Can the cat give you cancer? Parasite in their bellies linked with brain tumours

By Fiona Macrae


Cats may be spreading brain cancer to their owners, scientists warned last night.

They have linked a parasite that breeds in cats’ stomachs with brain tumours in people.

While they can’t prove that our feline friends are to blame, they say that properly researching the link could spare some people from developing the deadly disease.

Danger to their owners? Scientists have found a link between brain tumours and a parasite that is found in both cats' stomachs and humans


Brain cancer, in its various guises, claims more than 3,500 lives a year in the UK alone, and its causes are largely unknown.

The parasite in the frame – Toxoplasma gondii – is carried by around a third of the world’s population deep inside their brains and has been linked to personality changes, in people as well as animals.

The parasite, which infects up to 34 per cent of Britons, has a complicated lifecycle but can only breed inside cats, which then pass their microscopic eggs, spreading the infection.

Pregnant women are already advised not to empty cat litter trays, as the parasite can be fatal to unborn babies, and now it seems the health risks may extend to other people.

French scientists collected global data on brain cancers in men and women and compared it with figures on T. gondii infection rates.

This showed brain cancer rates to be highest in countries where the parasite was most prevalent – even when other factors such as income were taken into account.

The scientists, led by Frederic Thomas, from the CNRS research institute in Montpellier, said: ‘We feel our results are sufficiently strong to propose that T. gondii potentially increases the risk of brain cancer in humans.’

The parasite has already been linked to brain tumours in animals.

There is also other evidence that T. gondii has effects on the brain leading to changes in behaviour.

Infected rats are known to lose their fear of cats, making it more likely that they will be killed and eaten.

This is good from the parasite’s point of view, as it speeds its passage into the cat gut, allowing it to breed and eventually spread.

The parasite may also sway human behaviour, with research suggesting it turns men into aggressive, jealous ‘alley cats’, while transforming women into ‘sex kittens’.

Other research has pointed to a strong link between T. gondii and schizophrenia.

Chief causes of infection in humans are consuming undercooked meat, especially lamb, pork and venison, and ingesting water, soil or anything else contaminated by cat faeces.

The scientists behind the latest study acknowledged that they hadn’t proved that cats are spreading brain cancer but added: ‘Clearly, further research is necessary to determine the proximate links between T. gondii and different types of brain tumours and to investigate a mechanism of action.

‘Establishing a link between T. gondii and brain cancers could open the door to potential means to reduce cancer risk.’



source:dailymail

'When you're bigger than the biggest person on The Biggest Loser, it's horrible': How mother-of-two lost 200lb in a year

By Tamara Abraham


Tipping the scales at 456lb Staci Bridwell was ashamed to acknowledge that she weighed more than the largest contestant on the Biggest Loser.

But thanks to the help of celebrity coach Chris Powell, the 30-year-old, from Haslet, Texas, has lost over 200lb in the space of a single year.

The mother-of-two, who appeared on the latest episode of Extreme Makeover, told how she gained weight in her early teens, and has not been able to shift it since.


Transformation: Staci Bridwell, 30, from Haslet, Texas, once weighed 456lb (left), but lost 201lb in a year after appearing on Extreme Makeover (right)


She said: 'As a teenager I gained probably 200 pounds between the time I was 13 to 15. I was shopping at Lane Bryant by the time I was 13 years old.'

She revealed that she had tried every diet imaginable, but her job as a mobile radiology technologist meant that she spent up to ten hours a day in the car, and fast food had become a part of her lifestyle.

'Weight Watchers, Jennie Craig, The Soup Diet … anything,' she said. 'I’ve done them all, and nothing ever worked.'

In addition to a demanding job, Mrs Bridwell was required to care for her two young daughters, as well as support her husband, Rodney, who suffered a stroke three weeks after they met.

Out of control: The mother-of-two's weight soared in her teens, and by 13 she was shopping at Lane Bryant

Pressure: Mrs Bridwell experienced added stress after her husband suffered a stroke, numbing the left side of his body. As a consequence, she became the family's sole breadwinner


But, as the show reveals, she found the impetus to transform her diet and lifestyle, exercising for up to four hours a day, despite her demanding work and home life.

