Pictured, the baby boy, 12 months, who weighs same as four-year-old and the heart warming story of the 'miracle doctor' paying £30,000 of his own money to save his life

Weighing 17.5kg, at 12 months old, Shrijit Hingankar is one of the world's heaviest babies. 

The boy, from India, weighs as much as a normal four-year-old. He was 6lb 6oz when he was born - but put on 9lb in his first six months.

Today, he is 14lbs heavier than an average 12-month-old boy.

Shrijit was too fat to move when his worried parents Amol and Roopali Hingankar first took him to hospital six months ago.

There, he was diagnosed with a potential defective hormone which fails to tell the brain when his stomach is full and to stop eating.

Unless action is taken quickly, an obesity expert told MailOnline Shrijit's weight will cause heart problems which could kill him at an early age.

Weighty: At 17.5kg, Shrijit (pictured) is one of the world's fattest babies, weighing 14lb more than a normal 12-month-old baby boy

Suffering: When Shrijit's family first took him to see a doctor, he was so fat that he could not move properly

Astounded: Shirijit's mother Roopali (pictured) was only feeding him breast milk as a baby but he continued to gain weight at remarkable speed

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said: 'It is a horrendous weight and chances are he's going to continue to gain weight like this through childhood.

'He is in a very rare group of people [babies to be this overweight]... We are talking about the top half percentile category, there can only be a few thousand babies in the world this big.  

'He is in a very rare group of people that have leptin. We are talking about the half percentile category, there can only be a few thousand babies in the world who could be this heavy.'

Now, in a heart warming twist, a doctor treating Shrijit in India has offered to pay £30,000 out of his own pocket to fund the treatment that could save his life.

Dr Shashank Subhash Shah, 50, first met dangerously overweight Shrijit in June.

He said: 'I spoke to my wife and we both agreed that we should help this little boy. His parents are very disadvantaged.

'There was no way they could help their son properly, so I felt I had to do something. If I did nothing he'd continue to gain weight and I doubt he would live to see his sixth Birthday.'

Dr Shah is the director of the Laparo Obeso Centre in his hometown of Pune, southern India,  and often treats overweight patients, but he was awe struck when he met Shrijit.

He said: 'He was very cute. I found myself really wanting to help this little boy. He couldn't move properly he was so fat, so I initially referred him to a specialist.  

Overweight: Doctors believe Shrijit (pictured) has a hormone deficiency, which fails to tell his brain when his stomach is full so he keeps eating

Confused: Shrijit's parents, Amol (right) and Roopali Hingankar (left), had no idea why their baby boy had gained weight so quickly

Helping hand: Shrijit's parents took him to see Indian doctor Shashank Subhash Shah (left) for a diagnosis. The kind hearted doctor is now spending £30,000 of his own money for treatment to save his life

Check up: Dr Shah (centre) examined Shrijit (pictured) and found that he could suffer from an imbalance in his leptin hormone, which helps to control body temperature and hunger

Thankful: 'The doctor is a miracle,' said Shrijit's mother Roopali (left), who already has a healthy five-year-old son, Rishikesh

'But two months later the family returned to my clinic and the boy had gained even more weight. The parents were desperate and I could not turn my back on them.'

Dr Shah gave him a detailed examination and found that he could possibly suffer from an imbalance in his leptin hormone, which controls hunger.

'Leptin is a hormone which signals to the brain that you've had enough, stop eating. If there is a deficiency, then there could be a medical cause behind his weight gain,' Mr Fry said. 

'If this hormones is not working, then the only solution is to turn off the tap at source and stop feeding him. The boy needs to be given a strict low calorie diet.' 

Dr Shah, who felt compelled to help the boy, said: 'I knew this boy needed some one-on-one care and there would be a lot of expense so the idea came to my mind that I financially adopt this boy.'

I knew this boy needed some one-on-one care and there would be a lot of expense so the idea came to my mind that I financially adopt this boy 

Dr Shashank Subhash Shah

'I told my wife about him and we spoke about the issue in great detail and eventually we decided together that we wanted to help.'

