Dzhambulat (Jambik) Khatokhov
The World's Biggest Boy
Kabardino-Balkaria
Dzambulat Khatokhov
Dzhambulat (Jambik) Khatokhov is four foot three inches tall and weighs sixteen stone, as much as a baby elephant, yet astonishingly Jambik is just seven years old. Nobody knows why he's so big or what it might mean for his health Here, a British doctor travels to meet Jambik and his family and uncovers a far more disturbing story than he imagined. Kabardino-Balkaria is a republic in the Caucasus Mountains in the far south of Russia. Just 70 miles from war-torn Chechnya, Kabardino-Balkaria is a wild and dangerous place with a history of terrorism and kidnapping. Dr Ian Campbell, one of the world's leading experts in obesity, is travelling over 2,000 miles in order to meet 7 year old Jambik Khatokhov; the biggest boy in the world.
Dr Campbell first heard about Jambik when his story started to make the headlines in the UK press. The boy's 16 stone size seemed to defy all medical explanation. As the founder of The National Obesity Forum and an advisor to doctors all over the world, Dr Campbell was determined to take on Jambik's case.
This could be a challenge! In this poor and superstitious corner of the world being big is not seen as a problem. Local people do not think he is sick, they spoil him and feed him. As a western doctor, Ian Campbell takes a very different view "Very few of the obese people that I deal with want to be that way".
Over the next week, Ian will observe Jambik to see if there are any clues in his every day life that might explain his phenomenal weight, then he plans to fly Jambik to a leading clinic in Moscow for specialist tests.
Jambik dwarfs his older brother who, at 14, is twice his age but half his weight. According to his mother, Nelya Kabardarkova, Jambik eats normally and exercises every day. So, Ian will have to consider if a hormonal imbalance or genetic condition can explain Jambik's weight.
Dr Ian Campbell
The next morning, school starts with a PE class, its an opportunity for Dr Campbell to see how Jambik's fitness compares with his classmates. "He's very willing but actually he's not very able. I find it quite distressing to see this seven year old boy who's so much larger thanall his friends at school. He's not able to do the same things that they are doing, his movements aren't as sharp, he couldn't get down on his haunches, he couldn't move as fast and I never saw him break sweat as it was all very sedentary".
But, in maths class, Ian finds that Jambik is much more able. Jambik's assessment by his teacher is good and is important to Ian's investigation. Most genetic disorders which cause overgrowth or obesity also cause learning difficulties or abnormalities like unusual head shape or extra fingers and toes. Jambik has none of these telltale signs. After school, Ian accompanies the family to the local market where he gets a startling reception.
Jambik's size has earned him the nickname Sosruko after an ancient hero from local mythology. Sosruko was a giant, a fierce warrior who protected his people. He embodies qualities people in the Caucasus greatly respect; strength and size. Jambik is celebrated and someone to be looked after, looked up to and given gifts.
When Jambik was born on the 24th of September 1999, he weighed a perfectly normal 6lb 8oz but, almost immediately he started to grow twice as fast as he should have done. At one year he weighed as much as the average six year old.
The family take Ian to a local restaurant, named Sosruko, for dinner. Nelya claims that Jambik eats only 2,000 calories a day but, Ian believe, to justify his weight, he must be eating nerer 3,00 calories. During the course of the meal it becomes obvious that Jambik is eating more than claimed.
So far, Ian's investigations have told him that Jambik is probably eating too much and exercising too little. But, this alone cannot explain why this seven year old boy weighs 16 stone. It's all leading Ian to wonder whether Nelya has any real incentive to reduce Jambik's weight gain or if Nelya has another agenda and there's some gain for the family.
