James Argent was so overweight that his family needed to tie his shoelaces
The TOWIE man tipped the scales at 27 stone.
The Only Way is Essex star James Argent has been reflecting on those dark obesity years.
Between approximately 2014 and 2022, the TV personality's struggles with drug and alcohol addiction were well documented, with 'Arg' undertaking many rehabilitation programs in that time and even arriving at death's door after one particularly bad relapse.
Another concern for his fans was the ballooning weight, though, which reached 27 stone at its heaviest.
Read more: James Argent is now putting weight back on after dramatic dip left him 'too skinny'
Proudly discussing the results of his gastric sleeve and tummy tuck surgery, Arg told The Sun this week: "The surgery went amazing. There's still a little bit of swelling, actually, because I think the swelling goes down after, say, six months. And listen, I do have a few scars, but I know that they'll go faint.
"I think it's quite cool to have a few little battle scars or battle wounds along the way."
Further along, the 35 year old confessed that at his lowest point he'd find himself in a sofa slump after rifling through the cupboards for snacks in the morning.
Arg's size made it difficult for him to get dressed, too.
"To be honest with you, when I was 27 stone, I used to wear slip-on shoes," he said. "I used to ask a lot of people to help me tie my shoelaces."
Read more: James Argent shares before and after pictures to mark weight loss surgery anniversary
In a 2020 interview with the same publication, the star suggested that his regular cocaine use stemmed from an eating disorder.
"I binge on food if I hate the way I look," Arg shared.
"I'd feel down so I'd start using drugs at 9pm until 6am, not eating a thing. Then I’d wake up, feel low and be absolutely starving and I would binge on everything from fizzy drinks, burgers, fast food, crisps, snacks, pizzas, takeaways to the point where I couldn't possibly eat any more to feel better."
Watch: James Argent 'proud' he overcame his addiction issues and shed 14 stone
