Dowagiac teen loses over 100 pounds

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 17-percent of all children two to 19 years old are obese in this country. A teen from Dowagiac used to be part of this statistic and now he shares his journey.

“Some people told me that I wouldn't lose weight. Some people were like doubting me, but then I proved them wrong and they were like wow! That's amazing,” explains Enrique Aguirre, a 15 year old at Dowagiac Union High School.

Aguirre says very few people believed he could change his lifestyle. But looking at photos from a year and half ago Aguirre is unrecognizable.  

“I lost 121 pounds,” adds Aguirre.

At 13 years old Aguirre was considered morbidly obese; a term that came with many different health issues.

“I went to a doctor's appointment and he told be my blood pressure was too high. So I went to the hospital and it was scary,” says Aguirre.

After facing health complications at such a young age, Aguirre decided to change his eating habits and increase his activity level by running in races and playing sports.

And although the weight came off quickly that doesn't mean the process was easy for him.

“People would judge me. I would get mad and I would be like you don't even know me. If you got a chance to know me you would know that I am a good person,” explains Aguirre.

Now that Aguirre has accomplished a significant weight loss goal, he wants to support other teens struggling with weight issues in Michiana.

“ I want to like, talk to the Y and see if they will let me do like a support group for kids so I can help them and show them like that they are not the only ones struggling with it  because I was too and If I can change they can change too,” says Aguirre.