I THOUGHT I'D ALWAYS BE BIG'

Overweight from childhood, Donna Ludlow, 35, had resigned herself to never being able to change

- MISHAAL KHAN

Walking into school, I tried to be proud of my bare legs. Usually too self-conscious to put my chunky calves on display, it was the first time I’d worn a skirt in months.

I could already feel my classmates’ gazes so I hurried along the corridor, breathing a sigh of relief when I made it to the classroom. But then, I heard it: ‘Look at Donna’s fat legs!’ a boy in my class shouted across the room, making sure everyone could hear. They all turned to look at me, bursting into laughter at my expense.

Any self-confidence I’d had minutes earlier evaporated and never returned. I never, ever forgot that day in 1999. You see, the boys in my class were right.

I’d always been chubbier than everyone else at school and, by the age of 12, I was wearing a size 12 – often second-hand clothes from one of my mum’s colleagues.

Apart from that humiliating day, I’d stopped wearing skirts at school, opting for trousers to hide my embarrassment. Conscious of my body, I’d also noticed stretch marks creeping across my tummy.

As an only child, my parents wanted to treat me, and there was always a cupboard full of snacks at home. After school, I’d settle down in front of the TV with a packet of crisps and a slice of cake – all before dinner. My mum, Vivienne, 60, was overweight, too, so it was just normal for us. Being big became part of me, and as I grew up and left school, I resigned myself to the fact I’d always be that way. It was just who I was.