Former Big Brother star Chanelle Hayes has spoken candidly about her struggle with 'dumping syndrome' following gastric band surgery five years ago. The 35-year-old underwent the procedure in 2020 after her weight reached 17 stone, dropping from a size 18 to a size 8.
Dumping syndrome occurs when food moves too quickly from the stomach to the small intestine, causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, palpitations, bloating, cramping, dizziness, fatigue and diarrhoea. Hayes explained that the surgery created a 'physical barrier' to overeating, but falling into old habits triggered the condition.
“This physical barrier stops me from eating. I physically cannot, if I eat more than the capacity of my stomach I will vomit, if I eat things that are too bad for me then I could end up with dumping syndrome, diarrhoea, vomiting, sweats,” she told MailOnline. She also revealed she has emetophobia – a fear of vomiting – which “terrorises” her.
Hayes, who shot to fame on Big Brother in 2007, has been open about her weight battles and described the surgery as a “last resort” after years of fluctuating weight and unhappiness. Despite the challenges, she said the operation “changed” her life and she has “no regrets”.
Promoting body positivity, she previously shared a video of herself in bikinis across different sizes, writing: “What even is a summer body anyway?! I had a lovely time on every single one of these holidays and I ranged from size 6-18 (to pregnant!).”
