The sports stars whose bodies transformed

  

Carl Pettersson, after and before: Bigger really is better

Swedish golf star Carl Pettersson was one of the brightest young talents in the game a couple of years ago, but spent most of the last three years struggling for form.

He's got his mojo back now, though, with a victory in the famous Heritage Classic at the weekend at Harbour Town, one of the trickiest courses on the US Tour.

And in a move which will delight yo-yo dieters everywhere, he credited his victory to a new junk food diet that has seen him gain a pile of weight.

It turns out that when the portly Pettersson embarked upon a new diet and fitness regime a few years ago, his new body shape just simply didn't work for his golf swing.

"In '08 I had a good year. I won Greensboro that year. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do to get to the next level and fitness, and I really started working out and eating better, and I lost 30 pounds very quickly," he recalled, adding that the new physique "threw my timing off".

"That was during the off-season, and it really threw my golf game. In '09 I played terrible, I finished 150-something on the money list."

The solution? "Well, you drink 10 beers and eat a tub of ice cream before you go to bed," he chuckled after his win, and back to his old size.

Pettersson is not the first sports star to undergo an unusual body transformation to find success - though sometimes it works better than others. Here's our pick of the top 10 body shocks in sport:

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Nick Faldo: Musclebound

The English golf superstar had everything going for him in 1990: number one in the world, the Claret Jug for winning The Open sitting on his mantelpiece and the Green Jacket for winning the Masters in his wardrobe - not to mention a bank account loaded with money.

The only thing lacking was a bit of length off the tee, so he hit the gym at the end of the season and bulked up massively - not to mention incredibly quickly, discovering that his metabolism was ideal for building up his guns. "It was amazing how my body changed with such little work," he said. "I'm one of those people who, if I went into a gym, would be making Schwarzenegger movies."

The only problem? As his muscles came his previously glorious touch on the putting greens went, and Faldo's career went into a sharp decline. He slimmed down in the winter of 1991 back to his previous weight, and 1992 became one of the best years of his career.

Ronnie Lott: Fingers are for wimpsRonnie Lott: Finger amputation

The American football legend - a four-times Super Bowl winner - had the little finger on his left hand crushed in a tackle in the 1985 season. He needed a bone graft to fix the problem, but was told that he would not heal in order to play in the 1986 season. So he took the leftfield choice: Lott demanded that surgeons amputate the end of his finger to let him play on. The gamble paid off: he had one of the best seasons of his career, leading the league for interceptions and earning spots on the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams at the end of the season.

Bradley Wiggins: Skinnier winner

The British cyclist was a gold medal-winning track cycling star at the Beijing Olympics, but it was success in the Tour de France that really drove him on. He decided that he was simply too bulky - as track cyclists tend to be - to compete in the Grand Tours, so shed a stone and a half to become a lean, mean pedalling machine. Wiggins has already had his reward: he finished fourth in the Tour de France in 2009 and third in the Vuelta a Espana last year and is expected to challenge in the sport's biggest events again this season.

Simona Halep: Boob job

Before: Male fans. After: Trophies.

The Romanian tennis star has rocketed up the rankings since going under the knife three years ago to reduce her 32DD assets to a more manageable 32C. Her legion of male fans were distraught - they actually started a petition to get her to change her mind when news of the impending surgery came out - but the star herself has no regrets. And not surprising, considering that she has gone from outside the world's top 200 to inside the top 50.

"My ability to react quickly was worse and my breasts made me uncomfortable," she explained. "It's the weight that troubles me. My ability to react quickly, my breasts made me uncomfortable when I play. I don't like them in my everyday life, either. I would have gone for surgery even if I hadn't been a sportswoman."

Andrew Flintoff: Weighty problem

Freddie Flintoff shows off his newly trim physique in 2002The all-rounder had broken into the England team in 1998 despite his massive 17-stone frame, with his size prompting his 'Freddie' nickname in tribute to Fred Flinstone.  He always seemed fine about it, even joking that his performance was "not bad for a fat lad" when he was named Man of the Match after an ODI against Zimbabwe.

But with the England hierarchy unhappy with his lack of fitness he was dropped in 2001. He promptly hit the gym, trimmed right down and regained his place within a year, celebrating another critical performance in a tight victory against India by pulling his shirt off and running around Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

Andy FordhamAndy Fordham: Another weighty problem

The former darts world champion and pub landlord from Kent shed an astonishing 17 stone in 2007 - a feat he managed mainly by cutting down from 40 bottles of beer a day to none. But while he has probably extended his life by several years (if not decades) his massive weight loss completely ruined his feel on the oche and he has never again shone at the top level.

