Fat bastard

I just started watching the third episode and was wondering, why in the hell is there this giant fat bastard in the opening scene? I thought these kids grew up in poverty? How did he get that fat? Did he eat everyone else in his village?

Also how did he get passed the initial stages of the selection process? I would have eliminated him on sight if I was the judge, out of fear that if he made it into the paradise, he would eat all of the food and then the 3% would become as poverty stricken as the other 97%