Worker sent by council 'fat shames woman telling her to keep busy and eat less to stay warm'

A woman trying to lose weight claims a workman sent by her council 'fat shamed' her and told her to 'eat less' as he inspected her radiators.

Andrea Ward, 50, had complained to Hull City Council because her home was "freezing" and she didn't think the heating was working properly.

The council sent a workman to her upstairs flat, but Miss Ward, who has recently lost 8st, claims his visit left her furious and upset.

She told the Hull Daily Mail that the man said to "keep busy" in the flat to stay warm because she would otherwise "eat all the time".

Miss Ward said the stranger's comment was “bang out of order" and she has complained to the council.

The alleged remark has made her self-conscious about her body.

She said: “He said to me that I’ve got to keep busy because if I sit down, I will eat all the time.

“It has made me feel conscious about my weight and made me very upset. I just think the way he spoke to me was bang out of an order.

“I am nothing to look at but it’s upsetting when a stranger comes in and tells you to start being busy.

“It has made me conscious of my body, especially when I am getting in the bath and everything.

“I just can’t believe that a total stranger could say something like that to me.”

Miss Ward has a 10-year-old son who stays with her every fortnight at her flat in west Hull.

Because she only has one bedroom, Miss Ward said she and her son have to sleep in the same room with the youngster sleeping on a blow up mattress.

When she explained her predicament to the engineer, she claims he suggested her son sleep “sleep in a walk-in cupboard” to keep warm.

She said: “It’s a one bed flat. If I had my son in a cupboard I would be neglecting him.”

It is understood that the workman has denied the remark regarding Miss Ward 'eating all the time'.

Miss Ward claims her flat is "freezing" every winter and it has affected her breathing. She said she is desperate for the council to resolve the issue.

She added: “I have to keep the curtains shut because of the draft. You can feel it coming through the windows.

“I have to have two quilts on my bed just to keep warm during the night.”

A spokeswoman for council said Miss Ward’s complaint is being investigated.

She said: “As with any complaint, the council will ensure that this is fully investigated and action taken, as appropriate."

The spokeswoman said of the claims about the cupboard: “I understand that the ‘cupboard’ referred to is a stop-over room which is heated and has been converted to allow enough space for temporary sleeping accommodation.

“These stop-over rooms are popular with residents who live in single bedroom bungalows because they enable a member of the family, visitor, or should they require support from, a carer to stay overnight.”