Ipswich: Former 'world's fattest man' Paul Mason admits putting on 19 stone in lockdown
Watch our report from Russell Hookey
A man once dubbed the world's fattest man has described how his dramatic weight loss has been undone by the pressures of lockdown - which has seen him put on 19 stones (121kg).
Paul Mason, originally from Ipswich, once weighed in at almost 80 stones (508kg), and in the past decade slimmed down to just a quarter of that.
But in a new ITV documentary he describes how he has grown once more to 38 stones (241kg), and has struggled with his mental health during repeated Covid lockdowns, culminating in an overdose.
Six years ago, gastric band surgery transformed Mr Mason's life, and the programme follows his journey through the operation and his life since as he tried to adapt.
"At my lightest - just after my surgeries - I was 19 stone, but my mind was not right," he said.
"I wasn't that 19 stone person. To me I was still that person carrying that excess skin."
Mr Mason lived most of his life in Ipswich, and ITV Anglia has followed his battle with weight over the years.
After surgery, he moved to the United States but after a relationship breakdown is now back in the UK and living in Devon.
He has struggled with depression in recent years, and is now hoping to help other people avoid his experience, having found it difficult to find the professional support he needed.
"It was pretty tough to get any help and I couldn't find anybody in the male side," he said. "[But] the internet was awash with ladies who had been on weight loss journeys."
During lockdown, Mr Mason was found after an overdose of drugs by paramedics who used a sling to rescue him .
In the documentary, he says he now accepts that his weight gain is linked to his state of mind and only by tackling his mental health issues can his physical challenges be overcome.
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The World's Fattest Man: 10 Years On will be broadcast on ITV at 9pm on Wednesday 3 November, and available afterwards on the ITV Hub.