Ardi Rizal, he was just two years old when his image went viral, due to an explosive combination: his childhood obesity and his uncontrollable addiction to cigarettes.

According to his family, Ardi consumed 40 cigarettes a day and stuffed himself with food, but his life, after various vicissitudes, would change.

The boy, who lives in Sumatra, Indonesia, has let go of his excesses and is now living a healthier day.

Ardi Rizal: the young man who couldn’t stop smoking

Ardi Rizal was two years old when he was caught smoking a cigarette in the courtyard of his family home.

Seven years later, young Ardi looks completely different after losing pounds and giving up his bad habits.

This young man drank three cans of condensed milk a day, but now he lives on fresh fish, fruit and vegetables.

In an interview with CNN, Ardi talked about the hardest part of his purification process. According to her testimony, the cigarette was the hardest thing to give up.

“I had a hard time quitting. If I don’t smoke, my mouth is sour and my head is dizzy,” the boy told the news network.

“Now I’m happy. I feel more energized and my body feels fresh,” the boy added.

Thanks to government intervention and intensive care by specialists, Ardi’s parents managed to rid him of nicotine.

His mother, Diana, said the young man threw a tantrum whenever she dropped her cigarettes and ignored his mother’s fears he would die.

“He started banging his head against the wall. He was crazy, he got hurt if he didn’t take a cigaretteDiana said.

Ardi Rizal’s life changes

According to his parents, Ardi started smoking when his father gave him his first cigarette when he was just 18 months old.

Having given up cigarettes, and full of anxiety, Ardi quickly turned to junk food and gained weight, forcing her parents to seek professional help as her life was in danger.

Now, with the help of nutrition specialists, Ardi has broken the addiction and He managed to improve his performance, even in school.

Early smoking – a plague

According to Andrés Osvaldo Tomasone, a doctor and board member of the Argentine Tobacco Association (ASAT), There are several factors that push a guy to smoke.

The high accessibility given by the low prices of cigarettes and the lack of regulation in sales are a problembut also the positive social value that has been given to tobacco.

The expert underlined it consumption by family or friends potentially affects the minor, “because of belonging to a group” or “not to stay out of it”.

Tomasone added that “lack of parental involvement in the problem, low self-esteem, and the ability to experience something different and within reach” are also very common indicators of early smoking.

Most teenagers know that tobacco is bad for their health and a leading cause of death, but “this does not keep them from trying tobacco products, a situation that exposes them to addiction”. In addition, nearly 30% of surveyed children aged 13 to 15 who have never used tobacco think they may do so in the future (EMTJ).