We live in fattest place
in England - but we're
going to get slim with
the Mirror
Our three Copeland dieters tell their stories - and every six weeks will report back with their weight-loss progress in Your Life
With fishing boats bobbing in the pretty harbour and breathtaking Lake District countryside, Copeland in West Cumbria could be straight out of a postcard.
But the borough has a reputation that you wouldn’t want to write home about.
Last week, Copeland was named and shamed as the fattest place in England with 75.9% of its adults classed as overweight or obese with a Body Mass Index of more than the healthy 25.
Copeland Borough councillor Karl Connor, 32, a rugby union player who stands 6ft 2in and weighs 24st, admits he needs to shed a few pounds himself and has even given up the booze to lose weight
.
But he lays the blame for Copeland’s obesity crisis on the Tory Government cuts.
Karl says: “We are trying our best to encourage people to take part in health initiatives, but this council has suffered some of the highest budget cuts in the country.
“We have had to close the civic hall where they used to run dance classes, they are all cancelled now. Across the road at the sports centre we have had to cut back the opening hours and increase the prices as we can’t afford it.
“The car park is expensive – it costs about £35 to be a member of the gym, then every time you go you have to spend another couple of quid to park. It all adds up.”
But there is also temptation everywhere to eat badly. On Duke Street, in Whitehaven town centre, there are 11 fast-food shops in close proximity, while on adjacent Tangier Street there are seven takeaways or restaurants.
The Indian Spice takeaway offers curry in a tray with rice, chips or a naan for £4. While the Jasmine Palace Chinese has a belly-busting nine courses for just £9.90. Next door, the Milano takeaway is offering two pizzas for the price of one.
But some residents are determined to lose weight – with an added incentive from the Mirror.
Catherine Nolan, who is a size 18, Sarah Bell – size 18 to 20 – and her mum Janice, who is size 20 to 22, have joined up with their Weight Watchers class in Whitehaven and the Mirror to shed the pounds and help rid themselves and the town of a weighty reputation.
Class leader Anne Duffy, 57, knows how hard it is as she lost 77lb in 19 months before passing on her experience to others.
“Losing weight has transformed my life. I am fitter and more healthy than I have ever been and I even did a half marathon last summer. If I can do it, anyone can,” says Anne.
Here, our three Copeland dieters tell their stories and every six weeks will report back with their weight-loss progress in Your Life.
My wedding dress dream
Barmaid Sarah Bell, 21, is determined to be able to buy a slinky body-con dress to wear for her birthday in July.
Weighing in at 18st 4lb and at size 18–20, 5ft 9in Sarah suffers from an underactive thyroid and doctors advised her to lose some weight.
She thinks joining the Mirror’s slimming team will give her the extra push she needs to reach her goal.
“When I was younger I did ballet and tap but when I stopped and hit puberty that’s when I started to put on weight,” Sarah says.
“My fiancé and I got into the rut of buying chocolate and crisps every week, then it became every day.
“I want to buy trendy clothes but I can only shop in the plus-size stores. My dream is to be a size 12 to 14 and shop in Topshop.
“I would normally have a huge bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast, then snack on crisps and chocolate before a sandwich with loads of cheese for lunch and maybe more crisps. I would probably graze all day and then get a takeaway for tea. Even though I was full, I would still snack after that.
“Now I will have a bagel or crumpets with low-fat cream cheese for breakfast, a low-fat brown bread sandwich for lunch then wok chicken or a roast for tea.’’
Sarah has started to go to the gym once a week and does a weekly dance class to boost her weight loss.
She got engaged to boyfriend Stuart Hodgson at Christmas and wants to be able to get into the wedding dress of her dreams.
She says: “We can’t afford to get married at the moment, but I hope by the time we have saved up I will be slim and be able to get the perfect dress.”
This is not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change
Sarah’s mum Janice Bell, 53, has decided to join her daughter on the Mirror’s challenge and the pair are hoping to support each other as they battle the bulge.
The teaching assistant is just 5ft 2in and weighs in at 18st 3lb, making her a size 20 to 22.
Janice was a size 10 when she married husband Martin 35 years ago and blames several years of yo-yo dieting for helping her to pile on the pounds.
“When the kids were young, I was always rushing around and probably didn’t make the healthiest choices for myself,” she says.
“Then I was always yo-yo dieting, losing weight then putting it all back on again. In those days, we didn’t realise how bad it was for your metabolism.”
Working in a school means that Janice is tempted by cooked dinners as well as cake and biscuits in the staff room, while in the evening she confesses she would eat “anything with chips”.
She also loves crisps, bread and bacon.
But this time she is determined to change her dodgy diet for good.
“I had a hysterectomy a couple of years ago and it took me a long time to recover,” says Janice.
“But it got me thinking that there is no need for me to be overweight.
“I am going to have red meat only once a week, try to limit potatoes to weekends and bulk out my meals with lots of fresh veg.
“Because Sarah lives at home, she is always there to give me advice and we can go shopping together to plan healthy meals. She has even encouraged me to go to her dance class, which I absolutely love.
“I don’t see this as a diet, I see it as a lifestyle change. The last time I went to the doctors I was borderline diabetic, so I am hoping by losing weight I can stop that in its tracks.”
I want to look fab in 50th birthday party photos
At just 5ft and in size 18 clothes, Catherine Nolan is the heaviest she has ever been – weighing 13st 3lb.
But with her 50th birthday in August, she is determined to be a svelte 9st so she can look fabulous in her party photos.
Catherine, 49, married to husband Bill with two grown-up children, says: “I have avoided having my picture taken for years, but recently I was at a wedding and you can’t get out of it. I was sitting nearest the camera, side- on at a bad angle and it just made me think ‘I am heading for 50 this year, I need to make a change’.
“I work as a stop smoking adviser and a diabetes educator, so I have thought for a while that I needed to lose weight to set a good example and practise what I preach.”
Catherine is now on the Weight Watchers Simple Start plan, on which she can choose from a list of 200 healthy and filling foods.
She adds: “Normally I would skip breakfast altogether and I usually ate convenience foods – anything out of a packet. I would go to the supermarket at lunchtime and grab a sandwich then end up getting the meal deal with crisps and chocolate. I have a sweet tooth as well.
“In the evening, my husband does most of the cooking but it is usually something convenient out of a packet.
“Now I am doing more cooking and eating breakfast and having things such as Shredded Wheat with chopped banana for breakfast.
“I have switched to skimmed milk and lunch will be soup or a home-made brown bread sandwich, with healthy evening meals such as chilli or a roast dinner. We are using a lot more fresh foods, whole wheat foods, fruit and pasta.
“With Weight Watchers it is all everyday foods and you just need to eat regular meals and plan ahead and prepare things for the next day.
“I really hope doing this project with the Mirror will give me the incentive I need to stick with it."
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