WEIGHTY ISSUE Model who lost 8st and was crowned Miss GB insists it’s NOT ‘fat-shaming’ to call people obese

Rebecca Flood 21 Sep 2020, 11:46 Updated: 21 Sep 2020, 12:27

A WOMAN who shed half her body weight to be crowned Miss Great Britain has claimed calling overweight people obese isn’t ‘fat shaming’.

Jen Atkin tipped the scales at 18 stone at her heaviest, but managed to slim down to a trim 9st 5lbs after hitting the gym and watching what she ate.

Jen Atkin was crowned the 75th winner of Miss Great Britain earlier this yearCredit: MEN Media

Jen, who was crowned Miss Great Britain earlier this year, hit out at Bristol University for banning its sports captains from using 'fatphobic' phrases such as 'burn those calories'.

The 26-year-old said people are ‘easily offended’, and those sorts of terms helped motivate her to reach her fitness goals, and banning them could lead to people eating more and exercising less.

Jen, from Grimsby, told the BBC: “I think it’s going to encourage people to eat more calories and not keep track of what they’re eating and therefore end up overweight or obese. It’s just avoiding the issue completely.

“Trust me, I have been fat shamed in the past and this is not fat shaming.

Jen shed nearly half her body weight going from a size 22 to a 10Credit: Jen Atkin

“Calories are in food and we need calories to survive. We need to educate people on healthy living.”

But Belina Barnett, from the Anorexia and Bulimia Care charity, said: “Language like ‘burn those calories’ suggests that we have to do some type of compensation for the calories we eat and I think that can feed into feelings of guilt and shame around eating.”

Jen also spoke out on the subject on Good Morning Britain, adding people are: “Way too easily offended these days, and hiding terms like this I think could have an adverse effect on this and actually encourage people to eat more and exercise less.”

Jen got through to the semi-finals in 2017, then the finals in 2018 Credit: Jin Rathod

Jen claimed it's not fat shaming to call an overweight person obeseCredit: Rex Features

Her comments come as the British Psychological Society also recommended people should say someone is ‘living with obesity’, rather than they are obese.

Jen, an aviation administrator, was spurred on to lose weight after her fiancé dumped her for being too fat, and she dropped the pounds over two years by eating healthier and heading to the gym.

Jen met her ex in 2011, weighing 14st 7lbs, but she became a self-confessed ‘weekend recluse’ dining on takeaways, pasta, pizza and chocolate.

Jen shed the pounds after her fiancé dumped her for being too fat Credit: MEN Media

She previously said: “At weekends, we'd turn into virtual recluses sitting on the sofa in our pyjamas eating takeaways - spending £20 each time."

As she planned her wedding, her weight ballooned to nearly 18st, and her fiancé left her.

Jen said: "The day he left I thought my world had ended - I cried for weeks and used food as my comfort."

Jen got married to a new partner before winning the crown Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

Jen joined a gym and started eating healthier at the start of her weight loss journey Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

She went from a size 22 to a size 10, adding: "I was devastated but it ended up being the best thing that's happened to me."

Following her incredible weight loss she was crowned Miss Genting Sheffield in 2017, and that year she made it through to the semi-finals of Miss Great Britain.

In 2018 she made it to the finals, before taking a year out of pageants to get married.

But she gave it one more go after her name was put forward, and she was crowned the 75th winner in a glittering ceremony earlier this year.

Jen said she was a weekend recluse and would gorge on takeaways Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

She would eat pizza and pasta and family-sized chocolate bars Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

At the time she said: "I'm still in shock at winning, I'm so happy I can't even put it into words - I honestly can't believe it.

"When I started doing this it was just for a bit of fun, I never imagined how far I would come.

"It was such a shock - three years ago I would never ever expected to be winning Miss GB.”

Her twin brother, Sam Atkin, is an international athlete who competed for Great Britain at last year's European Indoor Championships over the 3,000m distance.

Jen entered pageants after slimming down to a trim 9st 5lbs Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

Jen, a keen fisherwoman and country singer, added: "I'm so incredibly honoured to be the 75th Miss Great Britain, representing our country alongside my twin brother who runs for Team GB.

"There were 45 Miss Great Britain finalists and I was lucky to not only win the personality award but take home the crown and title of Miss Great Britain 2020.

"It felt absolutely incredible, I'm over the moon."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/12724998/model-lost-8st-crowned-miss-gb-not-fat-shaming-obese/