In 2016, a boy from Karawang, West Java named Aria Permana made headlines all around the world due to his morbid obesity at such a young age, weighing 192 kilograms at 10 years old. In a video widely shared today, Aria, now a teenager, is looking more fit than ever after having lost more than 100 kilograms since then.
Under the training and guidance of Indonesian bodybuilder Ade Rai and a team of health professionals, Aria has managed to shed the kilos weight through different kinds of exercises, changes in diet, as well as medical treatment.
Ade took to Instagram and shared several clips featuring the teen a few days ago, showing his progress from four years ago to his slimmed-down appearance today.
In the post, Ade wrote that Aria had lost up to 110 kilograms, having started his regimen weighing 193 kilograms and now weighing 83 kilograms.
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“So happy to see Aria today… Fitnessmania, once again please don’t get it wrong, the success story of @ariaa.prm was purely because of Aria’s own behavior and his family, as well as the medical support he’s been receiving all this time,” Ade wrote in the post.
“I’m just motivating him as someone who takes great concern in a healthy lifestyle, especially when it comes to decreasing the number of obese people, which has become one of the main contributors of chronic illness and premature deaths.”
Ade also expressed hope that parents can become positive influences to their children with regards to healthy living.
Aria’s father, Ade Somantri, said exercise and medical treatment helped his son lose weight.
“Aria succeeded to lose weight through bariatric surgery, diet, and regular exercise. For me, both are good and supportive of each other,” Ade told Detik today.
According to reports, Aria will undergo another surgery in order to remove his excess skin later this year.
Aria’s weight loss story quickly made its rounds on social media, with many Indonesians pointing out the power of motivation and dedication to achieve such a feat. As many parents in the country tend to consider a bit of extra weight as a sign of good health in kids, and while there are often different factors contributing to morbid obesity, Aria’s story can at least serve as a reminder of the importance of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle consisting of regular exercise.
