A man in the US weighing more than 64 stone who had not left his house since 2003 had to be forklifted out of his home when he became ill.

Firefighters in Lansing, Michigan were forced to cut a hole in the wall of the man's second-floor bedroom to reach him.

Rescue workers were called in by a nurse, who determined the 33-year-old man needed medical helpRescue workers were called in by a nurse, who determined the 33-year-old man needed medical help, Lansing Fire Chief Tom Cochran said.

They covered the man with a blue tarpaulin to shield him from onlookers and slid the platform onto a flatbed truck for the trip to nearby Sparrow Hospital.

Mr Cochran said: "It's not a call that we get every day, but that's what the firefighters do best. I mean, they adapt and they improvise and they take care of the situation."

The man's brother said he suffers from Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that creates a chronic hunger feeling that can lead to overeating and life-threatening obesity.