Club 18-30 (stone) launched to help the overweight cope

It is the Club 18-30 holiday with a big difference. The guest at this resort are, how shall we put it, on the large side. A new hotel has opened catering specially for guests who weigh between 18 and 30 stones so they can enjoy a holiday without worrying about taunts and insults from fellow travellers.

The Resort, on the Caribbean island of Eleuthera, is custom built for large sizes, with chairs that are a metre wide, extra-wide room doorways and steel reinforced bedframes and sunloungers.

It also features an eat what you want buffet serving comfort food three times a day.

The resort, which claims to be the world’s only hotel built exclusively for plus sized people, is designed to help guests not only feel more comfortable on holiday, but re-evaluate their bodies and their self-image.

James King, the owner of The Resort, said: “It’s a sanctuary. It’s a place where you can come and have a good holiday without any judgement whatsoever.”

A group of British tourists is now set to test his promise as part of a new ITV series, The 18-30 Stone Holiday.

The programme says the group will undergo a “radical new approach to confronting the prejudice they often encounter because of their size. They’ll be challenged to face their innermost fears, and inspired to find a new confidence to overcome their inhibitions, in a week that could transform their lives”.

Activities at the resort, which has its own private five mile beach away from prying eyes, will include group therapy sessions, sharing their worst photographs and receiving counselling on body issues from Mel Cohen, a size 27 model from Glasgow.

In the group of Britons featured in the programme are Adam, 32, and his wife Ami, 28, from Stoke-on-Trent, weigh 22-stone and 24-stone respectively.

They says going to The Resort is their chance for a second honeymoon.

Ami says: “Our honeymoon was spent rowing. We rowed a lot over me not wanting to go to the pool because I could see that there were people there who looked immaculate.”

She was so mortified by how she looked that she deleted almost every photo of their honeymoon.

Adam is hoping that during the week at The Resort, Ami will finally pluck up the courage to reveal her body in public for the first time.

“We’re a pair, and if she’s hurting, I’m hurting. If she can’t enjoy herself, I can’t,” said Adam.

Another of those taking part suffers from such low confidence because of his weight that he twice cancelled his wedding day.

Dane, 27, who weighs 31-stone, turned to food as an emotional crutch after his parents divorced when he was 10-years-old.

He says: “There’s definitely a cycle of eating comfort food. Hating myself, and eating some comfort food, then hating myself again for eating that comfort food.”

“I want to have the chance to do the things I want to do, like be able to get married to the love of my life Helen. We have planned for a couple of weddings before but I guess my insecurities have stopped that from going on.”

Included in the group is plus-size model Holly Macgillivray, 27, from Ruthin in Denbighshire, who wants to help her fellow guests feel more comfortable with their bodies.

"I'm not shy but I wanted to go on there to show not all fat people are ugly, they can have nice make-up and clothes and give a positive image.

"I always say you can be happy at any size. Go out into the moment, there are worse things you can be than fat,” said the 20 and a half stone model.

She added however: “My size has got me down and it still does sometimes. Like anyone you always have your days when you feel down or you don’t like what clothes you are wearing and you just can’t leave the house.”

*My 18 – 30 Stone Holiday airs on ITV on Tuesday, October 24 at 9pm.