A FATHER has been so inspired by his daughter’s double battle with cancer and weight gain that he has decided to set up his own slimming group in Woodford Bridge.

Parents Gary and Angie Muffett had their lives “devastated” when their daughter Jessie was diagnosed with leukaemia three and a half years ago.

To help fight the illness, Jessie was prescribed with large doses of steroids, but a side-effect of the treatment meant she became constantly hungry, causing her - and her parents - to binge eat.

But to her parents’ delight, Jessie, who is now 18, has made a full recovery. She has beaten leukaemia, the hair she lost from chemotherapy has grown back, and she has also managed to lose the weight she gained.

“Going through her leukemia was like going to hell and back,” said Mr Muffett.

“But now she’s come through it all and lost two and a half stone it’s great to see her confidence is back and that she’s happy,” he added.

The proud parents, who live in Breach Barns, Waltham Abbey, were so inspired by their daughter they too embarked on slimming regimes of a balanced diet and exercise. Mrs Muffett lost over five stone, while Mr Muffet also lost a stone and a half.

Now Mr Muffett wants to help “transform” other people’s lives by setting up his own group.

He said: “For me the best thing about slimming is not just the weight loss but huge confidence boost it gives. It’s very rewarding to see it happen.”

And the 43-year-old, who works as a landscape gardener, believes having a man running the group may also help reduce the stigma attached to male slimming.

“The media makes out that weight gain and slimming is only a woman’s issue, which makes many men nervous to even think or talk about it,” he said.

“I thought it would be nice to give blokes in the area a chance to do this. As far as I know there’s no other male-run clubs this side of London.”

The first meeting of the Woodford Bridge Slimming World Club is on Wednesday April 22 at the Uplands Social Club, starting at 7pm. It costs £9.50 to join and then £4.50 for each weekly session.