Top 5 things that drive men crazy

        Men love women. They do. But that doesn’t mean women don’t drive them crazy. Even after oceans of ink have been spilled about how the two sexes can better understand and accept each other, women still find ways to annoy men — and vice versa. Here are the top five ways she’s making you crazy right now. Ladies, are you guilty of any of these irritating behaviors? 

1. Game-playing/manufacturing drama. There are lots of ways to create drama and excitement in a relationship, but men aren’t usually fans — unless said excitement involves clothing removal. “Asking too much too soon about his past relationships” is one way women drive men nuts and create drama, says Dr. Linda R. Young, Ph.D., a psychologist and relationship coach who blogs forPsychology Today. Making him late by taking too long to get ready is another. Getting irrationally jealous over platonic friends or running hot, then cold with no explanation are just a few more. 

Whether the drama is minor or significant, men would rather skip it. “I think these [behaviors] exist because men and women don’t have the skills to live beyond the ‘game-playing’ they learned as adolescents, which is perpetuated by the media,” explains Marni Battista, expert dating coach and founder of DatingWithDignity.com. “It takes an entire toolkit of advanced skills to create truly win-win situations in relationships. A person who doesn’t have these skills will always go to those old ‘default’ tendencies to fill the void.” And thus, drama is born.




Ask yourself: Have I recently thrown either an object or a tantrum? If the answer is “yes,” you might be a drama queen. Take it down a notch by talking to your partner about why you’re feeling so angry and exactly what you need to feel calmer in the relationship. If you’re the one dealing with a drama queen, tell her you’re happy to discuss problems like an adult but you’re not interested in entertaining a whole restaurant with her shenanigans. If she doesn’t calm down, tell her to audition for a reality show and leave you alone. 

2. Expecting the man to pay for everything. Most men don’t mind picking up the check early on in a courtship, but after a few dates, it’s nice for a woman to offer to contribute financially — especially if exclusivity has been established. Men like to be generous, but they don’t like to be taken for suckers, especially if the woman they’re seeing has a good job. As a corollary to this one, “Men are often put off by women trying to get a sense early on about what he does for a living and how much he earns,” says Dr. Seth Meyers, a Los Angeles-based psychologist and author of Dr. Seth’s Love Prescription. Men are people, too. If they feel they’re being sized up for more shallow, resume-type qualities, they’ll be annoyed. 

3. “Wanting to know ‘where the relationship is going’ before he’s ready to say, or before he knows himself,” is a big one, according to Dr. Young. Dating is supposed to be a chance to get to know another person. It’s not a guarantee of finding a certain kind of relationship, and women who treat it this way drive men nuts. It’s almost as if the woman is selling herself short — after all, you can’t help but ask why a lady would want some kind of commitment from someone she doesn’t really know yet. Why is her “audition process” so short? Likewise, “Men often get bothered with women asking or talking about their beliefs about marriage and children early in the dating process,” observes Meyers. It puts too much pressure on what should be the fun part of getting to know someone when the end goal is the only thing a woman wants to focus on. 

If the relationship isn’t likely to blossom into something steady and he’s upfront about that, a man wants the woman to hear what he’s saying and take him at face value. “Men are frustrated by women who don’t really believe them when they say, ‘I’m not in a place to have a relationship, but I really like hanging out with you,’” says Battista. “A man will give this ‘disclaimer’ and then be irritated when the woman finds she can’t change him, then begins to get angry that he hasn’t met her expectations.” If a woman wants to know how a man really feels and then gets hysterical after an honest response, it’s enough to — you guessed it — drive him crazy. 

4. Being controlling. “Correcting him on little details when he’s got the big picture right,” adds Dr. Young, is another thing that drives men bonkers. It’s often true that women are better at multitasking, but that doesn’t mean they have to run every detail of the show. A man will get frustrated if a woman asks him to do something then won’t give him a chance to do it his way. The real show-stopper is when she then claims she “has to do everything around here!” If this situation sounds familiar, how can you improve it? 

“If you want to put a stop to people’s annoying behavior, you first have to make them aware of it,” says Marc Muchnick, Ph.D., author of No More Regrets! 30 Ways to Greater Happiness and Meaning in Your Life. “Often, people don’t realize that what they are doing is bugging you, so when you tell them, it may come as a surprise.” So tell your significant other that she has to trust you if she doesn’t want to plan every meal, vacation and weekend you spend together, guys. Then do a good job with the task — in your own way, of course — and she just might back off. 

5. Not getting enough “guy time.” In ancient cultures, men often spent most of their time with other men while the women socialized with each other. That, as we all know, has changed. And it’s hard for some men to accept. They want their guy time, and it’s rough when women don’t respect that. As long as “guys’ night out” isn’t a code for regularly losing thousands of dollars gambling or paying for strippers, men deserve to have time with their male friends. Deciding exactly how much time is appropriate should be left up to each couple. Remind her that time spent away from each other means the time you do have together will be that much richer — especially with funny stories about the ridiculous thing your buddy Paulie did last weekend. The key is, be reasonable. If you want more guy time than gal time, maybe having a wife or a girlfriend isn’t in the cards for you. 

