A TEENAGER who once weighed 31 stone is to be featured on a television programme.

Jonathan Wallace was ordered by doctors to lose 16 stone in a year or face death by the time he was 20.

The Hartlepool youngster's story was heavily featured in newspapers across the country and his story will be told on ITV this week.

Jonathan, who was only 16 when he hit the headlines last year, lives with his mother, Margaret, a care worker and his sister, Becky, nine.

He has obtained a job as a trainee chef, but is unable to climb stairs, and at home has to sleep on the living room sofa. His mother says he has broken three-piece suites, beds and damaged the shock absorbers in a car.

Specialists have worked out a diet for him and his local gym has given him a personal trainer free.

The television programme sees Jonathan lose four stone in the first nine weeks of his diet, but there are a number of relapses.

* Diet or Die is on Tyne Tees at 7.30pm on Thursday.

Published: 26/10/2004