Three generations from the same family lose weight together
An article by Sarah
Posted March 31, 2009 
As Paige Staniforth watched the other kids playing football in her local park she longed to join in. But at nearly nine stone, the 11-year-old was too big to enjoy her favourite sport.
Thanks to a diet of fatty junk food, she couldn’t keep up with the fast-paced games, quickly finding herself out of breath. And after picking up her mum’s bad eating habits, Paige, now 12, was well on her way to being another overweight member of her family.
But when her mum Mandy decided to slim down, it was just the inspiration Paige needed to do the same. Over the last six months Paige has lost a stone and is celebrating being made vice-captain of her under-13s girls’ football team.
The Manchester United fan now weighs a fighting fit 7st 12lbs – and not only that, her mum and gran have also shed an impressive seven stone between them. Mum Mandy says:
“I’m just so proud of Paige. When she was overweight she wasn’t a happy young girl. She was desperate to play football with the other kids but she couldn’t keep up.”
“I felt awful because I knew her weight problems were a result of my bad eating habits. But when I see her now it’s like she’s a different person. She’s gorgeous and healthy and, best of all, she’s playing football. We were over the moon when she was made vice-captain. It showed just how far she’s come.”
Housewife Mandy, 39, admits her side of the family have always struggled to keep their weight under control. She and mum Anne Smith, 67, both have a sweet tooth and share a love of all things stodgy.
Each had tried countless diets but never succeeded in losing more than a few pounds before piling them all – and more – back on again.
“I was so miserable,” says Mandy, mother of three. “I hardly ever went out. I was a size 24, suffering from a bad back and was tired all the time.
“I’d eat crisps, biscuits and chips during the day and have a takeaway at night. Over the last couple of years I’d noticed Paige was putting weight on and I didn’t want her to have the difficulties I had. She wouldn’t go out with her mates because she felt different and self conscious.”
Mandy was right to be worried. Recent figures show that two-thirds of kids will be dangerously fat by 2050, a third of 13 year olds are already obese or overweight, and that a million children in England will be obese within the next five years. Overweight kids often become obese adults and live shorter lives as they are at higher risk of everything from heart disease to cancer and type-2 diabetes.
Mandy says she knew things had to change for her and her family: “I decided I had to do something about my weight once and for all and so I asked my mum to help me.”
Mandy’s mum Anne had an even greater motivation for wanting to slim down; “My husband Barry died last year which was so sad. It made me realise I had a responsibility to do everything in my power to keep myself healthy so I was here for my family as long as I possibly could be. So when Mandy suggested we do something about it I was determined to make it work this time.”
Last autumn the pair joined Slimming World. And Paige went along to the class to keep her mum and nan company. Mandy was 17st 10lb and Anne, 15st 10lb. In her first week on the Slimming World eating plan, Mandy lost a whopping 9.5lb.
With her mum success, Paige suggested she give it a go as well. Mandy says: “We had never really discussed just how unhappy she was about her weight but I knew it was something that bothered her. After the first week at Slimming World she asked if she could join in. We spoke to our consultant who said it would be fine.
“We didn’t class it as putting Paige on a diet. It was about changing her habits and educating her about healthy choices. The Free2Go plan she was put on is balanced and nutritious and doesn’t deprive her of anything.”
Anne adds: “Paige is such a pretty girl but I was worried that she was heading the same way as me and Mandy. I’d see her come in from school and head straight to the biscuit tin or get a packet of crisps. But we were all doing the same thing so how could we tell her not to?
“I was terrible for chocolate biscuits. I wouldn’t rest until they were all finished. I’d say to myself: ‘I’ll just have one more.’ And before I knew it, they’d be all gone.”
Supporting and encouraging each other the whole time, Anne, Mandy and Paige all whittled away their waistlines. Mandy says: “My back problems have cleared up, I can buy clothes in normal shops like New Look at Next and I have so much more confidence.”
Anne has also noticed a real difference in her health. She says: “We went on holiday and I was able to use a sun lounger for the first time. Before I didn’t dare even try because it would take two people to get me back up. I was also able to put the table down on the flight for the first time in 15 years. I feel like I’ve got my old energy back. And I know if my husband Barry was here he’d be proud of me.”
Mandy, who is 5ft 6in, has lost 4st 8lb, now weighing in at 13st 2lb and fitting into a dress size 12-14. She plans to get down to 12st before deciding what her ideal target weight will be. Anne, who is 5ft is down to 13st 7lb – a weight loss of nearly 2.5st and has gone from a size 24 to a 16.
Paige is almost as delighted with her new wardrobe as she is about her footballing skills; “I can wear skinny jeans!” she says. “And little skirts as well. I’m really glad I’ve lost the weight and feel very good about myself.”
