fat blokes can lose weight too!
by Jenny Bryan
Ian has won two awards: slimmer of the week and slimmer of the month. Sixteen pounds lighter than when he stepped on the scales last month at Slimming World Men's Group, he laughingly holds up his medal to the half dozen other joking fat blokes who good naturedly applaud his success.
© Getty
Down to 21 stone, he still has a way to go to his target weight of 17 stone. But at 34, he knows that if he doesn't mend his ways now, it will be his life, not just his waistline, that is under threat. The extra weight didn't come suddenly, it was the result of over indulging over quite a long time, not helped by the social side of Ian's part-time job as a DJ.
'I consciously said to myself, "What the hell are you doing? I've got to do something about it,"' he explains.
The jokes and support at Ian's group would come as no surprise to the thousands of women who attend WeightWatchers and other slimming groups each week in the UK. But, for men, the idea of discussing diet plans and exercise programmes at a support group does not come easily and most of those who joined Ian's Liverpool group were pretty desperate before they stepped through the door.
Three weeks in succession, Peter sat in his car outside the building for an hour or more before finally walking inside. He watched the other men going inside, seeing how big they were, wondering if any of them matched his 26 stone.
encouragement not embarrassment
Tommy Garside, the 11.5 stone leader of the group who has a taste for Bovril crisps, explains that Peter was far from unusual.
'It's not an obvious thing for men to join and we've had quite a few who've sat outside waiting to see if they know anybody in the class. But once they've come in and made friends, their fears are totally alleviated,' he says.
Tommy uses a mixture of praise, honesty and openness to motivate and encourage his bulky charges to stick to their diet sheets and develop a healthier lifestyle. He sees no point in bullying or shaming sensitive egos into submission, though there is a friendly rivalry within the group for the accolade of slimmer of the week.
'I get probably the best results in the area and I am sure that praise and friendliness are the way forward,' he adds.
losing weight as a business plan
With three times as many obese men in the UK as 20 years ago, there is little doubt about the need for slimming clubs for men. At Warriors, the mainly managerial and retired fat blokes are encouraged to see their bodies as core businesses in need of new management during the 10 week programme.
Robert Paterson, the dynamic 51-year-old who set up Warriors after successfully losing eight stone through a mixture of diet and exercise, wants his clients to have strength and self respect. He is all too familiar with the business lunches and stressful lifestyles which have brought them to Warriors.
'A lot of eating is linked to stress. If I'd closed a terrific deal, I used to celebrate with champagne and a good meal and, if I'd had a bad day, I'd cheer myself up with a bottle of red wine and a big bowl of pasta,' he recalls.
Sixteen-stone George and 15-stone Richard tell similar stories of the toll that long working hours and fine living have taken on their once slim bodies. Called 'chubby hubbies', they know that, within their social circles, they are seen as safe and reliable, unlikely to stray because their bellies make them unattractive to women.
They have yet to see whether the mental strength and physical fitness that go into the Warrior business plan approach to losing weight will work for them.
surgery as a last resort
When nothing seemed able to reduce Gareth's 48-inch waist, he signed up for the obesity treatment of last resort – surgery to reduce the size of his stomach. At Morriston Hospital in Swansea, Professor John Baxter opened up Gareth's large belly and punched four rows of staples into his stomach to reduce its capacity from the average 1.5 litre to just 20 ml.
'When he takes food Gareth physically won't be able to take in the quantities of food that he can now and, if he cheats, he'll vomit,' Professor Baxter explains.
Far from being judgmental about Gareth's weight problem, Professor Baxter is hugely sympathetic.
'People don't understand that he can't control himself, just like an alcoholic can't stop drinking. It's a metabolic disease, he's different from most people. He can't turn himself off. Just saying "pull yourself together and eat less" is naïve in the extreme,' he points out.
The gastric restriction surgery which Gareth underwent is far from risk free. About 1 in 100 people die on the operating table and, for the rest of his life, Gareth won't be able to go to a restaurant or dinner party and eat a normal size meal. A lifetime of small portions is the price he will pay. But, already, he's seeing the results.
Three stone lighter and with 10 inches off his waist, his target weight is 12 stone. After years of depression and several suicide attempts, Gareth's last resort surgery is at last putting a smile on his face.
help and info
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organisations
British Dietetic Association
5th Floor Charles House
148/9 Great Charles Street Queensway
Birmingham B3 3HT
Tel: 0121 200 8080 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm)
E-mail: info@bda.uk.com
Website: www.bda.uk.com
The professional association for dietitians. Offers impartial advice on nutrition for good health, how to combat disease with diet and suitable
diets for food-related problems.
