Gastric bypass teenager sheds 10 stone and finds love in time for Christmas

Gastric bypass teenager sheds 10 stone Rex Features

Britain's youngest gastric bypass patient is celebrating her trim new figure this Christmas after shedding a whopping TEN STONE.

Jeniffer Hogarth tipped the scales at 23 stone this time last year, and her family thought she was eating herself to death.

It was a stark warning from doctors that she wouldn't live to see 21 that spurred her into action - and gastric bypass surgery. Jeniffer, now 17, told the Mirror:

"If I hadn't had a bypass, I dread to think how big I'd be. "I couldn't even think of pretty Christmas party outfits as I was the size of a house. Now I can't wait to go to shops like TopShop and New Look like all my friends."

The svelte youngster also revealed she has found love since losing eight dress sizes:

"I've even found a gorgeous boyfriend. It's almost like I've been reborn. I feel amazing. I used to look like a middle-aged woman. I was putting on a stone every three months. The doctor said I was heading for a heart attack. Having surgery was the only option and it's saved my life."

Jeniffer says her weight problems began when she was bullied at school from the age of nine. She would eat oven chips for breakfast and up to 10 bags of crisps a day.

She now weighs 13st and has gone from a size 30 to 14.

Her mum Tracey, 38, said: "I couldn't be prouder of her for getting her life back on track."

Well done Jeniffer!

10 of the best gifts for teen girls

This five-year diary, £16.99, from <a href="http://www.collinsdebden.co.uk/" target="_blank">Collins </a>can be securely locked to keep secrets from prying eyes. Very important as a record of all that she felt in her teenage years before she became rich and famous… In black or pink, with a day to a page layout, edging in gold or silver, and a ribbon marker.
Still cool, still sleek, still highly desirable, the iPod Shuffle, £40, from <a href="http://www.apple.com/uk/" target="_blank">Apple</a> allows her to take hundreds of songs with her wherever she goes. There’s now a new VoiceOver button that speaks the song title, playlist or artist, and if you buy from the Apple store, you can have the iPod engraved for free. Available in silver, blue, green, orange and pink.
Barry M is a British fashion cosmetics company with a reputation for being both affordable and fashionable. <a href="http://www.barrym.com/" target="_blank">Barry M’s</a> Instant Nail Effects, £3.99 each come in seven different colours are applied over a base coat, and produce a unique crackled effect. Black hit the market a year ago: Purple Rain and Gold Glitter are just out.
Black and grey stripes down one leg, and mixed-up red, grey and black stripes down the other should be crazy enough for any fashion-conscious teen. 100 denier, matt finish, and warm enough to keep her wearing her short skirts even when the weather’s cold, these Miss Oroblu Crazy Tights are £18.95, from <a href="http://www.mytights.com/us/" target="_blank">Mytights.com. </a>
Really pretty and surprisingly long-lasting (up to six months), Feather Hair Extensions. £14.99, from <a href="http://www.additionallengths.co.uk/hair-extensions-c1/feather-hair-extensions-c13" target="_blank">Additionallengths.co.uk</a> are clipped into your hair using the hair threader supplied (TOWIE star Sam Faiers shows how to do this on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxBRLSBubIg" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. They’re real feathers, so can be trimmed, washed, brushed and blow-dried, and create a subtle and stylish look.
With James Corden, Ruth Jones, Mathew Horne, Joanna Page and Alison Steadman, Gavin & Stacey series 1-3 Box Set, £18.99, from the <a href="http://www.bbcshop.com/" target="_blank">BBC Shop</a> follows the twists and turns of true love when a Welsh girl from Barry meets the Essex boy of her dreams. Now your teenager can watch all the episodes back to back.
Retro and classy, this Leather Notebook, £7.50, from <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/" target="_blank">John Lewis </a>is pocket-sized in which to store dates and ideas she mustn’t forget  - with an elastic fastener so that she can tuck in tickets, receipts and letters that she doesn’t want to lose. Available in red, purple and black.
With amazing names like Superworld Unknown to 1000 Kisses Deep, <a href="https://phoenix.lush.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lush’s</a> Solid Perfumes, £4.59  are just the right size to tuck into a pocket or purse so that your teenager can make herself smell delicious at all times. Go for a classic like Vanillary or be controversial with the bright red Lust.
Available in blue, dark red and black, these Karma Eva Brothel Creepers, £55, from <a href="http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=12556&catalogId=33057" target="_blank">Topshop </a>are, as Gok would say, completely on-trend while being eminently practical on icy winter streets.
A brilliant film directed by Lynne Ramsay and starring Tilda Swinton, but she should read the Orange Prize-winning bestseller, We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, £7.99 (Serpent’s Tail) as both paperback and ebook from major retailers to realise what caused this media storm. Compelling, creepy and impossible to put down.