Damian became bedridden after a diet of mainly McDonal'ds led to his weight ballooning to 216kg. He was in a dark place. He couldn’t work, move, or stand for more than a few minutes and he relied on others to do simple tasks for him.
"I hated myself back then. You would not catch me outside. I guess I didn't have enough self-respect, self-love.
I just hated life but found my enjoyment with food," Damian told Insight. Source: Supplied He urgently needed a change, so he accessed his superannuation to pay for the surgeries that would change his looks and all aspects of his life. Despite his fear of doctors and hospitals, he made a life-changing decision to undergo a mini-gastric bypass.
Damian lost 126kg, but the look wasn't what he expected. "I went from one extreme to now having a total new anxiety," Damian said. The excess skin left after losing weight greatly affected Damian's confidence and self-esteem.
To achieve his desired look, he underwent three rounds of plastic surgery. Source: Supplied Overall, the four surgeries cost him around $90,000. He had to access his super fund to afford the entire process.
"The people who see me now don't recognise me at all," he said. Source: Supplied Anja was also struggling with social anxiety due to her appearance. After turning 60, her wrinkles deepened, and she found it challenging to accept her ageing appearance.
"It was very depressing to look in the mirror and have this 85-year-old face stare back at you," Anja told Insight. When.