‘Giant baby’ reveals what he looks like now

The man who became famous for weighing 32kg and being a metre tall at two has revealed what he looks like now.

The man who became famous for weighing 32kg and being a metre tall at two has revealed what he looks like now.

Zach Strenkert appeared on shows such as Jerry Springer and Oprah as a child. He was growing rapidly and his family were stumped for answers, so they turned to the media.

His appearance on Jerry Springer helped him connect with a gen­eticist.

“He’s not a big eater. That’s one of the most frequently asked questions,” Mr Strenkert’s mother, Laurie, told Springer at the time.

“And that is also why we’re so concerned. Where is the growing coming from?”

It turned out he had Simpson Gohlabi Behmel Syndrome. The condition typically impacts men. It’s characterised by pre and post-natal overgrowth, increased tumour risks and congenital malformations.

Zach Strenkert became famous as a toddler. Picture: Jerry Springer

His parents were looking for answers. Picture: Jerry Springer

He said he was presented as different, and that separated him further from everyone else.

“Nowadays, people ask me what it was like. They assume my mum was chasing fame or money, but that wasn’t the case. We just wanted help with geneticists, which wasn’t easy to come by with our insurance,” he toldThe Mirror.

Jerry Springer with the child. Picture: Jerry Springer

However he said his appearance on Jerry Springer changed his life, giving his family the answer they were so desperately searching for. The TV host continued to send his family gifts.

“He genuinely cared,” Mr Strenkert toldDaily Mail, ahead of the release of Netflix documentary Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action.

It wasn’t the last time Mr Strenkert appeared on the show. In 2017, he went on Jerry Springer once again to thank the host, who died in 2023, for what he’d done for him.

However, at the start of the pandemic — as a result of his condition — Mr Strenkert weighed 226kg.

At the start of his weight loss journey. Picture: X/GiantOpana

Mr Strenkert in 2023. Picture: X/GiantOpana

“I became very sedentary as a result of my condition and various associated physical and mental illnesses, and focused on related activities such as gaming to which I became quite good,” he said in a Reddit post

His obsessive compulsive disorder led him down an extreme path with his fitness regimen, claiming he “bordered on anorexia”.

“Nowadays I do not track and am okay pushing myself, making more good decisions than bad. I still feel like I am 500lb the pain and limitations I face, but my mind feels more free than ever and for that I will be forever grateful,” he said.

During his bulking phase. Picture: X/GiantOpana

In December 2023, Mr Strenkert revealed is saw a doctor who was “really impressed” with the strides he was making after joining a gym and focusing on strength training.

“Told me I look better than both being extremely heavy and skinny,” he said.

“He thinks my syndrome promotes muscle growth, since I’ve only been going to a commercial gym since December LOL. I’m excited to keep transforming, I love lifting.”

Then, in October, he revealed he now weighed 164kg. He said he “never thought” he’d see his obliques and abs”.

“Last time I was 361lbs I looked very different! Come a very long way to get here,” he wrote.

Originally published as ‘Giant baby’ reveals what he looks like now