'I didn’t know what to cook. I didn’t know what to buy at the store. I had to change all of that,' she explained.

'I lost the weight over a year, and now it’s just the way I live. I don’t even have to think about it anymore. It’s already second nature. It’s a new lifestyle.

'The hardest part is getting started and making sure you stay with it.'

Success: Mrs Bridwell could fit both herself and her daughter into the legs of her old jeans after six months


Mrs Bridwell enjoyed a successful first six months, dropping to 290lb at the mid-way weigh-in, but her weight reached a plateau during the latter half of Powell's plan.

She told how she had lost her focus while juggling her hectic schedule, and had slipped back into bad habits, eating fast food and not making time to exercise.

But after a disappointing nine-month weigh-in, Mrs Bridwell's motivation was revived, and a session with Mr Powell helped push her to her goal weight of 255lb.

She said of the trainer: 'He’s a very special guy. He is super-inspiring, and
there’s just something about him being around that makes you feel like you can [lose the weight]. I said I’d give it my best shot - and I did - and it worked.'


Helping hand: With the support of celebrity coach Chris Powell, the 30-year-old reached her goal weight


Mr Powell was equally full of praise, crediting her dedication and motivation to her weight-loss goal.

He said: 'She was the largest woman I'd ever worked with and the transformation is incredible.'

As another positive consequence of her new healthy lifestyle, the whole Bridwell family has lost weight - particularly Mr Bridwell, who has lost 100lb since his wife changed their diet.

'My husband lost 100 pounds!' she said. 'It’s so aggravating, he never even works out. All he did was eat the [healthier] food. I work out for hours!'



source:dailymail

Woman, 22, grows full-sized nipple on the sole of her FOOT

By FIONA ROBERTS

Unique: Extra nipples are usually found above the bellybutton, and doctors say it's the first time they have ever seen one on somebody's foot


Lily Allen proudly showed hers off on television, Mark Wahlberg's famous for his and just last week, Zac Efron was forced to deny he has two.

But a 22-year-old woman has trumped them all - by growing a full-sized extra nipple on the sole of her foot.

Although one in 50 women and one in 100 men have extra nipples, according to the California-based Dermatology Journal it's the first time one has ever been discovered so far down somebody's body.


The woman told doctors she had had the unusual growth - which is almost two inches wide - all her life, and it had never caused her any pain.

Between one and five per cent of the population have the condition, known as supernumerary breast tissue.


Fully-formed: The 22-year-old woman told doctors she has had the nipple all her life. It measures almost two inches across, and doesn't cause her any pain


Although most of the time extra nipples are found along the milk lines, which run from the genitals to the armpits, they have been discovered on the back, thigh or even the face - but never the feet.

Mark Wahlberg has a third nipple just below his left one. The former Calvin Klein model considered having it removed but then changed his mind, calling it his most 'prized possession'.



Something in common: But while Mark Wahlberg, right, is proud of his third nipple, Zac Efron has denied claims he has two extra ones on his chest


source :dailymail

'My four-year-old daughter is my feeder': Shocking confession of world's fattest mother

By DEBORAH ARTHURS

Twisted: 50st Donna Simpson says she would never achieve her record-breaking weight goal without the help of her four-year-old daughter Jacqueline


She holds the dubious honour of being the Guinness Book Of Records' fattest woman ever to give birth, requiring a team of 30 medics to deliver her daughter during a high-risk Caesarean birth.

Now, four years on, Donna Simpson has gained a further 12st and, staggeringly, continues to eat as she attempts to reach 72st and land a second record as the world's most obese woman.

And after splitting from long-term partner and feeder Philippe Gouamba, the 50st mother is relying on her four year-old daughter Jacqueline to bring her food to help her reach her goal.


Denial: Donna, who has to eat 15,000 calories a day minimum to reach her 72st target, says her daughter is unaffected: 'She loves salad and plays sports'


The single mother-of-two, who eats over 15,000 calories a day to sustain her weight gain, struggles to get around and enlists the help of Jacqueline to buy and prepare food.

She told Closer magazine: She helps me cook and comes shopping. I use a scooter to get around the store and she runs ahead to get my favourite foods.

'Anyone who says I'm setting a bad example should shut their mouth - they don't know how much I love her.'


