A man who became famous for being ’70lb’ at the age of one has reflected on being in the spotlight and how it’s affected him.
As a 17-month-old baby, Zach Strenkert was taken on The Jerry Springer Shower by his mother in 1996, and was introduced as the ’70 pound baby’.
He was born with rare genetic condition called Simpson-Golabi-Behmel Syndrome (SGBS).
What is Simpson-Golabi-Behmel Syndrome?
Orphanet describes it as: “A rare X-linked multiple congenital anomalies syndrome characterized by pre- and postnatal overgrowth, distinctive craniofacial features, variable congenital malformations, organomegaly and an increased tumor risk.”
Internally, SGBS can cause heart defects, malformed or abnormally large kidneys, an enlarged liver and spleen, as well as skeletal abnormalities.
According to MedlinePlus, 10 percent of those with the health condition develop cancerous or noncancerous tumors in early childhood.
The negative impact The Jerry Springer Show had on Zach’s life
In the wake of Netflix recently releasing a documentary about the controversial daytime show that dominate people’s TVs throughout the 90s and 00s, Zach — now 29 years old — has spoken out about having once starred on the show and how it’s affected him.
“They presented me as different, which only separated me further from everyone else,” he told The Mirror. “I was known as the kid that was on TV.”
Zach continued: “Nowadays, people ask me what it was like. They assume my mom 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.”
How Zach turned his life around
Like many people across the globe, Zach focused his attention of his fitness and wellbeing when the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns rolled in.
Sharing an update last year, he described himself as a ‘goddamn tank’ after dropping fro 485 pounds to 200.
“I’ve like totally matched my fat and muscle pound for pound, I’m built like a goddamn tank now. I’ll post an update eventually,” he said at the time.
It seems as if Zach has since deleted his Twitter account, however.
As well as enjoying fitness, he is an avoid video gamer. Zach has opened up about his love of Esports in particular in the past (a form of competition using video games).
Speaking about this on the Better Call Daddy podcast, Zach said in 2023: “Through Esports, I taught myself discipline, overcoming your anxieties, getting involved in community, […] just a lot of really valuable, core qualities that will stay with me for life.”
Zach continued: “I’m realizing if you funnel this energy into anything, does not matter what it is, you still see progress as long as you stay steady and consistent.”
He went on to say he had a similar approach when it came to beginning his weight loss journey during lockdown.
