Bad mental health meant I comfort ate my way to 25 stone… but an NHS gastric bypass saved my life

Katie Newell was eating herself to death on a caloric diet consisting mainly of ultra-processed, beige foods, chocolate biscuits and crisps.

The 38-year-old Liverpool player started each day the same way he planned to continue: gorging on food. He started with a big bowl of sugary cereal and buttered toast, then headed to McDonald’s or Greggs for lunch and a big dinner.

Ms Newell said: ‘I hated myself.

‘I wouldn’t be in the photos or videos. I avoided mirrors. ‘I felt completely worthless.’

He tipped the scales surprisingly at his heaviest moment 25 stone (158kg/350lbs) and He had no choice but to squeeze himself into tent-like clothing, a UK size 28/30. that he was dangerously ill and could not walk properly, and prediabetes.

He says his weight gain was caused by multiple mental and physical health conditions and the cocktail of medications he was prescribed.

Ms Newell has Low Back Pain-Hematuria Syndrome (LPHS), a rare condition that affects only one in a million people and is characterized by severe flank pain and blood in the urine.

‘I was using drugs that are notorious for weight gain,’ he said.

‘But I was also a comfort eater. If I was sad, I would eat. If I were happy, I would eat more. ‘I was an emotional eater and a secret eater.’

Ms Newell was under the care of the weight loss team at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool and was the doctor who initially prescribed Mounjaro, but when funding ceased doctors offered her surgery.

Before being approved, Ms Newell was required to attend eight weeks of specialist weight loss training courses.

He said: ‘I jumped at the opportunity.

‘They taught us everything, the different surgery options, what our diet would be like afterwards, what we could and couldn’t do,’ he explains.

‘This included rules such as not drinking with food and the ‘3 20 rule’: take a 20p sized bite, chew for 20 seconds and wait 20 seconds before the next bite.’

After evaluations, a surgeon recommended Single Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (OAGB), also known as mini gastric bypass, based on her eating habits and medical history.

The procedure involves creating a small pouch from the stomach and connecting it to a portion of the small intestine through a single surgical connection known as an anastomosis.

Ms. Newell in a photo taken after weight loss surgery in January 2025

Picture looking visibly slimmer in October 2025

This method bypasses a significant portion of the small intestine, reducing the amount of food the stomach can hold and reducing calorie absorption.

The surgery was carried out on the NHS at a private hospital in Manchester.

In preparation, Ms Newell had to complete pre-operative blood tests as well as a strict liver shrinkage diet for two weeks over Christmas. The diet is a low-carb, low-calorie diet designed to shrink the liver.

The surgery took place on January 18, 2025 and lasted approximately one and a half hours. The recovery was difficult and it took nearly three months for him to feel fully healed.

‘The first two to three weeks were painful,’ he said.

‘The air they use to inflate your belly is uncomfortable, but other than that it was manageable.’

Ms Newell has lost a remarkable 15 stone in just 12 months since her surgery and now weighs 11.6lb.

He believes this transformation saved his life, both physically and mentally, and is incredibly grateful that the NHS funded the procedure.

‘It’s expensive,’ he said.

‘I believe gastric bypass could cost up to £21,000; this includes the surgery itself and follow-up appointments with dietitians, psychologists, surgeons and nurses for up to three years.

‘I was incredibly lucky to receive funding from the NHS’

A photo of Ms. Newell and her best friend taken in December 2024

Ms Newell’s self-confidence collapsed while on a family holiday to the Lancashire seaside town of Silverdale.

Although she was tough on rude comments, she still struggled with the dirty looks and confused looks she received from the public when she went out to eat or went to a dessert shop.

He said: ‘I could feel people looking.

‘I remember being on holiday with my nephews and cousins; We just bought ice cream and sat down.

‘An old man looked at me with disgust, said something to his wife about my height and weight, and then the two of them stood up and walked away.’

It wasn’t just Ms. Newell’s confidence that was affected; he also began to notice his health deteriorating.

He said: ‘I could barely walk. I became pre-diabetic. I was super depressed. I wouldn’t go out. ‘I felt completely worthless.’

Ms Newell has faced difficult side effects since the surgery, including severe vomiting.

Ms Newell with a friend in January 2026

Miss Newell, photographed in May 2022, weighed 25 stone at her heaviest

Due to his health condition, he often has to use a walker.

‘At one point I was getting sick up to 12 times a day,’ he said.

‘I had camera tests done to check everything but it was just a side effect of the bypass.’

Although she still vomits occasionally, she says it’s much more manageable now.

Now, after losing nearly 15 stone in just 12 months, Ms Newell says she is finally getting to know herself again and is happy to know she is no longer pre-diabetic.

After just two weeks, she began to notice a change in the scale and noticed some of the aches and pains in her back and hips disappearing.

His diet is completely different now; This is because her shrinking stomach means she ‘physically can’t eat much’.

He said: ‘I eat one small meal a day. ‘If I eat more I’ll get sick.’

A typical day now includes soup and fruit in the afternoon and a small dinner of meat and vegetables. Exercise is limited due to chronic pain, but she walks her dogs whenever she can.

Picture taken on the day of surgery in January 2025

‘You have to change your entire relationship with food. Whatever method you choose, it’s a tool and you still need to work at it.’

This transformation shocked everyone around him; Proud friends and family said he looked happy.

‘A lot of people don’t even know me,’ he said.

‘I don’t mind being photographed anymore and I don’t avoid mirrors.’

Ms. Newell advises anyone looking to begin a weight loss journey on their own to talk to their doctor.

She said: ‘There are so many options, gym passes, the world of slimming, referrals to weight loss teams, medications and surgeries.

But weight loss surgery has a downside that people rarely talk about.

She said: ‘No one prepares you for how often you have to buy new underwear. Literally every week.

‘I spent at least £300 on new underwear.’