A fishmonger from Norwich who was ‘too big’ for Florida theme park ride loses 6st and wins a national award

A fishmonger’s success on the scales after losing an incredible 6st 3lbs and maintaining his weight for more than eight years has earned him a national prize this World Obesity Day (March 4^th 2025).

Steven Little, 40, from Norwich, made the life-changing decision to join his local Slimming World group following a heartbreaking experience during a dream trip to Florida in 2016, when he was unable to fit on a theme park ride. Steven says: “I’d always wanted to go to Florida and all the big theme parks. But when I got on the Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios, I pulled at the harness and immediately thought ‘this won’t fasten.’ Despite yanking and pulling at it, it would not budge, and I just couldn't get it to click into place. I was so embarrassed when I was asked to leave the ride.”

Steven had struggled with his weight since childhood and says the incident brought back feelings of insecurity from his younger years: “I always felt like the odd one out, like I didn’t fit in or wasn’t good enough, and that all came flooding back. I was determined to make a change for good after that.”

On his return from America, Steven looked up his local Slimming World group and went along. He says the group was nothing like he expected it to be, including when he heard about Slimming World’s healthy eating plan. Steven says: “My experiences of trying to lose weight had always involved restricting myself, which I could never sustain for long. I’d always go back to how I’d been eating before and end up putting on even more weight.

“I expected Slimming World would be the same, but as soon as my Consultant Karen told me I’d be able to eat my favourite foods like steak and chips and still lose weight, I was hooked. I went away that week and made simple changes like choosing lean meat and not cooking in oil. I ate real, hearty meals and wondered if it was too good to be true. In my first week I lost 8lbs and I couldn’t believe it. I thought to myself, I can actually do this.

As well as making changes to his diet, Steven also embraced Slimming World’s physical activity support programme, which encourages members to increase the amount of movement they do at a pace that’s right for them.

Steven says: “A few of the members at my Slimming World group started a walking group in Cromer and I asked if I could join them. We get our steps in and talk about life, and we’ve all become such good friends. Exercise always use to feel like a chore to me, but this is social time, so it doesn’t feel like that at all, and I look forward to it every week.”

Since losing weight, Steven returned to Florida and made unforgettable memories for all the right reasons second time around – he fit comfortably on all the rides. He says: “That moment in Florida was a real wake-up call for me, but I didn’t know then how that awful experience was going to change my life forever. Being able to return and reflect on that – as well as go on every single ride – was the most amazing feeling.”

Steven’s weight loss has not only transformed his health and confidence, it’s also inspired a new career. Alongside continuing to sell seafood, he has trained to become a Slimming World Consultant and now runs four groups across Norwich. He says: “I felt so passionate about Slimming World and what it did for me, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops – and still do. So when I got the opportunity to take over my local Slimming World group I jumped at the chance and now I support more than 400 members at my groups each week. Being able to help others find the same happiness and self-belief that I have is the most rewarding job.”

Steven has now maintained his weight loss for more than eight years and his achievement has earned him the title of Slimming World’s Top Target Consultant 2025. Steven says: “We’re bombarded with different weight loss methods nowadays, especially on social media. So many of these companies promise the earth, and a quick fix sounds really appealing when we're desperate to lose weight, but it’s so important to find a way that will help you to make lasting changes that fit into your real life. Getting support is absolutely crucial too, because losing weight isn’t easy – if it was so many of us wouldn’t be overweight. Slimming World gave me the tools and support to lose weight in a way that worked for me and I’m proof that you can lose weight and keep it off.”

Slimming World has 3,500 Consultants across the UK and Ireland who have all been members themselves, so they, like Steven, understand how it feels to be on a weight loss journey. To find out more about becoming a Consultant, visit: Become a Slimming World Consultant | Slimming World

You can view a video of Steven’s story, here.

Name: Steven Little

Age: 40

Height: 6"

Starting weight: 20st 10lbs/131.54kg

Current weight: 14st 5lbs/91.1kg

Weight loss: 6st 3lbs/39.4kg

Waist size before: 40"

Waist size now: 32"

Date joined Slimming World: April 2016

Before menu

Breakfast: Fast food sausage and egg muffin with a hash brown or a sausage bap from burger van

Lunch: Meal deal - triple sandwich, crisps and cola or sandwich on white bread with crisps.

Dinner: Take away kebab and chips, breaded chicken and oven chips or steak and chips

Snacks: Crisps, ice-cream, pork pies, sausage rolls, biscuits.

After menu

Breakfast: Wholemeal breakfast muffin, Slimming World sausage patties (available from Iceland, The Food Warehouse or Dunnes Stores), homemade  hash brown made in the air fryer, mushrooms and onions

Lunch:  Poke bowl - sushi rice, smoked salmon, pickled white slaw, roasted red peppers, pickled pink onions

Dinner: Steak with visible fat removed, Slimming World-style chips with mixed leaves, vine tomatoes, peppers and onions

Snacks:  Fat-free yogurts, apples, strawberries, grapes, Hula Hoop puffs, triple chocolate high fibre cereal bar.