Big business: Donna's high calorie diet costs her £500 a week - funded by a website she has set up for 'fat admirers' who pay to look at photos of her eating


And Donna, who struggles to walk and suffers high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, says that Jacqueline adores her large stomach.

'She's my little angel,' she says.

In contrast to her mother, Donna says Jacqueline eats healthily. 'She loves salad and plays sports,' she insists.

Donna pays for her £500 weekly shopping bill with profits from a website she has set up for 'fat admirers' who pay to look at photographs of her eating.

She has 7,000 fans and makes £60,000 a year.


source: dailymail

How to tame your tum: Is yours a spare tyre or a stress bulge? Finding out your tummy type is the key to getting a perfect midriff

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER


Get a flat stomach: First you need to identify your tunny type


For many women, getting bikini ready means tackling one dreaded area in particular — our tummies.

Most of us still think the best way to achieve a washboard stomach is by doing hundreds of sit-ups. Not so, says A-list trainer and body guru James Duigan.

James, who sculpts supermodels Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley among others, insists there is no ‘one size fits all’ method for getting a flat belly.

Instead, he’s identified five key ‘tummy types’, all of which require a different approach to achieve successful toning.

Once you’ve identified your type, you can transform it following James’ tailor-made plan and get that flat tummy fast.



THE SPARE TYRE TUMMY
The spare tyre: This is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate because it's caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
These people are likely to lead sedentary lives, perhaps with jobs that keep them desk-bound. They may also have an emotional attachment to sugary foods.
Luckily, this ‘spare tyre’ is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate as, according to James, it’s caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
‘If you exercise very little, eat lots of sugar and refined carbohydrates in products like biscuits, cakes and white bread, or rely on starchy carbs like pasta and rice, you probably have an overweight tummy with accompanying fat on your legs and hips,’ says James.



THE STRESS TUMMY
Stress tummy: These types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
Stressed-tummy types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities. They are usually also susceptible to digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can cause bloating and make their tummies look far worse.
‘Stress tummies are easy to spot, as the weight is specific to the front of the midriff and the umbilical area,’ explains James. ‘When stressed, we produce cortisol, a hormone which encourages the body to cling on to fat around the stomach.’
Stressed tummies will also be fairly hard to the touch, rather than wobbly.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
It’s likely you skip meals, abuse your adrenal system with too much caffeine and grab junk food for convenience.



THE LITTLE POOCH
The little pooch: These women are likely to be busy mums or have demanding careers - hey may even be a gym junkie


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
These women are likely to be busy mums or have demanding careers. ‘They may even be a gym junkie, but stuck in a workout-and-diet rut, perhaps always eating the same foods and doing the same routine at the gym, which keeps you slim but leaves you with a lower belly that spoils your silhouette,’ says James.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
‘Doing excessive crunches and using gimmicky gym items such as ab-rollers can place a strain on the hip flexors and the lower back, causing the tummy muscles to protrude so your belly sticks out,’ says James.



THE MUMMY TUMMY
The Mummy tummy: Women with these bellies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
Women with these tummies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves. ‘After giving birth, the uterus drops and is much heavier than it was pre-pregnancy,’ says James. ‘It takes at least six weeks to return to its usual size, so don’t even think about trying to get a flat stomach until after then.

‘You need to re-train your pelvic floor and lower abs to increase blood flow and strengthen loose muscles.’

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
Rushing back to exercise too quickly. ‘I would suggest waiting around two to three months,’ says James. ‘Being stressed about getting rid of your baby weight will only make you cling onto it more. Give yourself a break!’



THE BLOATED TUMMY
Bloated tummies: These are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
Bloated tummies are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion. Bloating affects both slim and overweight women. It is almost always caused by food intolerances and allergies, or sluggish bowels as a result of a poor diet.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
You eat the same foods and may have done so for a lifetime without realising you’re intolerant to them.


source : dailymail

Boy with cerebral palsy walks for the first time after £45,000 operation in U.S.

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

New independence: Robin takes his first steps at home watched by his proud mother Natalie, after his operation in America


A football-mad six-year-old has walked on his own for the first time - after well-wishers raised £45,000 for life-changing surgery in America.

