The provincial parole board granted 27-year-old Michel Lapointe early release, as neither the prison nor two halfway houses were capable of allowing him to live humanely, the Canwest News Service reported.

Lapointe went into prison 25 months ago for conspiracy, drug trafficking and gangsterism. At the time, he weighed 375 pounds.

His lawyer, Clemente Monterosso, told the Globe and Mail his client had a prison diet of foods high in carbohydrates.

"In the end, some might say he got off easy, but he didn't choose to be morbidly obese," Monterosso said. "This man is a colossus."

The parole board heard Lapoint endured an undersized bed, chairs too small to sit on and a shower that made proper washing impossible, the report said.

Canwest reported French language radio talk shows were flooded with calls Wednesday calling the decision absurd and one that would encourage other inmates to eat themselves into early release.