'How I won my battle against the bulge'

Beating obesity involves more than just dieting

Obesity is claiming 30,000 lives a year in England and the government is being urged to take action to reduce its incidence.

A former obesity patient known as Lisa explains why beating the problem it is not just a simple matter of eating less and exercising more.

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"I lost five-and-a-half stone between January and June 2001, dropping from a size 22 to a size 14 dress size.

I now weigh just under 12 stone.

I had all sorts of health problems before I lost weight, not all of them were related to obesity, but the condition made them worse.

I had polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis and was taking painkillers for both.

I also used to get sweat rashes between the folds of skin and that was painful.

Lisa used to feel guilty about food

I wanted to try IVF treatment to have a baby, but was told I would have to lose three stone in weight.

I got in touch with The Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust (Toast) and they helped me to learn about my relationship with food.

Like some people would say they need a cigarette or alcohol, I would say 'I need a sandwich'.

It's an addiction. You don't eat because you're hungry, you eat because you are fed up.

I was a big child, quite chubby and had learned from infancy that I couldn't leave the table until I had finished my meal.

Counselling

I had a mental picture that you mustn't waste food.

I had also learned somewhere along the line that eating makes me feel better.

I had to unlock all of that.

Toast put me in touch with Lighter Life, which put me on a diet of meal replacements for the first 16 weeks.

This was accompanied by counselling in small groups.

Lisa on her wedding day after weight loss

Now that I know it is my thought process controlling what I eat I have taken responsibility for it.

I have lost the guilt.

I now have the tools to make a choice and I have control of my 'foodiness'.

I'm 32 now and since I lost the weight I have more confidence

Some people are happy with the way they look, but for those who aren't, I want to give them Toast's phone number.

It's down to doctors to point you in the right direction in the first place, not to just give you a diet sheet.

I can now maintain my weight by eating normally.

It has taken a while for me to get my head round my new size, but physically I can run around with my godchildren and my sister's kids.

I can go to the park and run around with them."