5 Grossest Spa Treatments

     In the Siberian city of Krasnoyars, snail slime is the fountain of youth. At a spa in the Russian metropolis, African mollusks of varying sizes are placed on the face and body. Their excretions, rich in glycolic acid and elastin, are believed to reduce wrinkles, scars and signs of aging. Unfortunately, the procedure also increases the signs of snails on your face.

                           In China, fish have been doing the job of spa professionals for years. Recently, a Virginia salon took a cue from the country and installed foot baths swarming with dead-skin-chewing carp. A 30-minute fish pedi will run you $50. That's about a dollar per fish. 
                  Back in China, they don't stop at the feet. At Dr. Fish, a hot spring resort in the Chongqing Municipality, spa-goers soak their entire bodies in freshwater fish baths. Their exfoliating effects (gnawing off dead skin with abandon) leave patrons with what's been described as a "healthy glow."

                 Snake full body massage

This is either your worst fear or Lady Gaga's next VMA outfit. But a $90 relaxing spa treatment? It's hard to believe. At a spa in Israel, three different kinds of non-venomous snakes are unleashed on the face and back a customer. Their slithering, muscular movements are said to smooth out cramped muscles and stiff joints.

                              If you want to make it palatable, you can call it hirudotherapy. But what we're talking about are leeches on your face. The outdated medical procedure of applying blood-sucking slugs to the skin has made a comeback inbeauty spas in Russia. For up to $1000 you can improve blood flow and channel the anti-inflammatory properties of leech saliva. 

Five year-old girl becomes UK’s youngest victim of forced marriage

A girl of five has become the youngest victim of forced marriage, a shocking new report revealed.

She is one of 400 children in the UK to have been forced into marriage last year, the government’s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) said.

Under-18s made up 29% of 1500 forced marriage cases that the FMU dealt with last year, with the majority between the ages of 15 and 17.

An 87-year-old woman was the oldest person to have sought advice from the FMU related to a possible forced marriage.

Of those assisted by the unit, which is dedicated to the prevention of forced marriage both overseas and in the UK, 78% were female and 22% male

The FMU report showed that the majority of cases involved families from South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

A forced marriage is where one or both people do not consent to the union and pressure or abuse is used.

While it is not a criminal offence to force someone to enter a forced marriage in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it is illegal in Scotland.

David Cameron said last year he wants to see forced marriage criminalised and a public consultation on the matter is due to be published later in the year.

A video created by the British High Commission in Islamabad has been created to raise awareness on the issue of forced marriages.

The animated video entitled ‘Sara’s Story’ tells the tale of a young woman from Pakistan who is fresh out of a British university with a bright future ahead of her. 

But when she returns to Pakistan she is coerced into an unhappy marriage with a man who is 15 years older than her while her parents just stand by.

Snow Forecast As UK's Early Summer Vanishes

Early signs of summer that brought a record-breaking heatwave are set to be replaced by much chillier weather across the UK - withsnow predicted in some parts.

After temperatures in one town plunged by more than 13C, forecasters say snow could hit several areas during the week.

Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire, saw the mercury reach 23.6C (74.5F) on March 27 - the third successive day the record for the month was broken .

The same region experienced temperatures of just 7C (44.6F) on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the country temperatures struggled to get into double figures and forecasters say conditions are unlikely to improve in the near future.

Although temperatures will be above the seasonal average in most places, Arctic winds could see rain turn to snow over the Scottish Highlands.

There may also be snow in northern England on Monday night and Tuesday. 

Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "Most places will be dry overnight, with a frost for southern Britain, but northern and central Scotland will have outbreaks of rain, with snow possible over the mountains.

"It's set to turn even colder during the week, with daytime temperatures in single figures across the UK by Wednesday.

"It'll feel even colder in the brisk wind. There'll also be some snow, which is not uncommon in April.

"Tomorrow, Scotland will have showers, but more prolonged rain will affect the north during the afternoon, bringing snow to the hills and eventually some lower levels.

"The Grampians and the Highlands are likely to see significant accumulations of snow later.

"The rest of Britain and Ireland will be cloudy, with a scattering of rain showers, but southern England will stay dry, with sunny spells.

"It'll turn cold across the north of Britain, particularly in northern Scotland.

"But there certainly looks to be a big change from the warm and sunny conditions we've been used to."

The change in weather came as it was confirmed March was the sunniest since 1929 after 187 hours of sunshine.

The only years to have a warmer March in the past 100 years were 1938, 1948, 1957, 1990 and 1997.