The vast resort; How three obese women found a holiday paradise tailored to their size. (2024)

Byline: PAM FRANCIS

ON THE sun-drenched coast of east Mexico is a unique holiday resortwhere big is beautiful. King-sized beds, sturdy hammocks, giant showers,an all-you-can eat buffet, and wide chairs which won't collapse.Freedom Paradise is a haven for heavyweights.

With half of UK's adults overweight, and one in fiveclinically obese, ITV flew Mel Andrews, Helen Carrington and MandyStuart, three self-conscious 20-stone plus women, on a trip they willnever forget. They were coached to be tubby and happy by US fatliberation guru Marilyn Wann who at 20 stone herself, believes she isabsolutely flabulous...

Helen Carrington

22 stone

Healthcare worker Helen Carrington, 31, is 22 stone, single andlives in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

THE night before the holiday I decided not to go. I suffer fromanxiety and didn't want to leave my safety zone of family andfriends.

I haven't been on holiday for years. I don't feelcomfortable in the heat and I certainly didn't want to be on TV.But I did want to go to Mexico.

I hate how I look, it's like having a disfigurement. I hate tothink what it's like for someone else to see me, so I've onlybeen to a public swimming pool once in 15 years.

But on the morning of the trip, I woke up on automatic pilot, gotinto the taxi to the airport and just went.

When we arrived it was pitch black and I hated it. I nearly had apanic attack as I felt trapped with all these strange people. But Mandywas great and talked me through it, and when I opened my curtains in themorning and saw the ocean I thought 'this is absolute heaven'.

Everyone was so friendly and we were waited on hand and foot.

There were big beds and big chairs and they catered for our biggerappetites. We got none of the smart comments and stares you get at home,apart from when we went swimming with dolphins.

There we were, five really big people and we got stares, and itdidn't make me feel better not being the only one.

I felt very nervous about taking off my T-shirt and revealing mybikini.

But the first thing Mel said was 'For God's sake, youlook like Twiggy next to me.'

When I eventually dived in wearing my bikini for the cameras, Ithought I was really brave baring my love handles. It felt great havingwater on my flesh too.

I still don't feel good being fat and I never will whether Iam in a resort like this or a normal one.

But the experience has made me want to travel and I have lost adress size since I left.

Plus I've gained a friend to travel

Mel Andrews

25 stone

Home carer Mel Andrews, 25, weighs 25 stone, is single, and livesin Rainham, Essex.

LOOKING at myself in the mirror, I have never felt that I was worthanything or fitted in.

Every year, another stone - it's the way it's alwaysbeen, and I'm 25 now. On a typical day, I'd eat mostly andsleep. If I could lay there and sleep all day then I would. I'd getup late and spend my day in the library.

Before this holiday, I was rock bottom, bored and unhappy. I had nomotivation left. I was a failure at everything. I didn't even havea job.

Apart from a day trip to the seaside with my mum, I'd neverbeen away on holiday before, let alone on a plane, so I was petrified.

So when this chance came up to go to this resort, I jumped at it.It was like a fairy godmother had waved her magic wand to get me out ofthis hell-hole I was in.

It felt a bit strange going somewhere especially for fat people.You should be accepted anywhere whatever you look like. The world is nota nice place.

Also, the focus of this holiday was that it's cool to be fatand not "in" to be thin. I don't personally think that.

But I was prepared to do anything to change the way I looked atmyself. I wanted to like myself, because if I liked myself then no oneelse's opinion would matter. The prospect of flying was scary. Iwas a total airport virgin. I was also totally petrified of meeting fourother complete strangers and spending seven days on holiday with them.But as soon as we met, we all got on pretty well.

It was arranged for us to have two seats each, which is just aswell - when I needed a seat belt extender it dawned on me just how big Iwas.

Until this holiday, if anyone mentioned the word 'fat', Iwould cringe. I'd always been a chubby little girl, but at 14, whenmy dad died of heart problems, I turned even more to food for comfort.Chips and chocolate mainly.

I was too scared to go to school because I got picked on, so stayedat home and ate even more.

It's not necessary to hear what people say about me, I canjust look at them. It's the way people gawp at you, and then taptheir friend who turns round and stares. At times it made me feel likedirt. And I'm not dirt, I am a human being.

When I arrived at the resort I wandered about on the beach in totalawe. Even the hammocks took my weight, I'd never been in onebefore, and I was in a dream.

If I had decided to go swimming off Southend beach I'd beridiculed, whereas in the resort, no one batted an eyelid. I actuallygot wolf whistles.

We did some flirting workshops with Marilyn, and I tried some of itout and chatted up this slim guy Sergio at the bar of a local nightclub. At home I've never had a problem attracting men as friends,but it never seemed to go any further. I had someone who said he was"in love with my personality", but wouldn't go one stepfurther because of my size.

But this was different. I had much more confidence, and Sergio waslovely.

He told me I was his baby girl and made me feel nice and desiredand not as bad after all. I still talk to him on the internet.

I am saving up to go back to the resort in June and hope tocontinue what we started.

I was frightened to go to Freedom Paradise, but even morefrightened to leave. That's how much my life changed when I wasthere. I sobbed all the way home.

Being there made me feel accepted. Just able to be me. The wholething was a dream. I feel humbled by it.

Now if someone shouts 'Who ate all the pies?' Idon't get upset. I've got a job now, and wear skirts which Inever used to. I feel much better about my body, and I am not ashamed ofme. If the weight comes off, it comes off. But if not, then I'mhappy the way I am.

Mandy Stuart 21 stone

Mandy Stuart, 36, is 21 stone, single, and comes from Bristol. Shehas a degree in psychology and has just landed a cancer research post.

I WAS worried about being in a TV show because I'm fat. Butonce they mentioned Mexico, I was sold.

I haven't had a holiday for years because I was at university,and because I haven't worked since last September. I was veryconcerned about going for interviews because people make up their mindsin the first 20 seconds, so I was not feeling very confident.

If I am angry with myself, I will eat very high-fat, high-sugarfoods and put on two or three stone in a short period. I'll getbackache and problems with my joints and so I stop for a while.It's a very self-hating thing to do.

At my biggest I was 22-and-a-half stone. My weight hasyo-yo'd. I put on weight in my teens. I wasn't very up onnutrition and when I was an au pair in Paris, I spent most of my moneyon food.

If I had gone on the holiday with slim people, I would have feltinhibited and self-conscious. I still kept my T-shirt on until the lastday but then I took it off and dived off the cliffs. They even had usswimming with dolphins, who often push people through the water withtheir noses, but not in our case.

We also spent a lot of time in workshops with this American fatactivist, Marilyn.

It seemed pointless to me. Her argument was that we should becomfortable with who we are, which is great. But she did not recognisethat being overweight is unhealthy.

She had us doing synchronised swimming, and body painting. At onepoint, she asked Mel: 'What have you painted on my belly?' AndHelen yelled out: 'Stop eating donuts!'

The holiday boosted my confidence. I came back energised. Sincethen I've been for two interviews, got both jobs and start one ofthem the day after the show goes out. Helen's also given me some ofher clothes, and I've thrown the baggy T-shirts out.

I guess the message from the programme is that the most importantthing is to be happy with yourself.

And I've been coming down in weight pretty much. I am now fivestone lighter than at my biggest.

-Welcome to Fatland, ITV1, Tuesday, April 19, 8pm.

CAPTION(S):

BIG HELP: Helen, Mandy (right) and friend; BRAVE: Helen swam inbikini; BIG CHANGES: Mel wants to go back; GAUCHO GRILL: The Mexicanhotspot; LIVING IT LARGE: Mandy