Man told 'lose 24 stone or die'

Colin Ord weighed 33 stone when he was 16

A 21-year-old County Durham student who weighs 41 stone (260.3kg) has been told to lose weight or die before he is 30.

Colin Ord, from Seaham, has been advised to shed 24 stone (152.4kg) or face death within a decade.

Mr Ord, who weighed 33 stone (209.6kg) when he was 16, said he was devastated when told the news by his GP that he had a "very serious problem".

He said he has now ditched his diet of pizzas, chips, pasties and chocolate and goes to the gym three times a week.

He said he was told that unless he lowered his Body Mass Index (BMI) of 65, he was unlikely to survive the next 10 years.

A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and one of 30 or above is considered obese.

In six or seven years' time I could be suffering from heart problems, diabetes, problems with my joints, I could even be in a wheelchair. Colin Ord

Mr Ord said: "When I went in to see the GP he sat me down and said I had a very serious problem.

"He came out and said: 'You will not make 30 if you continue the way you are going'.

"It was a real shock. I am at Newcastle University and I worked really hard to get here.

"And to think that in six or seven years' time I could be suffering from heart problems, diabetes, problems with my joints, I could even be in a wheelchair.

"That's not the life I want to lead. I am a motivated person and I am determined to make some positive changes."

He said he has rejected surgery or medication to lose weight.

His said his target was to slim down to 17 stone (107.9kg) within two years.

He has enlisted personal trainer Gary Nash, an ex-Army fitness instructor who has appeared in TV series Bad Lads' Army.

Seaham is in the district of Easington, which was identified as the fattest area of England in a recent government study.