Chris Leppard has fought a public battle with his weight since being controversially sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

After hitting 33-stone as the result of a rare illness, the 24-year-old from Hastings knew that without drastic lifestyle changes, he would die young.

To his credit, he changed his ways. But he has now been hit with devastating news that threatens to derail his progress.

It was at the Conquest Hospital, St Leonards, that Chris Leppard received the shattering news that will alter his life forever.

Doctors told him that after years of supporting his colossal weight, both his legs will inevitably have to be amputated.

Chris, 24, was informed last week that his swollen, sore-covered legs now resemble those of an old man.

Unless he can achieve a dramatic about-turn, he will be confined to a wheelchair. Given the appalling circumstances, he is deeply depressed and uncertain about the future.

Yesterday he told The Argus: "I haven't taken the news very well, as you can imagine. I walked out of the hospital and didn't know what to do.

"The doctor said they are an old man's legs. He said they'll have to be amputated. Now I'm just waiting for the time to come when they'll be cut off. I can't explain how I feel."

For Chris, it is a blow that has come at the tail-end of a difficult year which has included the recent death of his 45-year-old uncle Steve Bennett.

Binman Mr Bennett was crushed to death between two dustcarts in Sevenoaks, Kent. The accident affected Chris and his family deeply.

Then there has been Chris's much-publicised battle to reduce his weight, a battle made harder because of the rare condition he suffers.

Chris's mother, Anne, 50, of Chiltern Drive, Hastings, said: "You could say it has been a difficult few weeks for all of us.

"When he was told by the doctor that he would inevitably have to have his legs amputated, he got really down. It's a terrible setback for him."

Chris suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome, an incurable and poorly-understood condition which compels him to eat almost constantly.

People with the hereditary condition fail to recognise when their bodies are full, leaving them craving food most of the time.

People with Prader-Willi have abnormally slow metabolisms, which means they should limit their daily food intake.

However, at the height of his illness, Chris's intake was up to 5,000 calories. Mrs Leppard said she would spend £25 a day on food, a total of more than £9,000 a year.

Chris hit national headlines in February when East Sussex social services sectioned him under the Mental Health Act.

He spent seven days at the Eastbourne Clinic in Grange Road, Eastbourne, after social services said it had acted for his own safety.

But, somewhat inevitably, his detention led to national newspaper headlines, including: Locked Up For Being Fat.

When doctors discharged Chris a week later after concluding he was free of any mental condition, he embarked on a radical lifestyle change. He and his mother also left with a determination to pursue social services through the courts after claiming Chris was sectioned without consultation - something which East Sussex County Council and East Sussex County Healthcare dispute.

With the help of his mother, a root-and-branch review of Chris's eating habits led to a drastic reduction in his fat and sugar intake.

Before then, he would gorge on an unhealthy mix of burgers and chips, crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks and greasy fry-ups.

In addition, he would snack on packets of biscuits and junk food throughout the day to satisfy his cravings.

But now he tries to stick to pasta, rice and other foods high in carbohydrates to make him feel fuller for longer.

He admits to still snacking on some of his favourite foods but has learned to do so in moderation.

Chris managed to drop to 28 stone from 33 within a few months, thanks also to his daily visits to Zeus Gym in Grand Parade, St Leonards.

However, news he faces both legs being amputated has derailed his progress and he has postponed his gym visits for two weeks.

It was not long ago that he hoped to lose enough weight to run the Hastings Half Marathon and London Marathon.

He said he still harboured those dreams but accepted he may never fulfill them given his terrible news.

Chris said: "I want to carry on but I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind at the moment. I'm going to leave it for a while and see what happens.

"Ideally, I would love to get my weight down to 18 stone. But I know that's going to be difficult and is going to take a lot of work. I'm still determined to do it, though, and I aim to get back on track as soon as possible, despite all the recent bad news I've had."

Mrs Leppard said: "I've been so proud of the progress Chris has made. He really has done well in managing what he eats better.

"Knowing he could soon lose both his legs has really hit him though. He was told that if he doesn't look after his legs, he will lose them or develop blood clots.

"Whichever way you look at it, it doesn't look good at all."

One helpful way of diverting his attention away from food is attending Hastings College five days a week on a basic skills course.

His mother said: "We just want him to look forward to the future knowing he will have two legs."