'I couldn't shop for clothes in shops as there weren't many places that sold big sizes'

GOING about her day-to-day life, one mum was regularly reminded of her weight and the struggles it caused her. Seat belts would “never” fit her, she couldn’t sit comfortably in a bathtub, and she struggled to shop for clothes for her figure.

- By NICOLE GOODWIN

Suzie Jo, from Gateshead, said: “I would hide myself away indoors and had to force myself to take my daughter places, I couldn’t even take her to nursery. My anxiety over it all made me always make excuses why I couldn’t do things or go places, I couldn’t shop for clothes in shops as there weren't many places that sold big sizes.

“I actually couldn’t fit in a standard-size bathtub without feeling uncomfortable having no room to actually move and I could never get a seat belt on”, she added.

Suzie Jo said she felt “sluggish, embarrassed and ashamed” and would avoid being in photographs.

As a result she missed out on capturing memories with her young daughter, which she has come to regret.