Miss Great Britain has called money a ‘great incentive’ to slim down after she was inspired to lose eight stone following a difficult break up.
Jen Atkin, 27, from Ulceby, Lincolnshire, transformed from 17st to 9st after the breakdown of her first serious relationship, fearing that she wouldn’t meet someone else.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, she backed a potential government scheme which could see overweight Brits paid to work out in a bid to drive down obesity levels in the UK.
She said had it not been for her break up, she wouldn’t have had the ‘motivation’ to lose weight and that cash could be a way of promoting overweight Brits to try and slim down.
Jen Atkin, 27, from Ulceby, Lincolnshire, transformed from 17st to 9st after the breakdown of her first serious relationship. She is pictured after winning Miss England in 2018
Jen won the longest-running pageant in the UK after losing eight stone by swapping takeaways for healthy eating. Pictured, Jen before and after her transformation
‘I always think with weight loss there’s some kind of motivation,’ said Jen. ‘With me it was a break up, there needs to be some kind of motivation and I think this is a great incentive.
‘We all know if you’re active and healthy there’s less risk of disease and bad health problems and therefore if we do this scheme and people are healthier there will be less pressure on the NHS.’
When quizzed on whether financial gain should be the reason for wanting to shed the pounds, she went on: ‘We need to combat other intensives, such as fast food chains which say “Buy fast food and we’ll give you prizes”.
‘This money incentive is a push in the right direction, they’ll fall in love with fitness and live a healthier better life.’
Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, she backed a potential government scheme which could see overweight Brits paid to work out in a bid to drive down obesity levels in the UK
She added: ‘I do think we need more education and help on the eating and cooking healthier, but the fact is – people are obese and overweight and we need to do something,.
‘It’s better to do something like that than nothing at all, obesity rates are getting worse and worse.’
Jen won the longest-running pageant in the UK after losing eight stone by swapping takeaways for healthy eating.
Struggling to fit into her clothes, Jen began walking regularly and spending hours in the gym.
As she embraced the single life, while her friends were busy with their own relationships and children, she would spend time studying food packaging to make healthier choices.
Jen insisted that she felt ’empowered’ by showing off her stretch marks during the swimsuit competition, and told she felt ‘confident’ showing off her ‘normal’ body
Jen who would bike to work for additional exercise, despite not always being able to complete the journey, now exercises five days a week.
She used YouTube to follow workouts including HIIT, running and weightlifting, before being approached by a personal trainer offering additional help.
Jen said she doesn’t calorie count but is mindful of what she eats each day.
She was named Miss Scunthorpe before soon becoming the runner-up of Miss England in 2018 and was named the 75th Miss Great Britain at a glittering national final in Leicester in February last year.
Jen said she doesn’t calorie count but is mindful of what she eats each day and regularly works out
Appearing on the ITV show last year, she said she was still ‘probably the biggest girl’ in the competition, and believes she won because of her ‘personality and story’.
She claimed that while she ‘definitely wasn’t the prettiest girl’ in the pageant, and was still the largest of the contestants at a size 10-12, she won because of her personality shining through during the interviews.
More than 400 guests watched the live Miss Great Britain event at the Athena in Leicester, where contestants took to the stage in fashion wear, swim wear and evening wear before being interviewed live on stage.
Jen insisted that she felt ’empowered’ by showing off her stretch marks during the swimsuit competition, and said she felt ‘confident’ showing off her ‘normal’ body in front of the audience.