Fat Nation - The Big Challenge
Meet some of the
residents
Joe Ward
Height: 5'11'' Weight: 16 stone
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Joe is a 19 year old student, studying Graphics and
Illustration at Coventry University and about to enter his second year.
His hobbies are mostly sedentary. He likes watching films, graphic illustration
and making models.
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He played rugby at school but is very inactive now.
He loves swimming, but only swims if he is on holiday. He sometimes
cycles with the family on Sundays.
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Joe likes pizzas, sausage rolls, pork pies, chicken
and mushroom slices, chicken dippers and chocolate cake. He eats at
least one McDonald's meal per day because it's cheap!
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Joe would like to lose weight and improve his physique.
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Margaret Biggar
Height: 5' 7'' Weight: 15 stone
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Fifty-year-old Margaret works as a shift worker in a
local off-licence. She is also a dressmaker. Margaret exercises and
has recently learnt to swim.
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As a shift worker, Margaret used to eat fast food which
made her gain weight. Margaret changed her diet after her daughter expressed
concerns about her health and now eats salads, fish, rice and fruit.
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Margaret is on medication for high blood pressure and
smokes 30 cigarettes a day and would like help to give up.
Becci Wilkes
Height: 4'11'' Weight: 8 stone
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Twelve-year-old Becci has just finished primary school
and is due to start secondary school in September.
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Becci is fanatical about football and was the first
girl at her primary school to play for the boy's team. Becci's performance
on the field has caught the attention of the Aston Villa ladies team.
Becci plays football every day and at weekends.
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Becci loves to eat crisps, chocolate and sweets and
the family eat takeaways at least once a week. However she is keen to
learn how to cut out junk food.
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Debbie and Kevin, Becci's parents, recently took her
to a dietician at the Birmingham Children's Hospital as they were concerned
about her weight.
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They feel that the programme would benefit her because
she would have a goal to work towards and would listen to "outsiders".
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Geoff and Delith Derrington
Geoff – Height: 5' 5'' Weight: 13 stone
Delith – Height: 5' 5'' Weight: 15 stone
Thirty-seven-year old Delith (Del) and 50-year-old Geoff have two children,
12-year-old Sioned and 14-year-old David.
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Del works as a nurse in a special school whilst Geoff
works shifts as a Cad Cam operator in a local factory.
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Geoff's sister, Bonnie, lives in the same area with
her husband, Tony, and their six children.
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Del has never enjoyed exercise and is very inactive.
Geoff doesn't exercise either, although he used to enjoy hill walking.
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Del's big weakness is chips and she likes to snack on
crisps late at night. Del smokes and is under constant pressure from
her family to give up.
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None of the family eats breakfast. The children are
fussy eaters with a predilection for junk food. Geoff struggles to eat
regularly and sensibly due to his irregular working shifts.
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Semra Komurcugil
Height: 5' 1'' Weight: 15 stone 9 lbs
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Thirty-six-year old Semra is married with two children
and is part of a large Turkish Cypriot family which have lived in the
area for 26 years.
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Semra is currently on maternity leave following the
birth of her second child and has struggled with her weight throughout
her life.
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Semra is very inactive and drives everywhere and needs
encouragement to exercise more. She prefers to do exercise with other
people.
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Snacking in between meals on the usual suspects –
crisps, chocolate and sweets –and eating takeaways at least once
a week make Semra worried about her weight.
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She wants to be completely re-educated when it comes
to her eating habits.
Parita and Jake Patel
Jake – Height: 5' 10'' Weight: 17 stone
Parita – Height: 5' 2'' Weight: 9 stone 7 lbs
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Parita and Jappan (Jake) Patel are both 29 years old
and have a one-year-old son, Kyle.
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Jake is an accountant and Parita is currently on maternity
leave. Baby Kyle has had an enormous impact on their lifestyle.
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Parita, in common with most new mums, spends most of
her day running around after her toddler and says that there is not
much time for anything else.
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After months of inactivity, Jake has recently started
to play squash but ends up lying on the sofa some evenings.
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Both Parita and Jake are strict vegetarians. Jake is
a snackaholic and has admitted to eating crisps and chocolate seven
to eight times a day. He has to sneak them in at work so that Parita
doesn't find out!
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Jake is worried about his weight and would like to lose
a couple of stones. Parita wants to get her pre-baby figure back.
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Renu Chand
Height: 5' 1'' Weight: 8 stone 5 lbs
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Thirty-four-year old Renu is a deputy head teacher of
a local primary school. Originally from Watford, Renu has lived in Birmingham
since 1981.
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Renu's job is demanding and she finds it hard to make
time for exercise. At the moment, she doesn't do any kind of activity
but likes aerobics.
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Renu starts the day with a chocolate bar and snacks
throughout the rest of her working day.
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Her evening meals alternate between Western and Asian
foods and she tends to eat quite late.
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Renu wants the programme to help her establish if she
is healthy or not. She certainly would like to be.
