Grandmother Dena Parker has proved that age is no barrier to dieting after losing eight stone at the age of 74.

Dena, a mother of two and grandmother of four, has slimmed down from 20 stones to 12 stones, taking her from a size 24 to a size 16, after joining a slimming clinic.

And Dena, of Ballasalla, credits her weight loss for giving her a new lease of life after suffering years of ill health.

She said: ‘I am not sure I would be here now if I hadn’t lost all the weight.

‘I am now living proof that you are never too old – just do it.’

Dena, who is secretary of both the Isle of Man Federation and Port St Mary branch of the WI, turned to Alevere Therapy, available at Courthouse Clinic in Wilmslow, Cheshire, when her health began to deteriorate so much she was having difficulty just walking short distances.

‘My asthma was getting much worse. I was on three inhalers a day, plus drugs, to cope with it.

‘I felt ill and tired all the time and I knew losing weight would help but I couldn’t stop eating, it was a vicious circle.

‘I have a very sweet tooth and I would sit at home at night and eat my way through a family-sized bar of chocolate, on top of my meals.

‘I would do that about four times a week. I just didn’t have the presence of mind to stop.’

After years of trying and failing at slimming classes, Dena opted to try Alevere.

It saw her making a 300-mile round trip to the clinic in Cheshire so she could attend her weekly slimming class.

‘It was a tiring day for me but I was so committed I was happy to do it,’ she said.

The diet costs about £200 a week and was paid for by Dena’s son Andrew, 40, a contracts manager based in London. Dena also has a daughter Helen, 39, who lives in the island.

‘It was the best thing he could have done for me,’ she said.

‘Both my children were very supportive.’

Dena said her self esteem has ‘increased by 100 per cent’ and she has thrown out and replaced of all her clothes.

‘My weight caused me some awful moments in the past, I once got stuck in a jacuzzi and had to wait until everyone else had left before asking my daughter to help me out.

‘Another time I was lucky enough to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace but I felt miserable because I was wearing a size 22 jacket which was too small for me, I couldn’t fasten it up.

‘But all that is in the past. My life now is so different, my self esteem has increased by 100 per cent.’