A morbidly obese man shed half his body weight in 16 months – and left his mates £10,000 out of pocket.

Junk food-loving Peter Ajello had ballooned to 203kg (32st) by bingeing on burgers, pancakes and pizza.

His initial weight loss of 22kg in a month was so astounding his closest friends bet him he wouldn’t lose double that in five months.

As the pounds kept falling off, they even tried to sabotage his slimming regime by having chicken wings and pizzas sent to his house every night.

But Mr Ajello refused to crack and came in even lighter than the target weight to collect his wedge of cash.

‘I don’t think they thought I could do it, but I was determined to prove them wrong,’ said Mr Ajello, of Florida.

‘I was known as the guy who could eat and eat. In college, my friends would set me eating challenges – it made me feel popular.’

The diet, combined with pounding a treadmill in his basement, saved his life after he suffered a stroke and was diagnosed with diabetes.

He cut out all junk food and alcohol but allowed himself the occasional square of chocolate to satisfy his sweet cravings.

Today he weighs in at a svelte 88kg (14st). ‘It was tough, but I kept rewarding myself with bits of chocolate and the fat melted away,’ he said.

The money he won from his mates helped him to pay for a £6,000 operation to remove a huge fold of excess skin from his belly that was left after his extreme dieting.

I remember when all restaurants were ”Mom & Pops” that is privately owned and operated. sadly with rents going up the only ones who will be able to afford the high rents are the national chains, how sad.In one way its good I can travel to Oklahoma’ city and walk into an IHop and no what to expect.The overall quality is way down , its the dumbimg down of Americans taste buds. I remember going  into a luncheonette in N.Y. and getting a great hamburger not the crap at they serve in Mcdonalds or Burger king.I would rather take my chances on an unknown eatery than dine at The olive garden. Eventually that’s all that there will be .I always tell stories to my nephew  how great restaurants were in the 50’s , he don’t agree says I don’t know food, well I do I predict in 20 yrs there wont be a Mom&pop Pizzeria or lunch or dinner Establishments , with the exception of Chinese take outs and sit ins ( they seem to have a sort of indentured servants who live with the owners , you and I could never open up a Chinese take out and afford the chefs they can. Home cooking is becoming a lost art, thats another story, but in the future where will people go for a great meal? ..end..Don Lerman