before setting off on a tour of Monterrey, Mexico.

Uribe, who is still unable to walk, said he shed 200 kg by following ''The Zone,'' a diet which aims to balance hormones through carbohydrate and protein intake. For exercise, he used harnesses to help him lift weights.

Until age 22, Uribe weighed 132 kg. But by May 2006, Uribe had ballooned to 550 kg. At that time, doctors said his cholesterol and blood-sugar levels were normal, despite his obesity.

Last year, he planned a trip to Italy to undergo an intestinal bypass operation, but now says surgery is unnecessary.

''I am losing weight every day and I don't feel that I'm so desperate that I need an operation,'' he said.

Uribe said he would like to set up a foundation promoting exercise and a balanced diet to help overweight people.

Reuters BDP DB0925