Whole new world for man shamed into losing weight

A man who was so overweight his knees could not support him has been crowned Slimming World’s Man of the Year after losing nine-and-ahalf stone.

Trevor Sage weighed nearly 26 stone at his heaviest and had been big since he was a child.

The 53-year-old, from Faversham, said: “I was always the last one picked for sport at school.

“When everyone else was picking football teams in the playground I would be the last one standing and I’d be shoved in goal.

“My nickname at work was Large. At the time you just take it as a joke.”

Even a stroke did not scare the father-of-four enough to try to lose weight.

But last January, when his knees and ankles became so painful, he saw a doctor who gave it to him straight.

Trevor said: “He said you’re 53, you’ve had substantial health issues, if we give you new knees they’re going to wear out in 15 years’ time and all you’re going to do is cost the NHS money.

“He said go away and, if you can lose weight and you can prove you can lose weight, then we’ll put you in for a knee operation. I felt so ashamed.”

Trevor, who works as a production manager for a metal pressings firm in Sittingbourne, joined his wife at weekly Slimming World sessions.

Cutting out foods high in fat and sugar and techniques such as keeping a food diary and tracking his weight online helped him lose pounds straight away. By May, he had reached his target of 14 and a half stone.

Trevor’s appearance changed so much that even relatives didn’t recognise him. “It’s changed my life,” he said.