UK Man Lost 280 Pounds After His Trainer Told Fast Food Places Not To Serve Him

Last year, Mike Hind, a personal trainer in Middlesbrough, England, took a flyer around to all the local fast-food restaurants. It displayed a picture of his newest client, Darren "Dibsy" McClintock, and the headline, "Save Dibsy. Obesity is Killing Him. Do Not Serve This Man."

At the time, McClintock, who was 27, weighed 560 pounds, consumed 11,000 calories per day, and had been hospitalized with heart problems related to his weight. His doctor told him that if he didn't start eating better—he told Fox News at the time—he would be dead before too long. Hind had decided to take him on as a client pro bono after seeing his picture.

Now it's been a year, and Fox and The Mirror have run follow-ups. McClintock has lost 280 pounds, half his body weight or the equivalent, Fox notes, of one Arnold Schwarzenegger. The ban worked! Well, the ban and other measures: Hind supplied him with all his food and coached him through three one-on-one training sessions every day. (The story notes that if McClintock had had to pay for the trainer's services, it would have cost him the equivalent of $61,000.) McClintock can now use public transportation, fit into the bathtub, and climb stairs. He also has a girlfriend, whom he met over Facebook after she read about his weight-loss goal and began sending him supportive messages.

"The last year has been absolutely brutal and a massive challenge," he told Fox News. "There have been lots of really difficult moments and times when I've not wanted to get out of bed in the morning. Hind has been there pushing me the whole way though, he's been absolutely incredible."

In December, McClintock will have surgery to remove excess skin from his weight loss.

The articles didn't report whether Hind and McClintock will continue to work together now that McClintock's met his weight-loss goal. But there's something to be said for allowing someone else to be your diet and exercise enforcer: It's always good to have some help, even if it's not from a professional.