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。