Briton joins gym after his ’shocking’ image on Google

LONDON - A Briton was so horrified after seeing his massive belly on the Google Street View that he decided to join a weight loss regime, a media report said Monday.

Bob Mewse, 56, weighed 21 stone 3lb (about 133 kg) after years of feeding his sweet tooth with cakes and biscuits.

He was horrified a year ago when he saw himself on Google Street View - a mapping service that uses a 360-degree camera to record images, Daily Telegraph reported.

Mewse lost a third of his body weight after drastic changes to his diet and a strict regime of exercise. He now weighs 14 stone (89kg).

The Google Street View photograph showed Mewse, of Bristol, side-on opposite a filling station wearing a tent-like grey shirt.

He said: “I was horrified when I saw that photo. I was massive. My belly was sticking out and I looked huge.

“I’d been thinking about losing weight for some time but after seeing that picture, I knew that I actually had to do something about it. I was in such bad condition that I was unable to walk and talk at the same time.

“My blood pressure was sky-high and I was getting back problems due to the excess weight I was carrying around.” Mewse was classed as morbidly obese.

After seeing the picture, he joined a gym, Fitness First, in Longwell Green, Bristol.

A personal trainer gave him an exercise programme to run in conjunction with a healthy eating plan - which replaced cakes and takeaways with fruit, salads and protein-rich foods - and he lost weight rapidly.

Mewse said: “If I can do this, anybody can - I’m just an ordinary bloke. I feel much healthier now.”