They weigh 80 stone, claim thousands in benefits - and can't work. Who do they blame? Anyone but themselves

Lots of times we have talked about people living on benefits, well, here we have a surreal story...

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This family say they are unable to work because they are too fat. They blame their GP, the Government, even Simon Cowell - but not themselves

There's something a little surreal about listening to a family with a combined weight of nearly 80 stone falling over themselves to explain how little they eat. 'Some days I barely eat at all,' declares Emma Chawner, daughter of the house and, at 17 stone, its lightest occupant.

'I don't have breakfast most days. Sometimes I don't have lunch either, and might only have a salad roll for tea. I'm always eating lettuce and apples and stuff.'

Her dad Philip ('22 stone, but I used to be 26') nods in agreement. 'I'm the same. Cornflakes for breakfast, a roll for lunch and one of those microwave meals for my dinner.'

'A Weightwatchers one, Dad!' interjects elder daughter Samantha (circa 18 stone). For her part, Samantha says she 'is always eating salads'.

Only Mum Audrey (20ish stone, but understandably reluctant to be specific) seems off message. She has been asleep on the sofa for most of our interview, but wakes up in time to raise the issue of Easter eggs.

She points out that her girls get one each every year. Both leap in with clarifications. 'Only a little one, Mum,' says Emma. 'Tiny. Like those little mini eggs,' says Samantha, holding her thumb and finger about two millimetres apart.'

She admits there might be crisps and chocolate in the kitchen cupboards, 'but they aren't for us. They are for our niece. You have to have those things in the house for children, don't you?'

Now a cynic might say that there is some overegging of the pudding going on here, so to speak. And the little trio of bottles standing by the armchair of the Chawner family living room, is certainly suspect. There is Lucozade, tomato ketchup and, for good measure, the heartburn remedy Gaviscon, a veritable holy trinity of overconsumption, surely?


The rest is here.

One phrase keeps popping up: "It's not my fault."

One wonders how the brother who left the home is supporting himself. If it's all "genetic" and so forth, how is he managing to hold down a job?

Each member of the family is enabling each other. The best thing would be for each person to be on their own for a while, to get away from the bad influences of the others.

This story has been covered before here.