Hi Seventeen Stone. I've just come into this discussion. It's great to see all the support for you. I was your weight (or more!) last September, and decided that for heaalth (and vanity!) reasons I needed to do something about it. What I found though is that I had to make that decision - it didn't make any difference what anyone else said ( in fact, at times it just made me ***** mad!!) I joined Weight Watchers, and so far I've lost just over 2 1/2/ stone. One tip I can give you if you decide you're going to lose weight is never to deny yourself anything, as if you do, you'll give up. If I'm eating the same meal as the rest of the family I just put mine on a smaller plate, and that way I'm not missing out.If we go out for a drink - I'm very partial to wine or Jamieson's! - I start off with diet cokes early on, and then move on to the alcohol later. You sound much more together than I was, and I have to admit that I'm now feeling much better about myself. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Ali