Thinking of joining a gym or slimming club to shed those unwanted pounds? If you need encouragement then read the stories of three successful slimmers who lost 12 stones between them and turned their lives around. HILARIE STELFOX reports
THERE WAS a time when most of the would-be slimmers who turned up at a weight loss club were motivated by wanting to look good.
These days, however, an increasing number have serious health concerns.
According to Katie Van Diepen, who has been a Weight Watchers leader in the Huddersfield area for seven years: “We are seeing more and more people with health problems, such as diabetes and blood pressure.
“A lot of Type 2 diabetics find that when their weight drops they can lower their medication or come off it altogether and blood pressure often improves with weight loss.”
Then there are those who discover that aching joints and conditions such as arthritis have been aggravated by obesity.
“People say they can’t walk because of pain with their knees and back but they find it eases as the weight drops off,” said Katie.
However, self-esteem and appearance are still important motivators and the growth of digital media is putting additional pressure on the overweight.
“Facebook is responsible for a lot of younger women feeling that they have to look good. They’re all posting pictures of themselves and friends on nights out for everyone else to see,” she added.
Over the years Katie has found that successful slimmers need a ‘trigger’ to convince them to lose weight.
“It is usually a holiday picture. They are looking at a picture and don’t realise it’s them on the photo,” she said. “Or they go to a family social event or wedding and think they look quite good and then see the photos afterwards and are devastated.”
Women frequently cite having children as the cause of their obesity.
“I often hear women say that they have never lost weight since having kids and their children can be even teenagers. It can take them many years to do something about it,” added Katie. “Younger mums are particularly worried about weight gain from pregnancy because they want to be ‘yummy mummies’. They don’t want to be the fat mum in the school playground.”
Of course, healthy weight loss needs to be slow and steady and it can take some slimmers months, if not years, to get rid of their excess pounds.
But the decision to lose weight can be a life-changing one. And, as the three slimmers featured here have proved, it’s entirely possible to make permanent changes and keep the weight from returning.
