A Lakenham super slimmer's potentially life-saving weight-loss achievements have been highlighted nationally to help inspire others to transform their bodies and their lives.

Eastern Daily Press: John Batterbee, from Lakenham, before he lost seven stone.John Batterbee, from Lakenham, before he lost seven stone. (Image: submitted)

John Batterbee, 40, from Huxley Close, received a wake-up call in 2009 when, at 5ft 10ins and 21 stone, and suffering from type-two diabetes, sleep apnoea and high blood pressure, a doctor told him he had to take action to stop himself slowly killing himself.

Since then he has changed his eating habits and vastly improved his health. He now weighs 13st 5lb and is one of five slimmers whose weight-loss efforts currently feature in a Slimming World magazine article aimed at encouraging others not to give up.

Mr Batterbee, married to Sharon and father of 13-year-old Ethan, said he felt privileged to have his efforts highlighted, and continued to be part of the Poringland Slimming World group to keep himself focused on maintaining his weight.

He said: 'I have been going to Slimming World for more than three years and it has changed my life. I decided to join the social team to keep me focused. I take the money at the meetings now, it is a way of me giving something back because I have had a lot of help – it has completely changed my life. I have got a lot of energy, a lot more self-belief. I just feel great.'

Mr Batterbee, who runs his own company, JB Cleaning Services, said he had always had a weight problem, except for when he turned to body-building in his late teens, and his weight contributed to him developing the type two diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnoea.

He said it was a diabetes check-up in 2009, when he pretended to be leading a healthy lifestyle, that potentially saved his life. He was referred for a gastric bypass, but was told he needed to show he had the willpower to lose weight first.

One of his customers, Hayley Hooper, runs a Slimming World club in Poringland, and inspired by her four-stone weight loss he decided to join.

'When I joined Slimming World in January 2010 I weighed 20st 5lb. I think I lost about 5lb in the first week and I was well-chuffed, within two or three months I lost three stone. I reached my target weight, 12st 5lb, in 56 weeks. I now weigh 13st 5lb – I think if I wanted to I could lose the extra stone but am happy with the weight I am.'

For more information about joining the Slimming World Poringland group visit www.slimmingworld.com