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Zoe Lucas
Height 4' 11'' Weight 8st 10 1bs
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18-year-old Zoe has just completed
her A level studies in English Literature and Language, Psychology,
Human Biology and General Studies.
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Zoe exercises by snowboarding and cycling in the summer.
However, she would like to do more.
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She eats ready meals six times a week and has a takeaway
once. She also claims that she is a vegetarian who eats meat! Zoe is
concerned that she is over eating.
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John Lucas
Height 5' 7'' Weight 13st 11 1bs
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21-year-old John works as a sale
assistant and cycles everywhere on his mountain bike.
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He eats junk food almost every night of the week. John
would like to lose weight as he recently weighed himself and was shocked
by the result.
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Norma Golding
Height: 5' 4'' Weight: 10 stone 7lbs
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71-year-old Norma and husband
Graham are retired but Norma regularly does voluntary work at local
hospitals.
They are both members of the Flat Green Bowling Club, where Norma has
recently been made captain of her team. Both also walk at least four
times a week.
They eat a lot of vegetables and meat and only occasionally snack on
biscuits and chocolate.
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Norma has put on weight since the menopause and would
like to try and get rid of this.
Tony Dhillon
Height: 5' 8'' Weight: 14 stone 5lbs
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33-year-old bus driver Tony lives
with his wife Jin and five year old daughter Harleen.
Tony's biggest flaw is that he loves food especially ready salted crisps
and chocolate bars – he has been known to go through three packets
a day, competing with his daughter Harleen.
He would like to lose a stone and tone up and learn how he can fit a
healthy diet around his shift work.
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Gurdip Chagger
Height: 5' 5'' Weight: 15 stone
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46-year-old practice nurse Gurdip
lives with her husband and their two children Harpreet and Jaspreet.
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Both daughters are still at school. Jaspreet has just
taken her GCSEs and Harpreet has just completed her first year studying
for her A Levels.
Gurdip tries to walk wherever she goes. When her shifts allow it she
tries to go to aqua aerobics but snacks between meals on biscuits and
chocolate.
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Gurdip would like to lose three stone as she feels she
is very over weight. She tries to eat healthily but finds it difficult
to maintain.
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Anthony and Hannah Walker
Anthony - Height:5' 7'' Weight 11 stone
Hannah - Height: 5' 4'' Weight 10 stone 5lb
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Anthony is a 44 year old electrician and lives with
his wife Lis and their 15 year old daughter Hannah. They have lived
in the area for more than 20 years.
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Anthony doesn't do any exercise but says working on
his car must keep him fit. He used to cycle a lot a few years ago but
now can't seem to find the time.
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Hannah tries to go to the gym once a week but often
fails to make it.
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Both Hannah and Anthony eat approximately four takeaways
a week. They snack on biscuits, ice creams and crisps between meals.
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Hannah goes to Weight Watchers once a week and has lost
two stone and is hoping to lose another stone.
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Anthony would like to lose four stone and be the same
weight he was five years ago when he gave up smoking. Both would like
to eat more healthily.
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Colin and Diane Stephens
Colin - Height: 6' Weight: 12 stone 4lbs
Diane - Height: 5' 4'' Weight: 12 stone 1lb
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Colin (aged 67) works as a part time HGV driver and
Diane (56) is a local government officer for Sandwell.
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Both Colin and Diane spend a lot of time with the Walker
family next door. They enjoy being at home, Colin working on his car
and Diane reading.
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Colin has a very physical job and does a lot of cycling,
walking, fishing and table-tennis.
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Diane doesn't really do any exercise but tries to walk
to the shops when she can.
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Colin eats a full English breakfast every time he works
and during the day he also eats a lot of biscuits. Whilst
Colin eats whatever he wants and remains slim he is concerned about
how his eating is affecting his body.
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Diane would like to lose two stone and improve her diet
by eating more fruit and vegetables.
Raphael Stanley
Height: 6' 3'' Weight: 11 stone
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15-year-old Raphael lives with
his mum, step dad and two young sisters. He goes to trampolining classes
twice a week and also does a paper round.
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Raphael generally eats anything he wants and says he's
only been full once. He manages to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables
a day but also eats a lot of sweets and crisps.
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At school Raphael used to eat eat bars of chocolate
in one day but has recently cut down.
Raphael is very healthy due to the amount of exercise he takes. He would
like to increase his muscle tone.
Bonnie and Tony Hobbis
Height: 5' 3'' Weight 11 stone 31bs
Height: 5' 8'' Weight 12 stone 51bs
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Bonnie Hobbis (aged 42) is a retail property valuer
and Tony Hobbis (39) is a house husband. They have six children.
Tony takes the children to their various sporting hobbies and cooks
every meal.
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They all sit down together at meal times and eat pasta
and steamed vegetables and occasionally have chips.
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Bonnie's job means she spends a lot of time in the car.
To compensate for this she attends belly dancing classes each Tuesday
and regularly goes to the gym.
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Bonnie and Tony would like advice on how to feed eight
people healthily on eight different schedules.
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