The Shut Ins

Two years ago, Andrew, Claire and Emily were all too ashamed to face the world. In this revisit episode, we see how they have changed their lives.

Emily is a single mum with two small children. She is 24 years old but already weighs 26 stone. She's struggled with her weight all her life but since the age of seventeen she has become almost unrecognisable.

Claire has been bed bound for the last 6 years. Trapped by her 40 stone body she can only see the world through the window of the room where she spends her life.

Andrew is married to Sharon. Four years ago she weighed 48 stone and was shut in herself, but after two radical stomach surgeries she got her weight down to 30 stone and started to have a life again.

AJ, 23, from Airdrie weighs over 41 stone and has been mostly shut in for six years, partly for physical reasons and partly to escape being mocked and shamed. AJ's weight issues began in childhood, and school bullying led to more eating. Packing in over 5,000 calories a day, AJ is barely able to move and relies on mother Sharon for all aspects of care.

Mum of three Samantha is addicted to eating and with her weight pushing over 31 stone, life has become intolerable. Samantha’s become too ashamed to go out putting the burden of family life on long suffering husband Keith. Her weight is also putting a strain on her health and she suffers from crippling headaches caused by intracranial hypertension – a condition often linked to obesity – and it could make her go blind. Now with a grandchild on the way, Samantha is determined to change her life. It won’t be easy to break old habits but the stakes are too high not to try.