Dr Shah and his wife, Dr Poonam Shah, 49, already have twins, Sahil and Simran, 14. The whole family have become emotionally attached to Shrijit.

Dr Poonam said: 'My husband had referred this boy to many experts but no one was able to help him. We couldn't desert him. He's a very cute boy and we just want to be able to help him.

'I very much agree with my husband and the decision he has taken to support this boy and his family. He is a child and every child must be given equal love and care.'

Dr Shah and Dr Poonam have decided to fund Shrijit's treatment for the next five years and they predict it will come to about £30,000 in total. But in that time they hope to reduce and then maintain his weight.

Shrijit now lives between the hospital and at home with his parents, with frequent visits to Dr Shah's home. 

Shrijit's father, Amol, 28, a security guard earning 10,000 Rupees (£100) a month, and housewife Roopali, 24, originally from the town of Akola, central India, are overwhelmed by Dr Shah's generosity.

'The doctor is a miracle,' Roopali said, who already has a healthy five-year-old son, Rishikesh. 

'Miracle doctor': Dr Shah treats overweight patients but was awestruck when he saw Shrijit (both pictured)

'Financial adoption': Dr Shah (pictured) and his wife have decided to fund Shrijit's £30,000 treatment for the next five years

Family support: Dr Shah and his wife, Dr Poonam Shah (second to right), 49, already have twins, Sahil (left) and Simran (right), 14. The whole family have become emotionally attached to Shrijit (pictured)

Workplace: Dr Shah is director of the Laparo Obeso Centre (pictured) in his hometown of Pune, southern India

'We are poor. We live hand to mouth. We have no idea where the next salary is coming from. The doctor is taking away the pressure and ensuring our son is cared for properly with no worries of the expense.'

Shrijit weighed a normal 6lbs 6oz at birth and for the first couple of months he was breastfeeding fine.

But in his second month, he gained 4kgs in 30 days. He was always crying and never seemed satisfied. 

Roopali was only feeding him breast milk but he continued to gain weight at a remarkable level.

Eventually a family friend suggested they visit Dr Shah and the family quickly made an appointment.

Dr Shah is now seeking advice from doctors all over the world on the right course of treatment for Shrijit and hopes to find the right medication to treat his condition.

Shrijit is one of the heaviest babies his age in the world, but there have been even more extreme examples of early set obesity.

A poor Indian father was planning to sell his own kidney to fund life saving treatment for his morbidly obese children in April. 

His five-year-old daughter Yogita weighed 34kg, three-year-old daughter Anisha weighed 48kg and his 18-month-old son Harsh weighed 15kg.

Anisha and Yogita's daily diet consisted of 18 chapatis, 3lbs of rice, two bowls of broth, six packets of crisps, five packs of biscuits, 12 bananas and a litre of milk daily.

Their mother Pragna Ben, 30, who spends most of her day making their meals, said:  'My day starts with making 30 chapatis and 1kg vegetable curry in the morning. After that I am again in the kitchen preparing more food.' 

Huge: Three siblings from India (From left) Yogita, five, Harsh, 18 months, and Anisha, three, weigh 34kg, 15kg and 48kg

Unhealthy: Ten-month-old baby girl Aliya Saleem (pictured) - also from India - weighed in at 18.5kg, making her just heavier than Shrijit

Medical condition: Unlike Shrijit, who was born at a normal weight, Aliya (pictured with her parents) from Jharkhand, India, was born weighing 9lbs

Massive: Eight-month-old baby in Colombia, Santiago Mendoza (left, with his father), tipped the scales at just more than 19kg, the same weight as a six-year-old

In March last year, an eight-month-old baby in Colombia tipped the scales at just more than 19kg, the same weight as a six-year-old.

Santiago Mendoza had to be flown from the north east of the country to the capital Bogota to receive life saving medical treatment.

And this March, a ten-month-old baby girl from India weighed in at 18.5kg, making her just heavier than Shrijit.

But unlike Shrijit, who was born at a normal weight, Aliya Saleem from Jharkhand, India, was born at a relatively large 9lbs before she rapidly began to gain weight aged four months.

Source: Daily Mail