Clare Dowell was 4 years old when she lost her father. From then on, food became her way of soothing something that had no name.
She grew up in Newcastle eating up to 10 bags of crisps a day. By the age of 19, she was already struggling to breathe at her retail job, and her worried mother signed her up with a personal trainer. It was not enough: she reached 30 stone —around 190 kilos— and wore a size 32. She was afraid to get into a swimming pool in case she could not get out on her own. On the bus, she took up two seats while people laughed.
In 2010, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, as well as eczema and psoriasis. It was the breaking point that led her to undergo gastric bypass surgery. Today she weighs 13 stone and 2 pounds, wears a size 14 and gets on theme park rides without thinking twice. Her own friends and family sometimes do not recognise her when they pass her in the street.
