Latest news with #gastricbypass
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
MAFS intimacy expert Alessandra Rampolla reveals her shock weight loss as she arrives at Sydney Airport ahead of filming the upcoming season
Married At First Sight intimacy expert Alessandra Rampolla shed a whopping 60kg after undergoing a gastric bypass surgery in 2008. And the clinical sexologist, 51, showed off her slimmed down figure as she jetted into Sydney Airport on Monday ahead of filming the new season of the dating show. She showcased her figure in a black singlet and matching coloured flare pants as she pushed her suitcase through the terminal. Alessandra wrapped a patterned shawl over her shoulders and wore a pair of black comfortable sneakers. She left her long curled brunette locks out and opted for a neutral makeup palette for the flight. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. MAFS intimacy expert Alessandra Rampolla revealed her shock weight loss as she arrived to Sydney ahead of filming the upcoming season. Pictured left in 2025 and right in 2006 Despite initially struggling to finding a cast for the new season of MAFS, production is underway and the weddings are expected to happen in the coming weeks. Sources recently revealed that several key roles in the cast were still not locked in, with last-minute dropouts and a strict new vetting process creating major headaches for producers. 'There's been some great talent who were deep in the process, but they suddenly got cold feet,' one insider told Daily Mail Australia last week. 'Others made it right to the final stages, only to be cut after background checks flagged issues. There's a mad scramble happening in real time to find replacements.' Meanwhile, MAFS expert Alessandra revealed back in 2023 that she decided to get reconstructive surgery to remove excess skin following her gastric bypass surgery in 2008. Speaking on Instagram live, she told fans that she has decided to undergo surgery to be more confident. Alessandra explained that during a trip to Colombia she met up with a surgeon to discuss getting 'reshaped and put back together', and finally deal with her 'excess skin'. 'Fourteen years after the fact I'm finally taking care of that,' she laughed. She left her long curled brunette locks out and opted for a neutral makeup palette for the flight Back in 2023, Alessandra revealed she decided to get reconstructive surgery to remove excess skin following her gastric bypass surgery in 2008 Despite initially struggling to finding a cast for the new season of MAFS, production is underway and the weddings are expected to happen in the coming weeks Sources recently revealed that several key roles in the cast are still not locked in, with last-minute dropouts and a strict new vetting process creating major headaches for producers 'I wanted to look into reconstructive surgery because of the loose skin... so I reassessed the decision. 'I began in May and I will continue early next year after we finish wrapping this next season of MAFS.' She went on to add that her surgery will provide 'a certain closure to the trauma behind the weight gain'. Speaking to 9Entertainment, Alessandra said the experience was 'literally life-changing', but she was left surprised after some critics appeared to be openly angry about her weight loss journey. 'I got a lot of people complaining, 'Why did you become thin?' And then before it was like, 'Why are you fat?'' she said. 'You know you can never please people, and it's never about pleasing people - but I was very surprised with the amount of people who were like, 'Nooooo, why did you do this?' - it was my health, you guys.' Alessandra went on to say the procedure - which involves surgically altering the stomach and small intestine - was an 'incredible experience' for her.
