'It was my mom's dying wish': Man, 23, loses almost half 459lbs body weight in just a YEAR

By FIONA ROBERTS

Half the size: Alex Respess reveals his astonishing weight loss next to a cardboard cut-out showing him at his heaviest, when he weighed 459lbs


When Alex Respess's mother died after a battle with cancer, she made one last request - for her son to be happy and healthy.

And now, four years later, the 23-year-old can proudly say he fulfilled his mother's dying wish after he lost almost half his body weight in just 12 months.

He showed off his astonishing transformation on ABC's Good Morning America today, where he revealed his new 243lbs figure next to a cardboard cut-out showing him at his heaviest, 459lbs.



Before and after: Alex Respess, left, at his first weigh-in a year ago, and right, today on Good Morning America after he lost an astonishing 216lbs


The audience gasped as he held up one of his old shirts, and showed how he could now fit his whole body into one leg of a pair of shorts he wore before he shed the pounds.

Mr Respess, of Duluth, Georgia, said: 'The one thing I think [my mom] would say is she's proud of the man I've become.

'Because I'm not that kid that was overweight that she remembers - now I'm grown up.'
He added: 'Now in her memory I am happy and healthy and helping my brothers get that way too.'


Inspiration: Alex Respess pictured with his mother, Kim, who died four years ago. She told him she wanted him to be happy and healthy


Last year he was literally double the size. After a lifetime of unhealthy eating, Mr Respess, an ardent baseball fan, was too big to play, and was too mortified to go out to eat after once breaking a chair at a restaurant.

He said:' I was very introverted, I just didn't get out there, now I have the confidence to talk to anyone, to do anything.'

So, in desperation, Mr Respess wrote to personal trainer Chris Powell, who agreed to help him on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.

At the beginning Mr Respess was so big he had to be weighed on a freight-scale, and could only enter his bathroom door sideways.


Morbidly obese: At the beginning of the programme, Alex Respess was 459lbs, and had to be weighed using a pair of freight scales


First he travelled to Los Angeles, where he began his training - and learned how to make a healthier turkey version of his favourite bacon cheeseburger.

For the next 90 days Mr Powell lived with Mr Respess at his Duluth home, staying with him for 24 hours a day to help him meet his initial target, of losing 100lbs in just three months.

At his first weigh-in, he missed his goal - and the prize of a season ticket to his favourite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves - by just three pounds.


Astonishing transformation: Alex Respess demonstrates how he can fit inside one leg of his old shorts, left, and disappears behind an old shirt, right


Strict regime: Alex Respess meets Chris Powell, who spent the last year training him. Mr Powell even moved into his Georgia house for three months


But after Mr Powell moved out Mr Respess began to struggle, and worked out less and less. He said it gave him too much time to think about his mother's death, and he was angry about his father's impending marriage to his new fiancée.

The turning point came three days after the wedding, when Mr Powell took Mr Respess to an Army base in Georgia for a 24-hour boot camp.

He said the encouragement from the other soldiers as he trained alongside them spurred him on, and he went away with a coin to symbolise his goal: 'Get to it and fulfill your mission!'


Desperate measures: Alex Respess even let the Army shave his hair off so he could attend a 24-hour boot camp. He described it as a turning point


By January, he had lost a whopping 195lbs, and was able to undergo skin removal surgery to complete the transformation.

The end of the programme shows Mr Respess attending a ceremony with all his family and friends at a baseball field where he used to play little league - the last time he thought he made his mother proud.

He officially renamed a corner of the field Kim's Corner in her honour, and as he celebrated his 216lbs weight loss said: 'That number means a new life.'







sourc: dailymail

British supermarkets 'must take German food off the shelves': Expert's warning as 11 UK victims diagnosed with mutant E.coli

By VANESSA ALLEN

Mutant strain: The new form of E.coli is responsible for 19 deaths and carries genes that make it resistant to many common antibiotics. It also produced toxins that can cause kidney failure


More than 1,800 ill as outbreak spreads across EU

WHO says E.coli bug is 'super-toxic' mutant strain

E.coli cases in 10 European countries and the U.S.


British supermarkets have been urged to take German produce off their shelves halt the spread of the deadly mutant E.coli outbreak.

One of Britain's leading microbiologists made the warning as UK retailers continued to import vegetables from Germany - despite concerns that contaminated produce is spreading the toxic bacteria.

In a revelation that will shock consumers, Tesco and Lidl confirmed that they were still stocking 'small quantities' of German-sourced produce in their branches.



Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, said supermarkets should take a 'safety first' approach and remove German produce from their shelves.

