Super slimmer Vicky backs health campaign after shedding 16 STONE
A super slimmer who lost more than 16 stone has given her backing to a regional campaign to highlight the link between obesity and cancer.
Vicky Billingham, aged 43, from Brierley Hill, shrunk to a healthy 10st 9lbs having once weighed more than 27 stone.
Now she is backing an awareness drive led by Cancer Research UK. The charity is urging people to watch their weight after finding only one in five people in the West Midlands knew being overweight can lead to cancer.
The mother-of-two had her 'wake-up' call in 2003.
She said: "I couldn't take my daughter Jessica to the playground without getting out of breath. I was worried about her being bullied at school because of my size 32 figure."
After embarking on her weight-loss mission Vicky received further motivation in 2008 when her mother Anita was diagnosed with cancer.
Vicky added: "I was aware that obesity is linked to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease but like most people in the West Midlands I had no idea about the link with cancer.
"Changing my habits wasn't easy, but I feel so proud to have taken charge of my health and my weight. So I hope this vital campaign empowers people with the facts they need to make their own choices. Prevention is better than a cure."
The awareness campaign is set to run for the rest of the month and residents in Walsall, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Dudley can expect to see posters on buses, bus stops and billboards along with radio adverts.