The Sun
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I was eating 20,000 calories a day with my triple pizza habit and ballooned to 42st – then six words changed me
TUCKING into the final slice of her cheese feast pizza, Teresa Parent's stomach grumbled. She might have just devoured a pizza large enough to feed two but her insatiable appetite meant that Teresa still had room for more. 8 8 8 Putting the takeaway box to one side, she lifts the lid of her second large pizza of the evening, and she has a third to demolish after that. It was part of a 20,000 calorie eating problem that saw the 45-year-old balloon to over 42st and saw her teetering on the brink of death. 'I struggled with diabetes, high blood pressure, and I even had a mild heart attack in 2016,' Teresa, from Long Beach, California, says. 'When I heard the words 'you won't be alive in five years' from doctors it shook me. 'That was the wake-up call I needed.' That set her on the path to an astonishing weight loss journey, shedding a staggering 33st and completely transforming her life. The teacher initially lost 12st naturally through diet and exercise before undergoing gastric bypass surgery, which helped her shed an additional 14st. Teresa's weight first spiralled out of control after her brother took his own life in 2001. "When he died I completely checked out," Teresa previously said. "It was the very first traumatic loss I experienced and I blamed myself for not being able to help my brother. "I stopped taking care of myself. 'My mother killed herself a couple of years later and their deaths played a role in lack of self love and self care." Teresa soon began emotional eating to deal with her depression and self-hate. She says: "I was eating a large pizza almost daily and stopping at fast food drive thru restaurants and hiding in my car while I ate. "Then I would go home and eat triple decker peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, and tons of crisps, cookies, and junk food on a daily basis." By 2016 Teresa, then 38, was so morbidly obese that she suffered a mild heart attack, which motivated her to seek medical advice. It was then that doctors warned her she could be dead in five years if she didn't lose weight. Before she could undergo surgery Teresa put herself on a strict diet, restricting her calorie intake dramatically and walking as much as she could. 8 8 Between 2017 and 2018 she lost 12st from diet and exercise alone and in 2018 she had gastric bypass surgery to reduce the size of her stomach which saw the final 14st melt away. But after losing the weight, she was left with three stone of excess skin, which caused significant discomfort and emotional distress. 'The loose skin impacted my entire life—mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally,' she admits. 'It made me look much bigger than I actually was. 'It was painful, embarrassing, and shameful.' Teresa underwent a Fleur-de-Lis abdominoplasty, removing the hanging skin from her abdomen. 'All the skin is gone. It's done,' she says. 'That skin was literally the last piece of all my grief. I made myself feel bad for so long, but I deserve to be happy. 'I used to be an 8XL, and now I fit into a size 12. I never imagined this would be my life.' Teresa now helps others struggling with their weight to follow in her footsteps. Her TikTok is now a space where she shares recipes, weight loss tips, and raw, unfiltered moments of her journey. And she has gained over a million followers with her healthier versions of classic comfort foods, proving that losing weight doesn't mean giving up the meals you love. 'People comment on my videos all the time, saying, 'That's not really healthy or nutritious,' but let me tell you something—this works for me,' she says. 'I've lost 33st and kept it off for years. I've found ways to make my favourite foods healthier, and that's what matters.' From high-protein desserts to guilt-free comfort meals, Teresa's recipes have captivated an army of fans. Her recently released cookbook, Now We're Cooking, created in collaboration with Chef Rich Eaton, is flying off the shelves. 'I share my food to help others who have battled obesity,' she says. Losing weight doesn't mean deprivation—it means learning how to make smarter choices. 'If I can enjoy dessert every single day without feeling guilty, then so can you.' Beyond the kitchen, Teresa's transformation has influenced those closest to her, including her husband, Mike. 'People ask me all the time, 'How does your healthy lifestyle influence Mike?' Well, when we first started dating, he would eat big ice cream sandwiches all the time,' she says. 'Now, after a year and a half together, this way of living is our new normal. Instead of reaching for processed junk, he asks for the healthier versions I make. It's just what we do.' Their love story is another incredible milestone in Teresa's journey. She married Mike, the love of her life on February 22, something she never imagined would happen at her heaviest. 'I never thought I'd find love at my heaviest,' she says. 'But I worked on myself, and now I get to share my life with someone who truly supports and loves me." Despite her incredible transformation, Teresa is open about the ongoing struggles she faces. 'Since weighing over 42st, I've battled terrible arthritis, neuropathy, and shooting pains in my feet,' she says. 'I try to manage it with CBD and holistic remedies because I don't like taking medication. It's been a game-changer. 'People think that just because I've lost the weight, everything is perfect. It's not. 'I brutalised my body for years, and I still have scars. But I am so much happier and healthier than I've ever been in my entire life.' Determined to help others break free from the cycle of obesity and self-doubt, she and her business partner, Tonya, launched the chart-topping podcast Transform Your Life_ with Teresa and Tonya_. Since its debut last year, the show has skyrocketed to the No.1 weight loss podcast, proving just how many people are desperate for honest conversations about extreme weight loss, mental health, and body image. But they didn't stop there. Teaming up with Dr. Eric Smith from TLC's 1,000-Lb Sisters and Pop Recovery Systems, the duo created the Transformation Academy—a game-changing online platform offering nutrition guidance, fitness plans, mental health support, recipes, and expert-led advice on bariatric and skin removal surgery. The response has been overwhelming. 'This is so much bigger than weight loss,' she says. 'It's about giving people their lives back.' 8
