Published: 12:02 BST, 19 August 2026 | Updated: 17:01 BST, 19 August 2026
At first, Scott Brown didn't realise the extent of his midlife weight gain.
It was subtle to begin with – the gradual tightening of his waistband – but as time went by, the number on the scales continued to climb.
'Without really noticing, over the years, I had gained weight, and I wasn't happy about it,' says Scott, now 55.
By his mid‑50s and at his heaviest, Scott weighed 17st 8lb and was suffering from severe back pain and nerve pain, which he believes were made worse by the excess fat he was carrying.
At just under 6ft tall, this put his BMI at 33.7, which is in the obese category.
'With me being so overweight, it was like I was carrying two full suitcases with me everywhere I went. That is an awful lot of weight to be carrying around on your joints and muscles,' he says. 'I felt like I was tailing off physically.'
It made little sense: his diet consisted of home-cooked meals and fresh fruit and vegetables, and he was far from lazy, often waking up early for long runs and bike rides.
However, he soon realised that his hearty family meals, such as spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and roast dinners, contained lots of carbohydrates and fats – and he had got into the habit of drinking more than he realised.
'My wife and I are very sociable, and we love spending time with family and friends, often around a table, enjoying good food and wine,' he says.
'Often, I would enjoy a glass of wine while cooking and would sometimes have a few more with dinner. It became a bit of an unconscious habit.'
Then, two years ago, Scott came across a solution that helped him lose five stone – and, for the first time in his life, actually keep it off.
The Fast 800 Keto diet, pioneered by the late British broadcaster and Daily Mail columnist Dr Michael Mosley, is a rapid weight-loss programme that involves reducing carbohydrate intake to transition the body's metabolism from burning sugar primarily to burning fat.
By his mid‑50s, Scott weighed just over 17 and a half stone and was suffering from severe back and nerve pain, which he believes were made worse by the excess fat he was carrying
Scott is now a healthy 12 stone 12 pounds having maintained his weight loss for two years
