Slim Tim! (From The Oxford Times)

Slim Tim!

7:00am Monday 9th January 2012 in Wantage By Amanda Williams

WHEN Tim Wright put on weight, he knew it wasn’t because he was ‘big boned’ or had a ‘genetic problem’.

It was because he ate too much and didn’t get enough exercise.

The married father of two would stand in front of the fridge and gorge on calorie-laden snacks and cheese, washed down with pints of milk.

When everyone else had gone to bed, he would munch on packet after packet of chocolate treats.

Instead of walking the 10 to 15 minutes to work, he would jump in the car and drive.

His lifestyle meant that just over a year ago, the 54-year-old’s weight had ballooned to more than 20 and half stone.

At 5ft 11in, this gave him a Body Mass Index of 40 — placing him in the life-threateningly obese category.

But thanks to a pioneering weight-loss service, Mr Wright is enjoying a new lease of life, and all in his son’s 32-inch waist jeans.

He said: “There are a lot of excuses people use for their weight. It’s simple. I was just eating too much and not exercising enough.

“I would go to the fridge and grab the cheese box, and consume around 1,000 calories. But because it wasn’t on a plate, I convinced myself it didn’t count.

“I went to the doctors because my knees were hurting and I knew why it was.

“I asked whether there was anything they could do to help me lose weight.

“To my surprise, there was. Lots.”

During the same GP appointment Mr Wright, from Wantage, was told that he had high blood pressure and diabetes, something he had had no idea about.

The doctor referred him to a programme called the Oxfordshire Weight-loss Lifestyle Service (OWLS) a programme reserved for the most morbidly obese.

It is provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. People must be referred to the service by their GPs.

Since joining the programme, which combines cognitive behavioural therapy with diet and exercise advice and support, Mr Wright has shed seven stone.

The businessman has shrunk from a 50-inch waist to 32 inches.

Instead of gorging on fat-filled snacks, he sits down to calorie-controlled meals.

He now walks to and from work, even popping home for lunch, and is able to play badminton again.

And his diabetes, high blood pressure and joint problems, have all disappeared.

He said: “I feel amazing. I literally feel 20 years younger.

“I used to hate shopping, now I love it, although it’s cost me a fortune in new clothes. I feel proud.”