He told the Daily Telegraph: 'This is a very dangerous bug because a surprisingly large proportion of the people who have been infected have gone on to develop nasty complications.'

The warning came as health officials warned the E.Coli outbreak could continue for months.

Hundreds have been infected by the epidemic in the last few days, including four new cases in Britain.


The source: Scientists are working to pinpoint the cause but believe salad vegetables may have been contaminated with manure


The latest victims mean 11 in the UK have been diagnosed with the infection, including four Germans. Three remain in intensive care after developing a potentially lethal form of the infection.

The Health Protection Agency said all the UK cases were in England and were related to recent travel to Germany, where the infection has struck at least 1,733.

So far there have been no cases of the bug spreading through person-to-person contact.

Scientists have yet to find the source of the epidemic, which has killed at least 19 and struck down more than 1,800 in the last three weeks.


Some supermarkets in Britain have reported a small drop in sales of salad, despite the recent hot weather.

Tesco said it stocked ‘small quantities’ of cauliflower from Germany in its stores, but insisted its suppliers observed strict hygiene standards.

The National Farmers Union has voiced fears that British supermarkets could be flooded with ‘cheap, unwanted cucumbers from within the EU’.

Some airlines have dropped salads from their inflight meals to avoid the risk of infecting passengers.




source: dailymail

Meet the mother who eats three boxes of corn starch a day: New show reveals America's weirdest food addictions

By TAMARA ABRAHAM

Craving: Nikki Myles who stars in Freaky Eaters, loves corn starch so much, she eats it straight from the box


Most people struggle to use a box of corn starch in a month, but one woman's bizarre addiction sees her eat up to 2lb of the thickening agent every day.

Nikki Myles who is profiled in the latest series of TLC's Freaky Eaters, loves corn starch so much, she eats it from the box with a spoon.

The 34-year-old, who consumes up to 3,300 calories a day, reveals in a clip from the show how the addiction first started when she was pregnant 16 years ago. Before long she was eating three boxes a day.


Emotional eating: Mrs Myles addiction worsened after the death of her youngest son


She said: 'Mostly people when they're pregnant will crave pickles and ice cream, things like that, but my craving was corn starch.'

'Corn starch is soft, it's very fine. It is so so good, I can't stop eating it.'

She told how she had managed to keep the problem under control, but when her youngest son died four years ago, the addiction spiralled out of control.


Compelling story: Kelly, 34, has eaten nothing but cheese-covered potatoes for the past 30 years


She told the Today show: 'She started eating dirt when she was young. She has pica, which is a zinc and iron deficiency. And then it got triggered by her pregnancy.'

Thanks to the help of Ms Virgin and psychotherapist Mike Dow, who also tackled the emotional reasons behind the problem, Mrs Myles life has been transformed since the show.


Traumatic: In one scene Kelly's husband tries to make her eat a vegetable - but she begins gagging before it even touches her lips, and the experiment ends in tears


One of the most compelling is probably the story of Kelly, also 34, who has eaten nothing but cheese-covered potatoes for 30 years.

Her monotonous diet sees her consume around eight potatoes and four cups of cheese each day, amounting to a staggering daily intake of 8,000 calories and 176g of fat.

She admits: 'It's definitely more than food, it's like crack to me. I've got to have it.'


So extreme is her habit that she can't stand the smell or even touch most other foods, and has to leave the kitchen when her husband of seven years is cooking for himself.

In one scene he tries to make her eat a vegetable - but she begins gagging before it even touches her lips, and the experiment ends in tears.
'It's traumatic for me,' she explains.

source: dailymail

A face in the life of Kate Moss: The coarsening effect of drink, drugs and non-stop partying

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Serene, poised and with the hint of a shy smile — Kate Moss was barely recognisable when the Mail published pictures of her yesterday as a sweet 17-year-old posing for a bridal magazine.

Twenty years on, and the wear and tear of her notorious lifestyle has taken its toll.

Here, we look back at Kate’s 20-year career and chart the decline of a once-great beauty.











2011: Looking 37 going on 47, Kate is now busy preparing for her July wedding to Jamie Hince.


How she is dressed on the big day will be a surprise, but one thing is certain: she’ll be almost unrecognisable from the fresh-faced 17-year-old that she was 20 years ago when she posed in that early shoot for Brides magazine.


source: dailymail

Cindy Crawford treats her mirror image daughter Kaia to a night out in Hollywood

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Lookalikes: Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Jordan, left, was the mirror image of her supermodel mother, right, as they stepped out for dinner at Katsuya restaurant, last night


Cindy Crawford's daughter is looking more and more like her genetically blessed mother everyday.