Robin Carter from Earby in Lancashire, needed a frame because he was born with a debilitating disease, but he has now taken his first 100 steps without help.

His mother Natalie said he's now desperate to have a kickabout with his pals after undergoing intensive physiotherapty sessions back at home.


Before the op: Robin, pictured here aged 5, could only walk with the aid of a special frame


Robin has spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that is caused by a type of brain damage at birth.

He nderwent two operations in St Louis, Missouri last month called selective dorsal rhizotomy and has amazed doctors with his progress.

Ms Carter said: 'We're just taking each day as it comes at the moment. I just keep thinking that come Christmas I'll be able to buy him his little wellies so he can play out in winter.'

She added: 'If he's looking at somebody else and we're telling him to keep his feet straight then he can do it, which is just brilliant.

A few days after undergoing his first operation, Robin had to go under the knife again.

Years of walking on his toes had caused them to shorten, so he needed surgery to have his hamstrings and heel cords lengthened.



Building confidence: Robin hopes with time he will be able to play football with his friends


Natalie, who made the trip to American with Robin's father Martin, said both operations were successful.

She said: 'The second operation went really well and he was out within the day.

'He keeps putting mirrors everywhere so he can see his feet because it really spurs him on - they look great.'

Robin was born eight weeks prematurely and diagnosed with spastic diplegia, a neuromuscular disease, when he was two.

Family and friends raised the £45,000 needed to pay for the surgery through a variety of events.

Natalie said: 'Everybody has been brilliant and we're so grateful.

'People are still organising things to help fund Robin's aftercare and we're hoping to get him a treadmill.

'Before the future would have seen him in a wheelchair, but now we will see him running around and playing with his friends, which is fantastic.'

source: dailymail

Our deadly anorexia pact

Dangerously thin: Maria, left, and Katy both are 5ft 5in and weight less than six stone


They're trained doctors whose parents are distinguished writers - yet for 20 years these identical twins have competed with each other in the most disturbing way imaginable

Twins Maria and Katy Campbell were only 11 when they overheard a snippet of conversation between their parents which, they claim, was to change their lives for ever.

Maria recalls: ‘We were standing at the top of the stairs and heard our Dad remark: “Gosh, those girls are becoming young women, aren’t they? They’re getting hips.” ’

To most people, it’s the kind of harmless remark that an observant father might make about his pre-teen daughters. But for Maria and Katy, who are the identical daughters of distinguished writers, it triggered a sinister pact that would haunt the family for more than two decades.


Fertility fears: The twins are now 33 and dream of being mothers - but neither of them has ever had a period because they are so gaunt


‘We were incensed by Dad’s remark,’ says Katy, now 33 and, like her twin, a qualified doctor. ‘I remember screaming at him: “I’m never going to start my periods!”

‘We decided that day that if we stopped eating, we would lose our “hips”. I wanted to punish him and Mum — and I suppose that’s what we’ve both been doing ever since.’

Who can really tell what goes on in the muddled and duplicitous minds of anorexics? But the awful reality is that, thanks to their desire to ‘punish’ their parents, Maria and Katy have destroyed the past 20 years of their lives — and may never recover.


Happy children: Katy and Maria said they changed when they reached puberty and became obsessed with staying thin


‘It’s like having a ball and chain around my ankle that I can’t throw off,’ says Maria. ‘I’m so consumed by what I’m eating, how many calories I’m burning, what I’ll weigh tomorrow and what I weigh today. It’s an obsession.’

An obsession that could kill them both.

Even now, with preternaturally childish bodies and voices, the young women admit they struggle to make sense of what has happened to their lives.


Six months into the courses, tutors realised something was wrong and the twins were sent to different hospitals for treatment but it wasn't long before they were back together and losing weight again


To the utter despair of their parents — 58-year-old Christy and his wife Clare, 56 — the twins have spent most of their teenage and adult life in and out of various recovery clinics.

Today, the twins will be hospitalised again for several months — only this time, they say, they are determined to beat the disease.

‘It’s got to the point where Katy and I are absolutely sick of the situation,’ says Maria, who is 5ft 5in and weighs just under 6st.