Mary Hart Centre for Eating Disorders (Scotland)
3 Sciennes Road
Edinburgh EH9 1LE
Telephone: 0131 668 3051 (usually an answerphone service)
E-mail: info@maryhart.co.uk
Offers psychotherapy and counselling aimed at helping change eating habits and attitudes. Has a range of self-help manuals on types of eating disorders, causes, self-help, plus a publications list.
Slimming World
PO Box 55
Alfreton DE55 4UE
Tel: 08700 7546 666 (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm)
E-mail: info@slimming-world.co.uk
Website: www.slimming-world.com
Encourages weight loss through reassessment of diet and lifestyle with particular emphasis on group participation. Meetings held nation-wide. Website features personal success stories from women and men, details of local classes, information on healthy food and the importance of exercise. Also has lots of recipes. Contact the above number for details of classes.
Warriors
264a Elgin Avenue
Maida Vale
London W9 1JR
Tel: 08700 70 20 99 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
E-mail: info@warriors.org.uk
Website: www.warriors.org.uk
Warriors is a weight management programme designed specifically for men. It uses the skills and knowledge that are already familiar to businessmen and shows how those skills can be used to run the body like a successful business. The 10-week programme includes a one-day workshop, and coaching over the internet and telephone. Please see the website for further details.
Weight Watchers
Millennium House
Ludlow Road
Maidenhead SL6 2SL
Meeting Finder: 08457 123 000 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
E-mail: CustomerService@weight-watchers.co.uk
Website: www.weightwatchers.co.uk
Encourages people to lose weight and maintain this loss through balanced diets. Group meetings held nation-wide. Website contains more information about Weight Watchers, and features success stories, exercise ideas, recipes and motivational tips.
GP
You can of course always contact your GP for help, as well as for access to a dietician for nutritional advice.
websites
BBC – Weight Management
www.bbc.co.uk/health/healthy_living/your_weight/
Discusses what a healthy weight is, contains useful tips for weight management, and a healthy eating guide.
Body Positive
www.bodypositive.com
The focus of Body Positive is to help people feel good about the body they have. Aims to redefine the idea of a 'healthy body', from a generic height/weight chart or body mass index, to 'the weight your body is when you are living a reasonable life'.
Body Story – Fat Attack
www.channel4.com/science/microsites/B/bodystory/fat.html
Discusses what fat is, the health risks associated with being overweight, the problems with diets, and the benefits of exercise. It also has a list of useful organisations, books and websites.
British Nutrition Foundation
www.nutrition.org.uk
Features lots of useful information on nutrition tailored to people of all ages and stages of life.
Feeling OK
www.feelingfat.net/men.asp
Contains information on fitness, slimming, diets and losing weight. Has tips about diets and exercise, plus a database of local slimming clubs and gyms. Also has a specialist section for men.
I want 2 b healthy
www.iwant2bhealthy.com
Discusses the importance of a good balanced diet for health and well being. Divided into user age group, this site looks at topics such as healthy eating, nutrition, obesity, cancer and heart disease.
Keep Fit Association
www.keepfit.org.uk
Provides details of classes in the UK for people of all ages and fitness levels.
Male Health
www.malehealth.co.uk
Advice and information on wide range of health issues, including how to look and feel healthier by quitting smoking, losing weight or getting fitter. Has lots of resources including news, facts, tips and quizzes.
Men's Health Forum
www.menshealthforum.org.uk
Features a variety of sources of information on men's health, including a database of men's health projects in the UK.
NHS Direct
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Information on healthy eating is available from the NHS Direct website or by contacting them on
0845 4647.
TOAST – The Obesity Awareness & Solutions Trust
www.toast-uk.org.uk
Aims to support research and analysis of the problems of obesity, by focusing on obesity prevention and management strategies and encouraging the increase of healthy lifestyles. Also wishes to highlight the social stigma and exclusion that are directed to the obese, and to increase the rights of the obese. Works with the food industry towards better availability of healthy foods.
reading
 |
ABC of Nutrition by A Stewart Truswell (BMJ Books, 2002) |
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Choose to Lose: Weight-Loss Plan for Men by Ron and Nancy Goor (Houghton Mifflin, 2000) |
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Health and Fitness (Essentials for Men) by Alex Smith (Mitchell Beazley, 2000) |
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The South Beach Diet: A Doctor's Plan for Fast and Lasting Weight Loss by Dr Arthur Agatston (Headline, 2003) |
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Warriors: A powerful weight management and fitness programme for men by Robert Paterson (Piatkus Books, 2001) |
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(October 2001, resources updated March 2005)
