"Visitors to the estate are directed to the Hemingways, known locally as the ?fattest family in town?. A trip to the Asda supermarket, only one mile away, involves them hiring two taxis to take four people. Their driver said he had imposed a limit of two family members per car. ?My cab can easily take four passengers but with them in, it scrapes the ground over speed bumps,? he said.
Philip Hemingway, 52, a one-time amateur wrestler, said he had started putting on weight when he retired from his job as a builder?s labourer.
Although he is 5ft 6in tall, he weighs almost 18 stone and is on the waiting list for a new heart valve. He declined to give the weight of his wife Daphne, 54, who is practically bedridden. Hemingway said she was awaiting a knee operation to correct damage inflicted on knee joints because of her weight.
The couple?s twin sons, aged 29, weigh in at nearly 20 stone each and are unemployed. Hemingway said he was concerned about his weight gain.
?I am always looking out for the amount of sugar in things and try to get healthy food. I like things like Scottish beef and I buy plenty of cheese, too. My doctor actually believes we have a good diet regime,? he said.
?I do try to keep us healthy. And I would like to start getting fit again. But it is a vicious circle because I need to lose weight and yet I am not well enough to start things like weight training.?
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MY bold