Originally published: 30 April 2013
At 14 years old, Tina Needham should be making friends at school, planning shopping trips and going to birthday parties.
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Instead, at 21st and a size 24 – after binge-eating junk food throughout her childhood – she’s been driven out of school by bullies and struggles to bend down or run.
The teen finds it hard to fit into funfair rides and can only buy plus-size clothes rather than the trendy fashions she’d love to wear. She’s regularly taunted about her size by strangers and admits she sometimes feels lonely and “worthless.”
'I do get depressed. I hate my body so much and the bullies have crushed my confidence'
With a BMI of 48 (the healthy range is 18.5 to 25), Tina is morbidly obese – and doctors have warned that if she doesn’t lose a significant amount of weight, she risks developing diabetes and heart problems, which could lead to an early death.
Five months ago, Tina started attending Weight Watchers and has lost 2st – but she says she’s terrified of the incredible battle ahead and reveals she wishes her parents had stopped her getting big in the first place.
The Lincolnshire teenager says: “I do get depressed. I hate my body so much and the bullies have crushed my confidence. Sometimes, I feel like life isn’t worth living.”