‘I’ve lost everything due to this illness. I’ve lost my life, my house, my hair, my job, everything … and I’m absolutely sick of it.’

source: dailymail

Bank worker overcomes bizarre phobia of SWEAT to lose eight-stone

By Daily Mail Reporter


Half the woman she used to be: Tracey Stone, 35, with a pair of size 24 trousers that she wore when she was at her biggest


An receptionist at a bank has lost more than eight stone after conquering a bizarre phobia – of sweat.

Tracey Stone, 35, walked less than three miles per year and 'freaked out' at the mere thought of exercise because of the irrational fear.

The phobia, which she developed in childhood, meant she piled on the pounds and it left her with 'zero' self-esteem.


At her heaviest, she tipped the scales at 19 stone and consumed 5,000 calories per day – more than double the recommended daily amount.

But in early 2010 Tracey overcame her 'nemesis' thanks to a course of hypnotherapy. At her biggest, she was a size 24, but she has now dropped from a size 18 to a size 12.

Tracey, who lives in Bristol, now weighs in at just 11 stone and controls her weight through gentle exercise and slimming aids.

She said: 'I’ve had a fear of excessive sweating since I was at school. It got to the point where I was literally not walking anyway through fear of breaking sweat. I freaked out at the thought of going to the gym.

'But now I feel happier and healthier after finally overcoming the nemesis that had haunted me for so long.'


The phobia of excessive sweating, hypothermosis, affects up to 1-in-200,000 people across the UK.

It is linked to social anxiety, and is often coupled with uncontrollable blushing and panic attacks.

Like many sufferers, Tracey is unable to pinpoint why and when the phobia took hold.

But it left her fearful of breaking sweat and 'scared stiff' of exercise of any kind.

For over a decade, she drove everywhere and believes she walked less than three miles each year.

'I drove to the shops, I drove to work, and I even drove to the beach,' she said.

'On a night out, I’d take taxis from my front door to the pub or bar, and I’d spend all night in one place to be sure I wouldn’t have to walk.'

Thanks to a lack of exercise and a junk food diet, she ballooned in size and reached a massive 18 stone by the age of 28.

But she beat the phobia after seeing a local counsellor and hypnotist. She spent a total of six hours in the chair, and now believes she is 'almost entirely' cured.

Though not ready to jog, run or go to the gym, she has begun walking the 2.3 miles from her home to work each day.

She also takes the slimming aid Vita-Lean – a hit in the States and soon to be available in Boots - to control her weight gain.

The slimming aid’s appeal in America followed comments made by Dr Oz, the resident doctor on the Oprah Winfrey Show, who praised the benefits of irvingia.

You WILL cure your phobia: Tracey beat her fear after seeing a local counsellor and hypnotist. She spent a total of six hours in the chair, and now believes she is 'almost entirely' cured (posed by model)


'I’ve still a long way to go, but I feel better than ever,' Tracey said.

Phobia expert Mary Ison, who runs the Clifton Counselling Clinic in Bristol, said Tracey’s behaviour was not unusual.

'Many phobias have roots in fears that date back hundreds of years, sweat possibly being the fear of disease,' she said.

'Through support and the right therapy many people are able to manage or even overcome their phobias.

'The most important thing is that Tracey takes each step one at a time and perseveres with her treatment.'


source:dailymail

'It was my mom's dying wish': Man, 23, loses almost half 459lbs body weight in just a YEAR

By FIONA ROBERTS

Half the size: Alex Respess reveals his astonishing weight loss next to a cardboard cut-out showing him at his heaviest, when he weighed 459lbs


When Alex Respess's mother died after a battle with cancer, she made one last request - for her son to be happy and healthy.

And now, four years later, the 23-year-old can proudly say he fulfilled his mother's dying wish after he lost almost half his body weight in just 12 months.

He showed off his astonishing transformation on ABC's Good Morning America today, where he revealed his new 243lbs figure next to a cardboard cut-out showing him at his heaviest, 459lbs.



Before and after: Alex Respess, left, at his first weigh-in a year ago, and right, today on Good Morning America after he lost an astonishing 216lbs


The audience gasped as he held up one of his old shirts, and showed how he could now fit his whole body into one leg of a pair of shorts he wore before he shed the pounds.