ABC News
17-06-2025
- ABC News
Erin Patterson had no reason to murder in-laws with toxic mushrooms, defence tells jury
Erin Patterson's defence barrister has told the jury in her triple-murder trial that the "devoted" mother had no motive to deprive her children of their "wonderful" grandparents. Ms Patterson, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder over a beef Wellington lunch she hosted at her regional Victorian home in 2023. The trial of Erin Patterson, who stands accused of using a poisoned meal to murder three relatives, continues. Look back at how Tuesday's hearing unfolded in our live blog. To stay up to date with this story, subscribe to ABC News. On Monday, prosecutors told the jury Ms Patterson had engaged in four substantial deceptions as part of the alleged murder plot. Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC said these were a lie to the guests about cancer, the "secretion" of death cap mushrooms in a "nourishing meal" of individually parcelled beef Wellingtons, feigned illness after the lunch and a sustained cover-up as guests fell critically ill. On Tuesday morning, Dr Rogers wrapped up her closing address by telling the jury a fifth deception had been played upon it, when the accused spun a "carefully constructed narrative" in court in a bid to fit the evidence against her. She said "perhaps the starkest" of these was Ms Patterson's evidence about plans to undergo gastric-bypass surgery a few months after the lunch. During her evidence, Ms Patterson told the court she had booked an appointment for gastric-bypass surgery at a clinic in Melbourne and had lied to relatives about potential cancer treatment as a cover story. When she was told in cross-examination that the clinic did not offer gastric-band surgery, Ms Patterson said she must have been "mistaken" and she had also been considering liposuction. "There's no way that the accused's earlier evidence can be twisted to fit that new claim," Dr Rogers told the jury. The prosecution alleged several other lies were told by Ms Patterson in the period surrounding the lunch, including admitted lies to police about owning a food dehydrator and foraging for mushrooms. "Erin Patterson told so many lies it's hard to keep up with them," Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers told the jury Ms Patterson was "not a credible witness" and significant parts of the defence case that rested solely on her evidence should be closely scrutinised. She also told the jury it should disregard any claim from the defence that Ms Patterson's actions after the lunch were the result of "innocent panic" rather than a sustained cover-up. The prosecutor said any parent who believed their children may have consumed death cap mushrooms would "move mountains" to get them to hospital, in contrast to Ms Patterson's initial reluctance to take her children out of school. Dr Rogers also told the jury that Ms Patterson's venting to Facebook friends about her in-laws showed that the accused was "leading a duplicitous life when it came to the Pattersons". "She presented one side, while expressing contrary beliefs to others," Dr Rogers said. In closing her address, Dr Rogers told jurors they should make their deliberations based on the facts before them. "You may not want to believe that anyone could be capable of doing what the accused has done," she said, describing the alleged actions as "horrible", "cold" and "beyond comprehension". "But look at the evidence, don't let your emotional reaction dictate your verdict one way or the other." In his closing address, defence barrister Colin Mandy SC told the jury the prosecution had been "cherry picking" evidence that suited their case, while "disregarding inconvenient truths" that challenged it. He told the jury if they believed there was a reasonable possibility that death cap mushrooms were added to the meal accidentally and a reasonable possibility that Ms Patterson did not intend to kill or cause serious injury to her guests, then they should find her not guilty. The lawyer said the prosecution case lacked a motive, which would usually be "fundamental" to proving the required element in the charges of intent to kill or seriously injure. Mr Mandy told the jury there had been evidence during the trial that demonstrated a warm relationship existed between his client and her in-laws. "Erin Patterson had a motive to keep these people in her world so that they could keep supporting her and her children," he said. "And there's absolutely no doubt that Don and Gail had a great relationship with [their grandchildren] … absolutely no doubt that Erin was devoted to her children. Mr Mandy told the jury it should regard a period of tension that arose between Erin and Simon Patterson over financial matters as a "brief spat" about child support which was "resolved amicably" before too long. Mr Mandy said there was no proof to support the idea that this tension could have formed a reason for Ms Patterson murdering her husband's parents and aunt and uncle. "It's an unsatisfactory piece of evidence," he said. Mr Mandy told the jury an "intelligent person carefully planning a murder" in the way alleged by the prosecution would know that they and the meal they had prepared would come "under suspicion" and that they would be in the "spotlight". He said Ms Patterson's actions after the lunch — including disposing of the dehydrator at a tip and paying with her own bank card — were born out of panic and not guilt. "If you're planning a murder, what's the one thing you really should plan to dispose of? That's the murder weapon," Mr Mandy said. He suggested to the jury that if the deadly meal had been premeditated, Ms Patterson "would've disposed of [the dehydrator] months before and never told anyone she had one". "It speaks volumes about her state of mind," he said. Mr Mandy is expected to continue delivering his closing address for the defence on Wednesday.
