A TEENAGER who is fighting leukaemia has joined a slimming club after being told by doctors to lose weight.

Matthew Holder-Wooloff, 15, from Bicester, was introduced to Slimming World classes by his mother just over a year ago, after his treatment for leukaemia caused him to pile on over two stone.

The steroids that doctors prescribed for Matthew, a student at The Cooper School in Bicester, after he was diagnosed with the blood and bone marrow cancer also reduced his bone density, so the young rugby fan found he was too weak to play his favourite sport.

Matthew’s mother, Jackie, said: “Matthew was diagnosed in 2007. We thought he had come down with a really bad cold and cough and couldn’t seem to shake it off, so we took him to the doctors.

“As part of the treatment he was given steroids and one of the side effects is a huge appetite.”

Matthew, who is 5ft 8ins tall, saw his weight jump from about 12 stone to 14 stone.

Mrs Holder-Wooloff said: “I decided to take Matthew to Slimming World because I’d seen how well it worked for other members of my family.

“We ran it past the hospital and they were very happy with the idea.

“My sister’s family lost about 17 stone between four of them there, so we knew it worked.

“When he was in hospital I found I gained a lot of weight too because I was spending all of my time with him and living on food from the cafe, so I went with him.”

In the year Mrs Holder-Wooloff and her son have been members, she has lost two stone and Matthew has shed a stone and half.

According to Slimming World, its members lose weight through a combination of a healthy diet, moderate exercise, and group support sessions where members are encouraged to shun bad eating habits. The sessions cost £4.50 a week, but children between 11 and 15 can join for free if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Although it will be another 14 months before Matthew can be given the all-clear from the disease, he and his mother intend to carry on with the weekly sessions at Southwold School, in Holm Way, Bicester.

Matthew said: “It has absolutely been such a big change for me, but I am much happier with what I’m eating.

“I’ve had more steroid treatment recently, which caused me to put a bit of the weight back on, but now I know what to do to lose it again.”

Mrs Holder-Wooloff added: “It’s still difficult for him because he can’t do his sports, and even swimming is off because of the tubes that go into his body. But he has definitely slimmed down and is happier.”

* Oxford GP Dr Tia MacGregor, who is based at St Bartholomew's Surgery in Manzil Way, East Oxford, backed the idea as a good way to combat the effect steroids have on a patient’s metabolism.

She added: “I would be wary of some of the ‘faddier’ diets that suggest dropping calorie intake to something ridiculous like 400 a day, but recognised classes such as these are perfectly fine.”

awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk