Student nurse named Slimming World Young Slimmer of the Year

A nursing student who shed 8st in nine months, giving him the confidence to get his dream job in an emergency department, has been named Slimming World’s Young Slimmer of the Year 2015. 

Uways Pervez, a 21-year-old from Banbury, weighed 20st 1 ½ lbs at his heaviest but by following a healthy eating plan, his weight dropped to 12st and his waist size went from 44 to 32ins. 

After starting his nursing degree at Oxford Brookes University in 2012, he said he lived on takeaways and felt he did not have time to exercise. 

He previously found nursing shifts and being on his feet for 14 ½ hours ‘absolutely exhausting’. He also feared he wouldn’t be able to keep up in a fast-paced emergency department. 

Since losing weight, he has successfully applied to work at the emergency department in Horton General Hospital, Banbury, where he starts in September.

Mr Pervez said: ‘I have so much more energy at work, moving patients is easier and I don’t feel self-conscious about raising the issue of weight with patients now either.’

He was referred to a Slimming World group by his GP last August and has cut out junk food and takeaways.

Nursing Standard's Eat Well Nurse Well campaign aims to inspire nurses to eat healthy food and urges employers to improve food choices for staff.