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Erin Patterson's claims she had booked in drastic weight loss surgery put under the spotlight in another day of intense cross examination
Erin Patterson 's claims she was planning to undergo weight loss surgery have been scrutinised by the prosecution as she returns to court for her murder trial. After enjoying a public holiday on Monday, Patterson was once again forced to front Crown prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers in the witness box within the Latrobe Valley Law Courts in Morwell, in Victoria's east. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson. They died after consuming death cap mushrooms served in beef Wellington during lunch at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023. On Friday, Patterson had told the jury she had planned to have gastric bypass surgery, which had been booked into the Enrich Clinic in leafy South Yarra. The jury had previously heard Patterson had allegedly lured her guests over for lunch to tell them about a 'medical issue' she had to deal with and how she might break the news to her two children. That issue, according to lone survivor Ian Wilkinson, was said to be ovarian cancer - a lie Patterson admits telling her guests. Patterson had hoped her estranged husband Simon would also attend the lunch, informing him on July 16 that she had some medical issues to discuss. 'That wasn't a lie,' Patterson insisted about the news she intended to tell Simon. 'I was going to have surgery soon ... gastric bypass surgery,' she told Dr Rogers. 'I had an appointment for early September.' During Tuesday's proceedings, Dr Rogers questioned whether Patterson had lied about that supposed surgery too. 'I want to put some things to you about that and ask if you agree or disagree. The first is the Enrich clinic offices services in Cosmetic dermatology,' she said. The jury heard Patterson's appointment had been scheduled for September 13, 2023 but was cancelled two days earlier. 'The Enrich Clinic does not offer gastric bypass surgery or gastric sleeve surgery. Agree or disagree?' Dr Rogers asked. 'I don't know,' Patterson responded. 'The Enrich Clinic does not conduct assessments relating to gastric bypass surgery or gastric sleeve surgery. Agree or disagree?' Dr Rogers continued. 'I don't know, but I'm a bit puzzled,' Patterson said. 'I had an appointment with them and that's what, my memory is that the appointment was for (that), so that's why I'm puzzled.' 'The appointment that you have told this jury about on Friday had nothing to do with gastric bypass surgery. Agree or disagree?' Dr Rogers said. 'Well, it would've been related to weight loss surgery,' Patterson replied. 'Perhaps it was a different procedure I was doing through them and I was looking into liposuction as well.' Dr Rogers suggested Patterson had lied to the jury in sworn evidence about having a pre-surgery appointment for gastric bypass surgery booked in. 'No, it wasn't a lie. That's what my memory was,' Patterson said. Dr Rogers bombarded Patterson with questions and accusations throughout much of the day. In one exchange, Dr Rogers accused Patterson of pretending to be sick after the deadly lunch to cast off suspicions she had deliberately poisoned her guests. The court heard Patterson had called Simon two days after the lunch and told him she felt well enough to pick up the kids from school. 'I'm glad you feel healthy enough to make that drive to pick up the kids,' Simon told her. Dr Rogers said Simon's evidence was that Patterson then paused before agreeing to allow him to collect the children instead. 'Do you agree that you paused?' Dr Rogers said. 'I don't remember,' Patterson replied. 'I suggest that you paused because you realised that if you insisted on going to pick up the children that that would undermine your (claims that you were unwell),' Dr Rogers said. Patterson claimed she could not recall the 'pause' but said if she had it would have likely been because she was taken aback by Simon's 'really sarcastic tone'. 'I found it quite off-putting,' she said. 'Are you making this up as you go along, Ms Patterson?' Dr Rogers responded. The prosecutor continued to question Patterson about her actions following the deadly lunch, accusing her of feigning nausea, diarrhoea and abdominal pain in conversations with health professionals, her children, child protection workers and her husband so they wouldn't suspect she had deliberately poisoned her guests. 'You wanted it to appear as though you were as seriously unwell as you other lunch guests,' she said. 'Incorrect,' Patterson replied. 'I suggest that you were not seriously unwell because you did not consume even a minute amount of death cap mushrooms at the lunch,' Dr Rogers said. 'I have no idea whether I did or didn't,' Patterson said. 'You were not suffering from death cap mushroom poisoning. Correct or incorrect?' Dr Rogers continued. 'I have no idea.' 'You deliberately tried to make it seem as though you were unwell. Correct or incorrect?' 'Incorrect,' Patterson insisted. While the jury heard at the beginning of the trial the prosecution would offer no motive as to why Patterson allegedly murdered her guests, Dr Rogers suggested the mother of two had actually hoped her estranged husband Simon would attend. The jury has heard Simon Patterson pulled out of the lunch the night before, leaving his parents, uncle and auntie to attend the meal without him. Patterson has maintained to anyone who has asked that she loved Don and Gail Patterson. She has denied all of the allegations, maintaining what happened at the lunch was a tragic accident. 'They did love me and I did love them,' she said of Simon's parents. 'I do love them.'