Mr Respess, of Duluth, Georgia, said: 'The one thing I think [my mom] would say is she's proud of the man I've become.

'Because I'm not that kid that was overweight that she remembers - now I'm grown up.'
He added: 'Now in her memory I am happy and healthy and helping my brothers get that way too.'


Inspiration: Alex Respess pictured with his mother, Kim, who died four years ago. She told him she wanted him to be happy and healthy


Last year he was literally double the size. After a lifetime of unhealthy eating, Mr Respess, an ardent baseball fan, was too big to play, and was too mortified to go out to eat after once breaking a chair at a restaurant.

He said:' I was very introverted, I just didn't get out there, now I have the confidence to talk to anyone, to do anything.'

So, in desperation, Mr Respess wrote to personal trainer Chris Powell, who agreed to help him on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.

At the beginning Mr Respess was so big he had to be weighed on a freight-scale, and could only enter his bathroom door sideways.


Morbidly obese: At the beginning of the programme, Alex Respess was 459lbs, and had to be weighed using a pair of freight scales


First he travelled to Los Angeles, where he began his training - and learned how to make a healthier turkey version of his favourite bacon cheeseburger.

For the next 90 days Mr Powell lived with Mr Respess at his Duluth home, staying with him for 24 hours a day to help him meet his initial target, of losing 100lbs in just three months.

At his first weigh-in, he missed his goal - and the prize of a season ticket to his favourite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves - by just three pounds.


Astonishing transformation: Alex Respess demonstrates how he can fit inside one leg of his old shorts, left, and disappears behind an old shirt, right


Strict regime: Alex Respess meets Chris Powell, who spent the last year training him. Mr Powell even moved into his Georgia house for three months


But after Mr Powell moved out Mr Respess began to struggle, and worked out less and less. He said it gave him too much time to think about his mother's death, and he was angry about his father's impending marriage to his new fiancée.

The turning point came three days after the wedding, when Mr Powell took Mr Respess to an Army base in Georgia for a 24-hour boot camp.

He said the encouragement from the other soldiers as he trained alongside them spurred him on, and he went away with a coin to symbolise his goal: 'Get to it and fulfill your mission!'


Desperate measures: Alex Respess even let the Army shave his hair off so he could attend a 24-hour boot camp. He described it as a turning point


By January, he had lost a whopping 195lbs, and was able to undergo skin removal surgery to complete the transformation.

The end of the programme shows Mr Respess attending a ceremony with all his family and friends at a baseball field where he used to play little league - the last time he thought he made his mother proud.

He officially renamed a corner of the field Kim's Corner in her honour, and as he celebrated his 216lbs weight loss said: 'That number means a new life.'







sourc: dailymail

Meet the mother who eats three boxes of corn starch a day: New show reveals America's weirdest food addictions

By TAMARA ABRAHAM

Craving: Nikki Myles who stars in Freaky Eaters, loves corn starch so much, she eats it straight from the box


Most people struggle to use a box of corn starch in a month, but one woman's bizarre addiction sees her eat up to 2lb of the thickening agent every day.

Nikki Myles who is profiled in the latest series of TLC's Freaky Eaters, loves corn starch so much, she eats it from the box with a spoon.

The 34-year-old, who consumes up to 3,300 calories a day, reveals in a clip from the show how the addiction first started when she was pregnant 16 years ago. Before long she was eating three boxes a day.


Emotional eating: Mrs Myles addiction worsened after the death of her youngest son


She said: 'Mostly people when they're pregnant will crave pickles and ice cream, things like that, but my craving was corn starch.'

'Corn starch is soft, it's very fine. It is so so good, I can't stop eating it.'

She told how she had managed to keep the problem under control, but when her youngest son died four years ago, the addiction spiralled out of control.


Compelling story: Kelly, 34, has eaten nothing but cheese-covered potatoes for the past 30 years


She told the Today show: 'She started eating dirt when she was young. She has pica, which is a zinc and iron deficiency. And then it got triggered by her pregnancy.'

Thanks to the help of Ms Virgin and psychotherapist Mike Dow, who also tackled the emotional reasons behind the problem, Mrs Myles life has been transformed since the show.