Kaia Jordan, 10, was the mirror image of the 45-year-old supermodel, as they stepped out for dinner to the star-studded Katsuya restaurant in Hollywood, last night.

The mother and daughter duo were there for a family dinner and were joined by one of Kaia's friends.


Stunning: Cindy first became famous in the 80s alongside Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Helena Christensen


Dressed in jeans and a white singlet top, Kaia certainly bears a striking resemblance to Cindy, with the same signature brunette hair, facial features and tanned skin.

Her mother also slipped on a similar outfit of skinny jeans, a white top and a leather cropped jacket.

Both girls also wore near-identical flats.

Cindy is one of the most photographed women in the world, and first became famous in the 80s alongside Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Helena Christensen.


Model behaviour: Also bonding with her daughter was fellow super Christy Turlington, who took Grace for a frozen yoghurt in New York


In her mid-forties, the mother-of-two looks nowhere near her age and still models in various fashion and beauty campaigns, and was recently on the cover of Vogue Mexico in May.

But Cindy has admitted to using a little help from a plastic surgeon in the past to help maintain her looks.

In a magazine interview in 2006, she admitted that she first saw a plastic surgeon at the age of 29.

She said: 'I'm not going to lie to myself: Past a certain age, creams work on the texture of your skin but, in order to restore elasticity, all I can really count on is vitamin injections, Botox and collagen,' she told Gala magazine.



Genetically blessed: Cindy is seen here this month with her gorgeous family, husband Rande Gerber, left, son Presley, far left, and daughter Kaia, right


Cindy had once claimed that a 'miracle mixture' of ground coffee and olive oil kept her skin in its enviable condition.

Yet with refreshing honesty, she came clean and admitted to a little help.

'I have a very simple, healthy life, which works miracles,' she says. 'I drink a lot of water, watch what I eat and exercise. But I owe the quality of my skin to my cosmetic surgeon.'

Then last year she told Piers Morgan in the Mail on Sunday: 'There's a doctor here in London who I've gone to for Botox.'

In 2005, Crawford created a line of beauty products with Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh called Meaningful Beauty for Guthy-Renker

Married to club owner Rande since 1998, the couple also have a son, Presely, 11.
Cindy was also famously married to actor Richard Gere for four years.

source: dailymail

Kate Moss, the model bride before her lifestyle took its toll

By JENNA GOOD

That was then: Kate Moss posing for Brides magazine at the age of 17


Smiling demurely for the camera, this is Kate Moss posing as a virginal bride aged just 17.

Twenty years on, the supermodel may be seeking to recapture the look for her imminent wedding, but the chances of her being anywhere near as fresh-faced and dewy-eyed seem pretty remote.

For years of partying, hard drinking and drug abuse have clearly taken their toll on the 37-year-old.


Party girl: Hard-drinking and drug abuse have taken their toll on her looks


The pictures, from a 1991 feature in Brides magazine, show the model when she was still a teenager on the brink of stardom.

Those were the days before she left Croydon, south London, to embrace a lifestyle that encapsulated sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll – and plenty of booze and cigarettes to boot.


Innocent: The shoot, completed early in her career, demonstrates just how much Kate's lifestyle has taken its toll


For the photoshoot, Miss Moss modelled that year’s best bridal fashions, all of which were priced at under £500.

However, the pictures merely illustrate the impact her hedonistic lifestyle – including the infamous Cocaine Kate allegations in 2005 – has had on her looks in the intervening years.

Indeed, tumbling out of a friend’s house in west London on Tuesday evening, the model appeared typically well-refreshed.

Miss Moss and Jamie Hince, guitarist in band The Kills, are to marry on July 2 in a church close to her Oxfordshire home.

• See the full shoot in the July/August issue of Brides, magazine on sale now.


What's for lunch? Kate was recently pictured enjoying a cigarette and a glass of wine while dining out at a Paris restaurant


source: dailymail

Fighting fit: Michael Douglas healthier and stronger as he walks daughter Carys to school

Healthy: Michael Douglas looked happy and fit as he walked daughter Carys to school this week


He was given the all-clear from his throat cancer battle in January.

And slowly and surely, over the last few months, Michael Douglas has been gaining weight, getting some colour back in his cheeks and looking himself again.

All of which was apparent when he walked daughter Carys to school on Wednesday morning.

They looked happy and relaxed in each other's company as they strolled in the warm sun through Manhattan.