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- The Guardian
Erin Patterson denies lying about making herself vomit after fatal mushroom lunch
Erin Patterson says she is 'puzzled' that a clinic in which she said she had an appointment for a gastric bypass offers no such surgery, and denies lying about making herself vomit in the hours immediately after the beef wellington lunch, a court has heard. In her sixth day in the witness box, Patterson was repeatedly asked under cross-examination by prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC whether she was lying about the deadly lunch and other parts of her evidence before her triple-murder trial. Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to poisoning four in-laws with beef wellington served for lunch at her house in Leongatha on 29 July 2023. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon's uncle and Heather's husband. Lawyers for Patterson say the death cap mushroom poisoning was a tragic and terrible accident. Patterson told the court last week that she had a pre-assessment booking for gastric bypass surgery scheduled at Enrich Clinic in September 2023. But Rogers said to Patterson on Tuesday that Enrich was a cosmetic dermatology clinic, and did not offer gastric bypass surgery. Patterson said she was 'puzzled' that was the case. 'In what way?' Rogers asked. 'Well I had an appointment with them, and that's my memory of what the appointment was for, so that's why I'm puzzled.' Rogers confirmed the appointment was made, and had been cancelled by Patterson two days before it was scheduled. Patterson believed the appointment related to weight loss surgery, but said it may have been a different procedure. 'It wasn't a lie, that's what my memory was,' Patterson said. Rogers also asked Patterson about her evidence last week that she made herself vomit in the hours after the lunch, after she felt overfull from eating the beef wellington and a large portion of orange cake. Patterson said she had a history of binge eating and purging dating back to her 20s. Rogers accused Patterson of lying about vomiting on the afternoon of the lunch after her guests left. 'You did not tell a single medical person that you had vomited up after the lunch on the 29th of July?' Rogers asked. 'That is true, I didn't do that,' Patterson said. Rogers suggested to Patterson that she lied about vomiting after the lunch, and about how much she ate at lunch, 'because you're trying to account for why the others were seriously ill and you were not'. 'I wish that was true, but it's not,' Patterson responded. Patterson also denied suggestions from Rogers regarding the plating at the lunch. Patterson said evidence Ian gave about the guests being served on matching large grey plates, and Patterson serving herself on a smaller lighter coloured plate, was incorrect. She said she did not know whether evidence Simon gave about Heather making two comments to him about mismatched plates was also wrong. Rogers suggested to Patterson she used different plates as she made poisoned beef wellingtons for her guests, but that hers did not contain death cap mushrooms. 'To avoid any error, you took the extra precaution of using a different and smaller plate, to plate your non-poisoned serve, correct or incorrect,' Rogers asked. 'Incorrect,' Patterson responded. Patterson said she did not one a set of four matching plates. 'I suggest your whole story is untrue that you plated the food without discrimination,' Rogers asked her. 'You're wrong,' Patterson replied. Earlier on Tuesday morning, after answering a question from Rogers regarding the internet search history of devices seized from her home, Patterson attempted to further clarify the evidence before Rogers asked another question. 'Ms Patterson, I am the person who asks the questions,' Rogers said. 'If there something that needs to be clarified in re-examination, your barrister will do so.' 'No problem,' Patterson replied. The trial continues. In Australia, the Butterfly Foundation is at 1800 33 4673. In the UK, Beat can be contacted on 0808-801-0677. In the US, help is available at or by calling ANAD's eating disorders hotline at 800-375-7767. Other international helplines can be found at Eating Disorder Hope
