Aspiring radio and TV presenter Max Eden, 20, from Cheshire, weighed 21.5 stone in 2012, and youngsters would hurl abuse - such as 'Moobs!', 'Run, Fattie, run!' and 'It's Peter Griffin!' - at him in the street.But Max decided didn't want to be known as 'the fat one' forever, so dramatically turned his life around, losing almost half his body-weight in just 18 months.He now weighs under 12.5 stone and feel 'the fittest [he has] ever felt', and, having never paid much attention to fashion as a teenager, has even appeared in fashion shows in Manchester.Speaking to MailOnline, Max, who left school at the age of 16 to work in his family's delicatessen, said: 'From an early age I was never a big fan of sport, and would usually walk around the field while others would run, but I did not start putting on weight until about the age of 14 or 15.' He continued: 'I left school at the age of 16 and helped in my family's delicatessen where I was constantly surrounded by food. It was too big a temptation, and by the age of 18 I was 21.5 stone. I decided to do something about it.'Three things inspired Max to change. 'One was on the television,' he said, 'when someone was being interviewed and said he knew he'd never be a "thin person" and would always be "the fat one", which depressed me. I thought, I don't want to be "the fat one" and forever be fat.'The other thing that got me to change was at a music concert, when I stood up to dance and the people behind complained of a "fatty blocking their view". 'And the third was that whenever I went out for drinks with my mother, people would think we were a couple and that I was in my late 40s, even though I was in my teens.'Too frightened to go to the gym for fear of being teased, Max instead went for runs at night after dark. When he did run during the day he was harassed in the street by secondary school children yelling slurs such as 'Moobs!', 'Run, Fattie, Run!', and 'It's Peter Griffin!'.So Max persevered running at night, and once he had lost three stone rewarded himself with a gym membership, where he found members to be kind, welcoming and helpful rather than hostile.'It was one of the best decisions I have ever made,' he said.'I had built up this stereotype of gyms being for the best only and not social places, but I was wrong. I felt so welcomed and accepted and the more I trained, the better I felt.'Now, I am under 12.5 stone and feel the fittest I have ever felt. And I, a person who never thought about fashion, have even appeared as a model in catwalk shows!'I just hope that I can get some people who have given up to read this and give them some hope. I had given up at one point, but it is never too late. 'I hope that younger people read this and decide to can change, because it does change your life!'To those who don't think sport is 'their thing', Max said: 'I was the same, but I have since discovered sport again and love it. 'I think sometimes at school the sport you learn is daunting and boring, but all schools should encourage students to do any sort of sport they want, so long as it gets them active and fit.'Max is now training to be a radio and TV presenter, and would like to explore a career in modelling as well.'How amazing that just two years ago, I would have been embarrassed to even have my photo taken!'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az