'I used to play computer games rather than sport'

Tavis Hide, eight, weighed 9st 7lb at his heaviest. The average weight for an eight-year-old boy is between 3st and 5st 8lb. After a 10-week weight-loss programme, he is now a stone lighter and feels much happier about himself.

"My weight before made me upset and play more computer games rather than sporty things," says Tavis (pictured left, with his mother, Anne-Marie). "I used to find sport difficult and I didn't see the point. People used to call me fat and take the mickey but, half the time, they were fat themselves. But it still made me feel bad about myself."

He attended the Mend Programme, a free national course to help children lose weight. "I found the talks [about nutrition] boring but I loved the sport. We would play dodgeball, football and basketball. I started losing weight and I feel more confident now and still do some sports, such as swimming and running. Now I feel very nice about myself because I'm not in the book of the world's fattest men any more and I think I look good when I look in the mirror."