A MOTHER who become seriously ill with leukaemia lost over five stone, after joining Slimming World through the governments Better Health campaign.

Fifty-year-old Angela Larkin from Odiham lost an incredible 5st 7lbs and has since found renewed confidence through her journey.

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After the birth of her second child Andrea fell very ill with leukaemia and also suffered with the breakdown of her marriage.

She said: “I lost my hearing due to the cancer treatment, and I wasn’t able to do my job any more. I was feeling low, and the weight crept on, my blood pressure was high, and I had a number of health issues. When I moved area with my children and new partner Phil, I made the decision to lose weight and start taking care of myself.

“I tried to lose weight in the first lockdown, but I couldn’t do it on my own and I knew I needed the support of a group. I saw a message from Emma, the Consultant who runs my local Slimming World group, on Facebook in May 2021 with the Better Health offer, and although I’d never been to a Slimming World group before, I contacted her straight away.”

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparity launched the Better Health campaign to encourage adults across the nation to lose excess weight, eat more healthily and get active after a survey revealed that over 4 in 10 (41 per cent) adults in England said they have put on weight since the first lockdown in March 2020.

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Angela added: “Emma and the other members were so kind and welcoming, though, and they put me right at ease. From the moment I arrived, I felt no judgement, only acceptance. Going to group has been a lifesaver for me, it has helped me to set goals, understand where I might trip up on my weight-loss journey, and put plans in place to make sure I continue to lose weight. We are like a family at group; everyone is supportive, it’s motivational, and exactly what I needed.”

Although Angela is still on her weight loss journey she is “so proud” of how far she has come.

Emma Jones, who runs the Odiham Slimming World group, added: “Angela has fully embraced Slimming World’s Food Optimising and physical activity Body Magic programmes and is doing incredibly well. She is such an inspiration to our group and I’m so proud of how far she’s come.”

For more information or to find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk.

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