A 546-pound U.K. man is having a specially designed house built for him at a cost of $495,000 to taxpayers.
The unique two-bedroom bungalow in Norwich has been tailored for morbidly obese Michael Williment, 67. It will have extra-wide corridors, two giant bedrooms, en-suite facilities and a large “accessible” garden.
Williment, who says he doesn’t believe in diets, sits in front of the television for 11 hours each day. He also has a pair of taxpayer-funded aides who help him into and out of bed each day, and hoist him into his specially-designed armchair.
Representatives of the Norwich City Council say they have an “obligation” to provide the bungalow under equality laws.
Williment will share the bungalow with his wife Heather, 65. The couple currently live in a sheltered housing complex which is due to be demolished and re-developed.
“When the council first asked how we would feel about moving, I didn’t want to go. I said I would sit outside in my wheelchair and not move,” he said.””Now we can’t wait to go.”
His wife said she is looking forward to sleeping in the same room as her husband — something she has not done for years. They have been married for 44 years and have two sons and four grandchildren.
“It will be a lot better for us as a couple. There will be enough room in the kitchen to maneuver a wheelchair and I’m hoping Michael will be able to make me a cup of tea,” she said.
Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said the council should be saluted for building Williment a special new home.
He added: “I would prefer that nothing like this was needed because its horrendous to be that fat, but the council has been sensible about this.
The couple live just 40 miles away from world’s heaviest man, Paul Mason, 48, of Ipswich, Suffolk.