WHEN her little girl was diagnosed with cancer, Clare Worral was inspired by her battle, and vowed to do something about her spiralling weight problem. Irma Heger reports on the mother who is now a remarkable eight-and-a-half stone lighter.

"My daughter had fought so hard to stay alive -- I couldn't kill myself by over-eating,""My daughter had fought so hard to stay alive -- I couldn't kill myself by over-eating," she says. , her fight is spurring on hundreds of Bolton women to slim. Irma Heger reports.

AFTER years of binge eating, the near-death of her young daughter forced Clare Worrall -- at over 20 stone -- to take stock of her own life.

When Natalie Worrall was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney at the age of three, Clare's world crashed around her.

"It was the most awful time of my life," she said. "As a mother you feel so helpless."

Little Natalie had to have a kidney and the surrounding glands removed, followed by four months of chemotherapy, which turned into 10 months.

"She lost her hair, her eyelashes and eyebrows," said Clare. "I would spend hours painting mascara on her face."

Natalie lost so much weight and became so bony she could not sleep comfortably in a bed and ended up sleeping on beanbags.

The little girl and her mum virtually spent six months in hospital. While supporting her daughter's fight for her life, Clare lived off fast food and vending machines.

"I went through a lot with Natalie," saids Clare, "but I can't blame anyone for my weight gain, just me. I needed food for comfort."

Clare's battle with her weight started with the comfort eating and pregnancy-related diabetes while she was expecting Natalie, who is now aged 13.

At the end of the pregnancy, she found herself five stone heavier and the subsequent night feeds for her baby did nothing to help post-natal weight any loss.

"Natalie woke up for a three o'clock feed and I got up for a three o'clock feed," said Clare, aged 31, who ended up wearing size 30/32 clothes.

"Imagine going to a mother and toddler group and not being able to get on the floor to play because you couldn't get back up again."

Yet it was not until the devastating diagnosis of little Natalie's cancer of the kidney that Clare's eating habits really spiralled out of control.

But, slowly, things began to change for the better. "I realised that my daughter fought so hard to stay alive, I couldn't kill myself by over-eating," Clare said.

She started attending a slimming class. "Initially I lost 12lbs in a fortnight, but I left after that -- I used everything as an excuse.

"I needed to lose nearly half my body weight! But six months later I joined another class and I lost my first four stone in five months."

With the help of a dedicated slimming club leader, the weight continued to come off.

Now, Clare leads successful Slimming World classes in Monton, at St Helens Road Methodist Church, Deane, and at the Brooklyn Hotel in Green Lane, Great Lever.

She is still fighting to get another two stone off her weight. At 5ft 4in, she weighs just under 13 stone, having lost nearly eight stone, wears a size 16 and aims to weigh 10st 13lbs.

Meanwhile Natalie is in remission, but still has six-monthly check-ups.

Life is looking good again. Clare added: "To be in control of my weight and my life -- it's a feeling that money just can't buy."

Anybody who would like to contact Clare about her Slimming World Classes can phone her on 0161-747-2388.