Barry Austin
Encyclopedia
Barry Austin of Solihull
, West Midlands
, England
is a man widely reputed to be the heaviest man in the United Kingdom
.
Multiple press reports claim that at his peak weight, he weighed 50 stone (around 700 lbs or 320 kg).
Austin's appearances in the press and on television are usually related to current concerns about an alarming increase in obesity among the population. He has thus been asked to comment on news and current affairs strands such as the BBC
's Breakfast News
. Austin has also been the star of a Sky One
documentary, Inside Britain's Fattest Man, presented by fellow Silhillian
Richard Hammond
in the manner of the science fiction
film Fantastic Voyage
. According to the programme, Austin typically consumed in excess of 29,000 calories a day – over ten times the average daily intake for a UK male, and has major health problems as a result of his morbid obesity. He also claimed to drink up to 40 pints on a night out. A previous documentary on Britain's heaviest men – which saw Austin take the crown, though he was notably lighter and more mobile at the time, reported that he led an actively social life and was something of a celebrity on the Birmingham
club circuit, and a very visible supporter of Birmingham City F.C.
at their home games. However, he was unable to attend their victorious Wembley Stadium
appearance on 27 February 2011, when they lifted the Football League Cup
with a 2-1 win over Arsenal
in the final
as he was too big to get a seat. By this stage he weighed 40 stone.
According to both documentaries, Austin's greatest problem is his legs (which have notably reduced his mobility in the latter programme). Starved of blood because of their enormous size and distance from his heart, they cause him to suffer regular terrible bacterial infections that leave him swollen and in agony, immobile at home. In September 2005, Austin committed himself to losing weight, restricting his daily intake to a mere 1,500 calories in a bid to save his life.
In November 2009 it was reported that Austin currently weighed 40 stone and was starting a new diet plan to try to lose at least 10 stone. The report also gave his peak weight as 65 stone.
In December 2009 Austin played 'Big Brian' in ITV1
's comedy-drama The Fattest Man in Britain
starring Timothy Spall
and Bobby Ball
.
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is a man widely reputed to be the heaviest man in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Multiple press reports claim that at his peak weight, he weighed 50 stone (around 700 lbs or 320 kg).
Austin's appearances in the press and on television are usually related to current concerns about an alarming increase in obesity among the population. He has thus been asked to comment on news and current affairs strands such as the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Breakfast News
Breakfast News
Breakfast News was a breakfast news show which aired on BBC One from September 4, 1989 to September 15, 2000.The programme had been previously known as Breakfast Time....
. Austin has also been the star of a Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
documentary, Inside Britain's Fattest Man, presented by fellow Silhillian
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
in the manner of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
. According to the programme, Austin typically consumed in excess of 29,000 calories a day – over ten times the average daily intake for a UK male, and has major health problems as a result of his morbid obesity. He also claimed to drink up to 40 pints on a night out. A previous documentary on Britain's heaviest men – which saw Austin take the crown, though he was notably lighter and more mobile at the time, reported that he led an actively social life and was something of a celebrity on the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
club circuit, and a very visible supporter of Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
at their home games. However, he was unable to attend their victorious Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
appearance on 27 February 2011, when they lifted the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
with a 2-1 win over Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the final
2011 Football League Cup Final
The 2011 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Football League Cup, the 51st season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and the Football League. The match was contested by Arsenal and Birmingham City, at Wembley Stadium in...
as he was too big to get a seat. By this stage he weighed 40 stone.
According to both documentaries, Austin's greatest problem is his legs (which have notably reduced his mobility in the latter programme). Starved of blood because of their enormous size and distance from his heart, they cause him to suffer regular terrible bacterial infections that leave him swollen and in agony, immobile at home. In September 2005, Austin committed himself to losing weight, restricting his daily intake to a mere 1,500 calories in a bid to save his life.
In November 2009 it was reported that Austin currently weighed 40 stone and was starting a new diet plan to try to lose at least 10 stone. The report also gave his peak weight as 65 stone.
In December 2009 Austin played 'Big Brian' in ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
's comedy-drama The Fattest Man in Britain
The Fattest Man in Britain
The Fattest Man in Britain is a comedy-drama written by Caroline Aherne and Jeff Pope which aired on ITV on 20 December 2009. It starred Timothy Spall, Bobby Ball, Aisling Loftus and Barry Austin...
starring Timothy Spall
Timothy Spall
Timothy Leonard Spall, OBE is an English character actor and occasional presenter.-Early life:Spall, the third of four sons, was born in Battersea, London. His mother, Sylvia R. , was a hairdresser, and his father, Joseph L. Spall, was a postal worker...
and Bobby Ball
Bobby Ball
Bobby Ball is one half of the comedy double act Cannon and Ball, along with Tommy Cannon.He married his first wife, Joan, in 1964, with whom he had two sons, Robert and Darren , who are now a comedy double act in their own right, performing under their surname 'Harper'. Bobby and his first wife...
.