A 38-YEAR-OLD mum-of-three from St Helens has lost more than two and a half stone in five weeks and is crediting the borough's new weight loss clinic with drastically improving her crippling arthritis.

Emma Blemings was 15 stone and deemed obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 32 while also suffering from degenerative condition Psoriatic Arthritis which is made worse by excess body weight putting pressure on her joints.

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The secondary school English teacher said: “I was totally depressed and hated the way I looked – things were so bad I tried to avoid looking at myself in the mirror.

"I worry about my health constantly as I have an ongoing arthritic condition which attacks my ligaments and tendons but the heavier I got, the worse the pain got. It was a vicious cycle.

"Though exercise is recommended to improve my condition, I found the gym agonising.

“I was desperate, having tried every diet under the sun, but a friend told me about Bodyline and I made an appointment at their Warrington clinic straight away.

"The team were lovely and really made me feel at ease – it quickly became obvious to me that their plan of healthy eating and medication, combined with their amazing pastoral support was exactly what I needed to shift the pounds.

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“When the clinic opened in St Helens I moved there as it is local to me and the results kept coming – I feel like my body is undergoing a huge transformation and I’m just so unbelievably happy.

“I can’t stress how easy this has been, I am not craving cake, crisps and chocolate which were my downfall.

"Eating healthily has become so easy and simple, I’ve even found myself buying new ingredients and cooking some really tasty low-calorie meals.

"Bodyline is changing my life and I could shout it from the rooftops. A huge thank you to their team. If you are like me and feel utterly lost, call Bodyline you really won’t regret it.”

Emma, who also holds a Masters in creative writing, is now 12 stone 5 pounds and well on her way to her target weight of ten and a half stone.

Bodyline, launched in Fingerpost in March, specialising in clinically-supervised weight loss, offering doctor and nurse led programmes which include diet, exercise and nutrition plans alongside the use of fully-licensed prescription weight loss medication.

Regular one-to-one meetings with the clinical team also ensure on-going motivational support.

Since opening its doors, it has supported more 400 clients who have lost a collective 100 stone thus far.

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Sally-Ann Turner, Bodyline managing director, added: “Emma’s story is so typical of many people we see here at our clinic – they are trapped in a cycle of misery with an ongoing health problem that is being exacerbated by their obesity.

"We’re absolutely thrilled with Emma’s progress which has been helped by her positive attitude and determination to succeed. She looks fantastic but more importantly she is no longer crippled with pain and can enjoy a fulfilling life once more.”