“I’ve never done this before ever and I’m really, really scared, so don’t judge too much, I guess.”
In a video posted Wednesday, body positivity advocate Matt Diaz stood up in front of the camera shirtless to reveal what losing 270 pounds really looks like, excess skin and all.
Diaz, who weighed 497 pounds at 16, has shared his journey to reach a healthier weight for the last six years. But he said that he couldn’t preach body positivity and self love any longer without showing this part of his life.
“I’m scared people won’t think I’m attractive anymore; I’m scared all the nice messages will stop,” he said. “…But I’m not going to be ashamed of who I am, not anymore.”
Diaz set up a crowdfunding campaign to raise $20,000 to fund a surgery to remove his excess skin. In just a day, he surpassed the goal. Many gave donations as small as $5, accompanied by words of encouragement.
“You are a very driven, brave young man!” a $10 donor wrote. “I know this amount is not large, but I hope this will help. Thank you for inspiring so many!”
Obesity in America: Photos From the Early Days of a National Health Crisis
Caption from LIFE. Bulging at beach in 1949, 197-pound Dorothy [Bradley] self-consciously leaves locker room for swim. She covered up embarrassment by being jolly and gregarious.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Hungry at drugstore after a day's work earning money for nursing school, Dorothy envies slim girl's milkshake, orders lemonade without sugar for herself.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, squeezes through turnstile, 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley (right), photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley (left), photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, eyes dress in a store window, 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Embarrassed at shop because she wears a size 40, Dorothy tries on new dress. A friend encouragingly points out that dieting has reduced waistline by two sizesMartha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. In gym in New York sweat-suited Dorothy finds workout did not by itself remove pounds but did help avoid flabbiness as she lost weight dieting.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, works out in 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, works out in 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, measures her waist, 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley (left), photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, meets with a nutritionist, 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, tries on a dress, 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, works out in 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, works out in 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDorothy Bradley, photographed for LIFE magazine article on obesity, works out in 1949.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE.Now down to 155 pounds, an attractive Dorothy dances at Navy Ball.Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesLIFE magazine, March 8, 1954, "The Plague of Overweight."LIFE MagazineLIFE magazine, March 8, 1954, "The Plague of Overweight."LIFE Magazine
![Bulging at beach in 1949, 197-pound Dorothy [Bradley] self-consciously leaves locker room for swim. She covered up embarrassment by being jolly and gregarious](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/150129-obesity-01.jpg?quality=75&w=2400 "111569100.jpg")