Michael, 66, was dressed casually in baggy grey trousers and a light blue shirt and kept his face out of the sun under a baseball cap.

He looked proudly at his eight-year-old daughter as she skipped along and chatted to him.




All-clear: Michael has put on weight and is recovering well after his bout with cancer


The Wall Street star often walks his daughter to school from their New York apartment.

And he looked as though the trials, tribulations and heartache of the last year are finally starting to ease for the Oscar-winning star.

In April last year, his son Cameron was sentenced to five years in prison for possessing heroin and dealing large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine out of a New York hotel room.


Like mother like daughter: Carys, already the spitting image of Catherine, sings and dances her way along the street


Then last August, Michael was diagnosed with throat cancer which was at an advanced stage but after undergoing gruelling radiation and chemotherapy treatment, he has been given the all-clear.

But last month, his actress wife Catherine Zeta-Jones checked herself into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut to seek treatment for bipolar II disorder.


Caring: Michael carries Carys's bag and takes her hand as he leads her across the road


Earlier this month, Michael was a guest on US chat show The View and spoke about his wife's treatment.

He said: 'It's like her 30,000 mile oil and lube check up. She had some issues, I joke about it but in the last year-and-a-half my oldest son got incarcerated, sent to federal prison, my ex-wife sued me, I got cancer.

'It's hard for your wife to say "I'm depressed", you know.'


In the clear: Michael and Catherine pose on the red carpet at the Golden Globes in Hollywood in January, shortly after Michael had been given the news that he had beaten throat cancer

source: dailymail

Superslim Princess Beatrice keeps shedding pounds thanks to 'water and fruit diet'

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Slim Bea: Princess Beatrice cuts a svelte figure compared with pictures of her in a larger frock of similar hue she wore two years ago, right


Does Princess Beatrice's yo-yo figure know no bounds?

The 22-year-old, who has struggled with her weight in the past, turned more than a few heads this weekend with her incredibly svelte figure, which appears to have shrunk further than ever.

Beatrice, who shed 2st before last year’s London Marathon, showed off her even slimmer frame as she attended a polo event at Cowdray Park in West Sussex wearing a short blue belted cocktail dress.

It was a dramatic contrast with a larger frock of similar hue she wore two years ago.


Young love: Beatrice was at the event with boyfriend Dave Clark

She now looks at least two sizes smaller, and credits a fitness regime based on exercise, lots of water and plenty of fruit and vegetables, with keeping the weight off.

Speaking about the pictures, she said at the time: 'I could probably do with losing the odd pound though, so perhaps it's the kick I need.

'It was such an unflattering bikini and I've got one that's so much nicer, so I could have kicked myself for wearing it.

'I thought people were a bit mean, although I know it comes with the territory.
'The trouble is, I don't have much confidence so it can be quite upsetting.'


Inspired: It was the unflattering pictures of the princess on a beach in St Barts that spurred her on to lose two stone and run the London Marathon as part of a charity team tied together


There has been no let up this year for the princess, who took part in the Windsor half marathon in September.

She managed to complete the run in a very respectable two hours and 16 minutes.

Then, in April she completed the London Marathon with her American boyfriend David Clark as part of a charity team tied together.

They formed a human caterpillar of 34 people who ran the 26.2mile course together along with Sir Richard Branson's two children Sam and Holly.


source: dailymail

Tuned in: Hospital takes classical approach to soothe newborns... by playing Mozart through headphones

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Lullaby: Newborn Nela listens to Mozart in Slovakia


A clinic in Slovakia has found a way to comfort newborn babies that are separated from their mothers for treatment - classical music.

Using regular size headphones that appear gigantic on the babies' tiny heads, the maternity ward in Kosice-Saca hospital has them listening to Mozart or Vivaldi.

During a recent visit to the clinic, chief Dr. Slavka Viragova said the music functions as a replacement for a mother's voice and is helping the babies breathe regularly and maintain a proper heart beat.

It seems to have struck a chord with two-day-old Nela, below.


Snooze: Baby Bruno drifts off to Vivaldi


Dr. Slavka Viragová, who launched the music project, claims that Mozart helps the infant to recall the mother when she is not with them.

She said: 'The birth trauma is enormously stressful for the baby. Music therapy helps a baby to gain weight, get rid of stress and handle pain better.'

The babies listen to soothing music 5-6 times a day, from Mozart to natural forest sounds. Nurses also use the method to care for premature babies as it helps to stabilise their breathing.


Radio gaga: Newborn baby listens to music which will help him relax without his mother




Nap time: Staff play classical music to little Nela


source: dailymail