World's ex-fattest man loses 45 stone - PHOTOS

The former fattest man in the world has lost almost two thirds of his weight  - but now wants an operation to remove his excess skin.

Paul Mason, 51, once weighed an incredible 70 stone - almost half a ton - and firefighters had to demolish the front of his house so he could be removed using a fork lift truck and taken to hospital.

But after NHS surgery two years ago, the former postman from Ipswich, Suffolk, has slimmed to only 25 stone.

Mr Mason, who once ate about 20,000 calories a day, says he is now desperate to lose more weight but has been told by the NHS he cannot have the surgery until his weight is at a 'stable level' for at least two years.

 He said: 'It's OK them saying that, but that only applies to people who don't have much weight to lose.

'It needs doing now and probably in another four or five years. It doesn't matter how much toning up you do, it's only going to get worse.'

He said the excess skin was hampering his efforts to walk, which would help him lose even more weight. He added: 'My skin splits. The skin behind my knee tears because of the weight of the excess skin.'

Mr Mason is now writing a book about his experience and looking into the prospect of consultancy work, talking to people about eating disorders.

He has also started his own jewellery business and says he wants to work towards a life where he can learn to drive, go on holiday and settle down with a partner.

Mr Mason said: 'I've always been interested in the jewellery.

'Eventually, when I'm a lot more mobile and don't need the wheelchair, I will have a proper work shed and a kiln and will melt down scrap silver - and make my own custom-made silver.'
'He hopes to sell his work online and at a stall in Ipswich town centre.

He added: 'When you get your life back under control it's rewarding, you can do what you want and look at things in a new angle.'

Mr Mason ballooned to his incredible size by eating ten times the amount needed by a normal man due to a compulsive eating disorder.

He claimed his binge eating began in his 20s at the time of his father's death and a deterioration in his mother's health.

Mr Mason quit his job as a postman when his weight prevented him from completing his deliveries.

As his weight soared he was left unable to stand or walk before finally becoming bed-ridden and being looked after full time by council carers.

Firefighters had to demolish the front wall of his former home so they could drive a fork lift truck inside to lift him out and put him into an ambulance when he needed a hernia operation in 2002.

Mr Mason was later given a purpose-built housing association home with extra wide doorways so he could move around.
His care bill cost taxpayers an estimated £100,000 a year and is believed to have topped £1million.

At the height of his food addiction, he was gorging an entire packet of bacon, four sausages and four eggs complete with bread and hash browns for breakfast.

He would then eat quadruple portions of fish and chips along with two kebabs for lunch followed by a roast dinner, curries or pizza and more chips in the evening.

Mr Mason would also eat up to 40 packets of crisps, sausage rolls and pasties as snacks during the day.

His weight loss has meant he is able to go out and about again in his motorised wheelchair, and can walk short distances.

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