Mumbai, Oct 8 (IANS) Manish Bharvesh could easily be called India's biggest loser - literally. The 34-year-old who weighed a whopping 260 kg is now 110 kg, thanks to a bariatric surgery he underwent in Pune.

Bharvesh, a proprietor of a coaching institute in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, went through the surgery in Pune's Laparo-Obeso Centre June 21, 2006. And the new look, light-weight Bharvesh was presented before the media at a briefing here Wednesday.

"The bariatric surgery was performed on Bharvesh, who was the heaviest person in India at that time. We had to take several precautions and get special facilities for him," said Shashank Shah of Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai who performed the surgery in Pune.

Bharvesh was born with normal weight but after five years, he suddenly started gaining weight. With the nagging fear of obesity at the back of his mind, he completed his graduation, Masters and later started studying for chartered accountancy.

While studying, he tried all options available to lose weight, ranging from workouts in a gym to herbal pills, but nothing worked. Prior to his surgery, he weighed 260 kg, which is equivalent to the weight of four normal adults.

A chance introduction to Dr. Shshank Shah convinced the Mumbai-born Bharvesh to undertake the journey to Pune in a special jeep.

"As he walked in, he suffered from breathlessness and developed severe pain in his knees by the effort. His insulin levels were raised, liver enzymes deranged, lipids increased, pulmonary functions impaired and had a fatty liver on USG," Shah said.

After a careful assessment and complete preparation by a full-fledged medical team, he was listed for surgery June 21, 2006.

"We had to order a special operation table to take his load and long-sized laparoscopic instruments. After the surgery was successful, he returned to normal duties a week later," said Shah.

"In the past over two years, I have lost 150 kilos. It is like a miracle. My family and I are very happy that our prayers of nearly three decades have been answered by bariatric surgery," Bharvesh told IANS here Wednesday.

Initially, a month after the surgery, he shed around 18 kg, then gradually every month, the scales kept tipping in his favour and currently he weighs 110 kg.

Life with 110 kg is very different from his former 260-kg self, he says.

"I eat and drink everything as usual, there are no dietary restrictions, I go about my normal routine without any assistance from anyone. I can now climb up four floors without getting breathless, go for picnics and parties with friends," said Bharvesh.

Now, he has one wish - he is on the lookout for a suitable girl with whom he can settle down in life.