He was once the world's fattest man weighing in at a staggering 70 stone and consuming a mammoth 20,000 calories a day.

他曾经是世界上最胖的男子，重达70英石（约900斤），每天要摄入2万卡路里的热量。

But it seems that after losing 48 stone following NHS surgery, it's not just Paul Mason's health that has a more promising outlook - his weight loss may have also boosted his love life.

在接受医疗服务系统提供的手术后，保罗·梅森瘦了48英石，但他收获的未来不仅是健康的身体，他还可能因为减肥而收获爱情。

Mr Mason has only known his new girlfriend Rebecca for a month and the pair are yet to meet, but already the 52-year old claims that Rebecca is the love of his life.

梅森先生只和他的新女友丽贝卡认识一个月，两人还没见面，但这位52岁的男士就已宣称丽贝卡是他生命中的挚爱。

The pair met online last month when Rebecca saw a television documentary about Mr Mason's extreme obesity - the result, he says, of overeating when a previous relationship ended.

这两人上个月在网络上相识。丽贝卡在电视上看到了关于梅森先生极度肥胖的纪录片——梅森说那是他结束前一段恋情后过度饮食的后果。

She was so touched by his plight that Rebecca got in touch via Facebook keen to help Mr Mason in his bid to get the NHS to pay for a second operation to rid him of layers of excess skin.

丽贝卡对他的境遇很感动，因此通过Facebook同他取得联系，以帮助他获得由NHS付款的第二次手术，帮助梅森去掉多余皮层。

Mr Mason said: 'She didn't really think anything romantically to start with. I didn't know anything about her and we talked all about her life and how she wants to help me.'

梅森先生说：“她刚开始时真的没想过要有什么恋爱关系。我一点也不了解她，我们只是谈论了她的生活，以及她想要如何帮助我。”

'It wasn't until the second conversation that I realised there was more there than just friends. She felt the same and brought up the idea of us being boyfriend and girlfriend.'

“直到第二次谈话时我才意识到我们并非普通的朋友关系。她也有同样的想法，还提出要做男女朋友的想法。”

Mr Mason says that he doesn't go for looks and finds Rebecca's determined attitude particularly attractive. He said: 'I am more interested in the person rather than the physical side of things.

梅森先生说他不看重外表，是丽贝卡的坚定态度深深吸引了他。他说：“我更喜欢一个人的内在思想，而非外在方面。”

'It is her personality, her drive and passion and she has a lovely smile that made me fall for her. It was hard for me to accept to start with because part of me is still trapped in this loose skin and I find it hard to understand how anyone can see through that.

“是她的个性、追求事物的动力和激情，还有甜美的微笑吸引了我。但我却很难接受从头开始恋爱，因为现在我还是一身松松垮垮的皮肤，我也很难明白怎么有人能看穿外表不受它影响。”

'We share the same ideas, interests, and outlook on life and she has made me look at life in a new way. I'm more determined than ever to get this operation and enjoy my life with her.'

“我们有同样的理想、爱好和对未来生活的希望，她教会我用新的角度看世界。我现在比任何时候都想接受除皮手术，和她幸福地生活在一起。”

'For a long time I couldn't really see light at the end of the tunnel. But since Rebecca's been in my life I've got a whole new sense of worth and excitement.'

“很长时间以来我的生活一片黑暗，看不到曙光。但自从丽贝卡出现在我的生活中后，我又感受到了存在的价值，对此我异常兴奋。”

Mr Mason ballooned to his incredible size by eating ten times the amount needed by a normal man due to a compulsive eating disorder. As his weight soared he was left unable to stand or walk before finally becoming bed-ridden and being looked after full time by council carers.

梅森先生曾患有强迫性暴食症，每天要吃十倍于正常男性的食物，因此身体严重走形。随着体重狂飙，他到后来无法站立行走，最终只能卧床不起，由志愿护理人员全天照料。

Firefighters had to demolish the front wall of his former home so they could drive a fork lift truck inside to lift him out and put him into an ambulance when he needed an operation in 2002.

2002年他需要做手术，由于身体庞大，消防队员只能拆除他家的一面墙，用叉车把他从家中抬出来，放进救护车里。

Mr Mason was later given a purpose-built housing association home with extra wide doorways so he could move around.

后来住宅协会向梅森先生提供了特制住宅，内设特宽门廊，以确保他能自由行走。