I first realised I was unfit when I joined secondary school. Once a year we had to take part in the dreaded cross-country run. The overweight boys like me would always be left behind. So, we made a pact to walk the course instead. The rest of the boys had already got changed and was waiting by the finish line, jeering us as we came into sight – at which point we all burst into a sprint to avoid being the last one. That was the ultimate humiliation. It was the Eighties: a merciless time. Food has always been a solace and a refuge for me. Speaking about bulimia, Princess Diana came up with one of the most powerful evocations of comfort eating: “like two arms wrapping themselves around you”. When I had a bad day at school, I was more likely to eat ten biscuits that evening instead of two. This is why being overweight is often a chronic condition: you are finding comfort in the very thing that is making your situation worse. Subscribe to the Evening Standard: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Evening-Standard for latest breaking news from the UK, US and around the world, plus podcasts and features. Evening Standard on socials: Check out our full video catalog: null Videos, daily editorial and more: https://www.standard.co.uk/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.fb.com/eveningstandard Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/eveningstandard and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evening.standard