Man who weighed 49st and wore 72-inch-waist trousers loses 32 stone after doctor's stark warning

Mark Bailey, a 46-year-old maintenance business owner from Stockton, Warwickshire, says he has now lost 32 stone after doctors warned his size put his life at risk during open-heart surgery. At 6ft 8in tall, Bailey reached a peak weight of 48st 9lbs (309kg) at age 39, when he needed 7XL tops and 72-inch-waist trousers. His weight increased after years of high-calorie eating, including about 7,500 calories a day, plus unmonitored beer consumption. Diagnosed with a heart murmur in October 2021, he declined GLP-1 medication and weight loss surgery, and instead lost 28st (177kg) over four years via lifestyle changes ahead of an October 2025 operation. After surgery he dropped another 4st (25kg) and completed a 5km challenge for the Rugby Cardiac Rehabilitation team.