Traumatic: In one scene Kelly's husband tries to make her eat a vegetable - but she begins gagging before it even touches her lips, and the experiment ends in tears


One of the most compelling is probably the story of Kelly, also 34, who has eaten nothing but cheese-covered potatoes for 30 years.

Her monotonous diet sees her consume around eight potatoes and four cups of cheese each day, amounting to a staggering daily intake of 8,000 calories and 176g of fat.

She admits: 'It's definitely more than food, it's like crack to me. I've got to have it.'


So extreme is her habit that she can't stand the smell or even touch most other foods, and has to leave the kitchen when her husband of seven years is cooking for himself.

In one scene he tries to make her eat a vegetable - but she begins gagging before it even touches her lips, and the experiment ends in tears.
'It's traumatic for me,' she explains.

source: dailymail

22-stone bride-to-be orders size 12 wedding dress... and then SLIMS to squeeze into it

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Beautiful bride: Beth Wheeler lost 10 stone ahead of her wedding so that she could fit into her dream dress


Almost all brides try to slim down a little ahead of their big day. However Beth Wheeler was more dedicated to her diet plan than most.

The 36-year-old weighed 22 stone when she got engaged.

But she ordered a size 12 wedding dress and put herself on a strict diet so she could shed 10 stone and fit into her dream gown a little more than a year later.

She embarked on a healthy eating and living campaign and shed more than half her body weight to reach her target of 12 stone just four days before her wedding at Halswell House near Bridgwater, Somerset.


In his wedding speech, James joked: 'When you get married you often get more than you expected, well I'm getting less'


'Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight will know that you can do it on your own for a few weeks but then easily become fed up so having something to aim for kept me focused.'

Beth weighed 22st 1lb when she joined her Weight Watchers group in April 2009.

The weight began to fall off steadily and she ordered her stunning wedding gown in October 2010, telling the seamstress that she aimed to be a size 12 on her wedding day.

Beth even managed to resist the temptations of festive food over the Christmas period and went on to shed the pounds through to her wedding day.

She was delighted when she stepped on the scales on February 20 this year - and found she had finally reached her goal of 12st.


source: dailymail

Boy, 3, nearly dies after '500,000-to-one' allergic reaction

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

George Williams, pictured with his mother Debbie after making a recovery, was struck down with Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Syndrome three weeks ago


A boy of three's skin was left ‘burning’ after a near fatal reaction to just half a teaspoon of a children's painkiller.

George Williams was left fighting for his life after a reaction to Nurofen - a commonly used over-the counter medicine - triggered a condition that caused him to be covered in huge blisters which split open.

George was struck down with Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis syndrome - which affects just one in half a million people, three weeks ago.

The condition, usually triggered by an allergic reaction, causes the sufferer’s skin to blister and burn, starting from the inside out.

His skin was so raw that his mother Debbie, 26, was not even able to cuddle him.
But George has made an incredible recovery - and only a month after he was taken into intensive care, has been able to return to nursery.


George's eyes swelled and his skin blistered after suffering from a one in 500,000 reaction to a children's medicine


Debbie, from Scunthorpe, said: 'Within a few hours of George taking the painkiller, his eyes had swollen up and started to close.

'I phoned an ambulance straight away, and he was taken to intensive care. His skin started to go red and open up - it was terrifying.

'Within a day, he looked like he’d fallen in a bonfire. His body was covered in huge blisters, his skin had split open and doctors were worried that his open wounds would get infected.

'He was in so much pain and couldn’t see because his eyes were so swollen. All I wanted to do was cuddle him, but I wasn’t allowed to touch him. It broke my heart.

'We’ve been told that he may not be able to cry properly in the future because of damage to his eyes - but that’s a small price to pay for having him alive.'



Michael Cork, professor of dermatology and a consultant at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, said: 'TENS is a very serious dermatological condition caused by an allergic reaction, which is extremely rare and only affects around one in half-a-million.

'We are pleased that, with the expertise of the team, George has made an excellent recovery and we wish him well.'

Dr Aomesh Bhatt, UK medical director of Nurofen for Children medicine said: 'We are very sorry to hear about this case and will investigate fully.

'Children's ibuprofen has a very well established safety record and allergic reactions to ibuprofen are extremely rare.'


source: dailymail