A man who once spent £140 a week on takeaways has lost 22st after collapsing in a supermarket and coming close to a heart attack. Kenny Higgins, 48, recorded a ‘goodbye message’ for his loved ones when he was rushed to hospital after tipping the scales at 34st 7lbs two years ago.
He’s since lost nearly two thirds of his body weight – and was crowned Slimming World’s Greatest Loser of 2025 – having lost more weight than any other member across the organisation’s 13,000 groups. Kenny, from Blackpool, Lancs, said: “I was always the ‘biggest’ kid at school and was bullied because of it – and it only continued to get worse as I got older.
“I was barely living before joining Slimming World. I was too scared to leave the house, and when I did, it was usually for one of my many visits to the hospital. “I reached a point where all my health problems became too overwhelming.
“The extra weight I was carrying caused so much pain in my joints, I could barely walk down the road without struggling. “I suffered from severe back pain, my asthma was out of control and I was constantly battling chest infections.”
But the “wake up call” came when Kenny collapsed while he was shopping with his then six-year-old daughter, Hope. He said: “I was rushed to hospital and the doctors told me I was the verge of having a heart attack. “I was initially put on a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ order because they didn’t believe I’d be able to survive.
“By some miracle, I managed to pull through. This was the wakeup call I needed to make a change – and this time, for good.” Once he was discharged from hospital, Kenny joined Slimming World in April 2023. Kenny had tried various weight-loss methods in the past, even losing 17st with Slimming World several years ago.
But when life got in the way and he lost touch with his group, he struggled to keep the weight from piling back on.
He said: “Looking back, I realise I used food as a source of comfort, and lived on takeaways and junk food. I used to spend a minimum of £140 a week on takeaways, when I stopped getting them the takeaway owner actually contacted me to check I was okay.”
Now Kenny walks five miles a day and is training for his first ever 5k run. “I’m able to move now without being in crippling pain, and I’m no longer dependent on other people to help me get by. I also don’t have to think twice about simple tasks that once felt impossible – like doing my food shopping or tying my shoelaces.
“Being able to fit in the chairs comfortably is the best feeling too.” Kenny continues: “I wanted to be the best dad I could be for my children, and now I can be the version they deserve. “I’ve finally found that silver lining that people talked about – this is just the beginning for me.”
Breakfast: Bacon and sausages on two white bread rollsLunch: A takeaway or snacks like chocolate and cakeDinner: Chinese takeaway or two large pizzas from the local takeawaySnacks: Chocolates, energy drinks, lemon meringue pie
Breakfast: Fresh fruit like, apple and mixed berries, with fat-free Greek yogurtLunch: Jacket potato with beans & cheese or chilliDinner: Homemade chicken curry or Slimming World Lasagne from the Slimming World food range with vegSnacks: Slimming World Triple Choc Hi-fi bars, fat-free crème fraiche with raspberries and mini meringues
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