A 620-lb man who lived on a sofa and had not left his remote home in five years has been found dead from a heart attack.

The body of Leonid Andreev, 60, who weighed more than three baby elephants, was discovered in his village home in Armizonskoye, Russia, on 17th November.

Ironically, just a day before his death, Andreev had told local media how he was planning a new life of losing weight and moving to a city apartment.

He said: “I tried to lose at least a little weight – I ate less and did not indulge in flour products.”

Andreev said he had started a new diet with just a cup of light soup for lunch.

Astonishingly, Andreev told reporters that he once used to be an athlete, weighing in at just 155 lbs.

Ten years ago, he was a hunter, ran his own farm, and took part in harvesting the crops.

His weight problems began, he said, when he left a career in the army.

In just three months, his weight nearly doubled to 235 lbs, and it never stopped going up.

Doctors apparently told Andreev that his weight gain was caused by a metabolic disorder.

But five years ago his weight had ballooned so much he had to quit work and began his reclusive life on the sofa.

In an ongoing health crisis, his blood pressure soared so high he called for an ambulance but after controlling his symptoms paramedics refused further aid because of Andreev’s weight.

For five years, said Andreev, he lived and slept on his sofa watching TV all day while neighbours helped clean and take care of his house.

He said: “In the morning, I get up, cook food, eat a little, watch TV. Tried to move here, move there.

“I used to have porridge – the heaviest, well, and buns, potatoes, bread. That’s how I got fat, probably.”

Andreev was married and divorced twice and had no children.

Doctors had warned him he had to lose at least 110 lbs to be able to live normally again, warnings that he apparently did not act on until it was too late.