SLIMMERS across Ireland have lost an incredible 333,690Ibs to get to their ideal weight using the popular WeightWatchers programme.

That's the equivalent of 22 fully-grown elephants, 166,885 bags of sugar or 55,615 heavy house bricks.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Another 47,000 people are also shedding thousands of pounds in their bid to beat the battle of the bulge.

The ever-popular weight loss regime will celebrate 30 years on the go in Ireland next year and the Irish franchise is now THE most successful in the world.

At present there are 55,000 members on both sides of the border with 7, 945 people having reached their perfect weight and become Gold members.

The regime is perhaps the only which can boast it is one hundred per cent natural and doesn't use pills, gimmicks or surgery to help people lose weight.

Margaret Burke from Weight Watchers Ireland says Irish people have now finally copped on that there is no easy way to shape up.

But she insisted Weight Watchers has already proven itself to be a safe and tested way to beat the flab for thousands of people across the country.

"There is no question that it works - it has been proven time and time again.

"If people stick to 80 per cent of the regime 80 per cent of the time then they will see weight loss.

"If people don't see results then it means that they think they're doing it right but they aren't because they aren't ready for it," she said.

The Weight Watchers routine is a simple but proven one.

Every type of food from an apple to a Mars Bar to a piece of meat is allocated a certain number of points. Depending on the sex, weight, age and height of a person, they are allowed to eat a certain amount of points each day.

A 14 stone man aged around 35 for example is allowed 28 points worth of food each day.

People can also earn themselves bonus points by exercising throughout the day which means they can eat more food.

And the programme is no longer confined just to women.

Margaret revealed Irishmen are no longer afraid to admit they have a problem and are coming to Weight Watchers classes in their droves.

Indeed of the 1,000 classes which take places across Ireland each week, 50 of those are Men Only classes.

"At the start Weight Watchers was mainly confined to women because it was mostly women who dieted.

"Men didn't want to be seen to be dieting and definitely wouldn't have admitted in public that they were dieting.

"That has all changed now and losing weight has more to do with health now than how people actual look.

"Our men-only classes are hugely popular and members are providing great support for each other.

"There's no longer any kind of stigma attached to men joining Weight Watchers because the results speak for themselves," Margaret added.

And a new aspect of the Weight Watchers programme is the increasing number of couples and families coming along.

"That is certainly the new thing that I've noticed. Couples are encouraging each other and doing it together which is great.

"Families are also coming together because they want to get in shape for a big family function like a wedding or something.

"It's great to see and we've already had a number of couples and families reaching their target weights which is just great to see," she said.

TREVOR O'REILLY

SINCE joining Weight Watchers Trevor O'Reilly is half the man he used to be - literally.

The Dubliner went from a huge 37 stone to just 16 stone after he couldn't get a football jersey to fit him.

Trevor from Swords, who is 6ft 5in always had to buy his clothes over the internet from a store in Wales but not even they did his favourite football team shirts.

He'd heard about Weight Watchers but thought it was just for women.

"I always had the impression that Weight Watchers was for 'aul ones' who sat around yapping and then had a cup of tea afterwards," he said.

But he gave it a go and after losing 10 pounds in weight after the first week, he hasn't looked back.

Trevor said that most people simply don't know enough about the food they are eating.

"I used to eat silly things; I'd have two chocolate filled pastries for breakfast and then think I was great because I wasn't having a fry," he said.

He has changed his whole attitude to food and instead of reaching for another chocolate bar, he knows he can have a huge meal instead.

Trevor said he was never short of confidence even when he was hugely overweight but finds it easier to chat up women in bars these days!

"My friends laugh now and call me a Casanova if they see me talking to a girl in the pub, because I never used to do it before - it just didn't seem practical somehow; a 37 stone man chatting up a model-type at the bar, but it's not a problem now," he laughs.

"A while ago, I got an e-mail from the shop in Wales asking why I had stopped buying there - it gave me great satisfaction to mail back telling them why," he added.