At 17 Months, He Was 70lb—Now at 30, His New Look Stuns Everyone

Nearly three decades ago, Zach Strenkert captured national attention when he appeared on The Jerry Springer Show as a two-year-old who was unusually large for his age. Weighing 32kg (70lb) and standing a meter tall, he became a viral sensation before social media even existed. Now, at 30, Zach has resurfaced, sharing his transformation with the world—leaving the internet stunned and emotional at how much he has changed.

As a baby, Zach Strenkert stole the spotlight on shows like Jerry Springer and Oprah, capturing everyone’s attention.

As a child, Zach Strenkert appeared on shows like Jerry Springer and Oprah. Growing rapidly, his family was searching for answers and turned to the media for help. His time on Jerry Springer even led him to connect with a geneticist.

“He’s not a big eater. That’s one of the most frequently asked questions,” Mr Strenkert’s mother, Laurie, told Springer at the time.

“And that is also why we’re so concerned. Where is the growing coming from?”

Zach appeared to have a rare genetic condition.

It turned out Zach had Simpson-Golabi-Behmel Syndrome, a condition that mainly affects men. It’s known for causing rapid growth both before and after birth, as well as increasing the risk of tumors and causing congenital malformations.

Growing up in Port Jervis, New York, Zach Strenkert often appeared on shows like Oprah, Maury, and Inside Edition. He says his mom was just trying to find help, but it left him feeling like an outsider. “They made me seem different, which only pushed me further away from everyone else,” he said in his interview. “I was known as the kid who was on TV.”

"Now people ask me what it was like, assuming my mom was after fame or money, but that wasn’t it at all," he explained. "We were just looking for help with geneticists, which wasn’t easy with our insurance."

Growing up with SGBS was tough for Zach. His body grew uncontrollably, causing constant pain and making it hard for him to move. He remembers being in pain 24/7, dealing with rapid growth spurts that had him outgrowing wheelchairs, and struggling to balance because his body was changing so quickly.

At 30, Zach has achieved a lot, and keeping his own body under control is the most outstanding goal the man has ever reached.

The condition also took an emotional toll on Zach and his family, "We didn’t really get a lot of take-home pay after all the appearances. It was all about making sure my kid was okay."

As for the documentary about his story, Zach wasn’t surprised by it. He says, "It’s just a spin on what’s already out there. It didn’t reveal anything new. It’s the same content, just packaged with bells and whistles." People still approach him for photos and share their thoughts on his past TV appearances.

Now, Zach, who once weighed 485 pounds, is focused on health, stability, and self-acceptance. He uses fitness as a way to cope, learning to "push through, no matter what the pain is."

Zach's daily routine is quite busy, and the man sticks to self-discipline and limitations.

Taking action, Zach began with simple walks in his backyard, starting with just a 10-minute stroll on May 27, 2020. He gradually built on this routine and eventually moved into power walking around his neighborhood.

These days, Zach aims to spend between 15 and 45 minutes walking every day, covering up to eight miles in just an hour. "I try to find natural hills or interesting locations and trails to make that my route," he told in one of his interviews.

"There have been times when I’ve used a weighted backpack. It always leaves me in a lot of pain for the following weeks, but I push through."

Zach explains, "You pick up so much momentum that you forget you’re disabled and have limits, even though you're always trying to find and break them. Lately, I’ve focused more on power and race walking on hills when I can, rather than using the weighted pack, which I’ve carried up to 80lbs at a time."

Zach is extremely proud of what he’s achieved so far, and his life is full of positive moments now.

At 30, he’s also made changes to his diet. Instead of relying on high-calorie energy drinks, he now enjoys chicken breast, dry cereal with nuts, and protein shakes. Even though he’s focused on health, Zach doesn’t deny himself and still enjoys takeout, just practicing moderation.

These days, Zach weighs around 280 pounds and says it's the best he’s ever felt. He once dropped to 234 pounds but was "religiously tracking" everything he ate, which he later realized wasn’t healthy for him. "Before my fitness journey, I used to eat just about anything. I was always hungry because I grew so fast," he explained.

He recalled, "I was in and out of wheelchairs a lot during my youth because my bones were growing so quickly, and the extra weight made it even harder. As an adult, things leveled out, and I realized the constant urge to eat had faded. I was just eating out of habit."

Zach also shared, "There was a time I ate 800 calories, burned it off, and then some. It was a mental struggle, and I even started heading toward anorexia. But I stopped tracking everything, started practicing mindful eating, and focused on making more good choices than bad."

Zach’s progress and determination caused a lot of emotional reactions from many people.

Zack regularly shares his achievements. In October 2024, he wrote, “Weighted in at 361lb yesterday, been eating sloppy but very proud of what I’ve been able to achieve. I can’t believe I’m not fatter, last time I was 361lb I looked extremely different 😆😆. I see progress every single week, so perhaps when that stops I’ll cut my belly down where my muscles can REALLY show through 💪. I have a dedicated core day and am very happy with the results in the mean time, never thought I’d see my obliques and abs at such high bodyfat.”

People support Zack’s achievements and comment on his posts, “Keep that grind up . A true inspiration!”, “You’ve awoken the strong man within you! GREAT WORK!!”

Here you can see what the sisters, who once weighed a combined 1,000 pounds, look like today.