Snooker star Shaun Murphy has opened up on the abuse that ultimately led him to undergoing a life-changing stomach operation. The 40-year-old revealed he has struggled with his weight throughout his life and opted to have a gastric sleeve procedure during the summer.
The operation involves removing a large part of the stomach, limiting the ability to consume excessive amounts. During an appearance on BBC Sport's Framed podcast, the 2005 world champion explained what led him to have the surgery at this time in his life and expressed regret for not doing it sooner.
"I just wish I had done it 20 years ago, because it does feel as if it's changed my life for the better," Murphy said. "I've struggled with my weight all my life. I was the fat kid in school, I feel like I've been dieting ever since I was 15, probably younger, and I just reached the end of my tether with it.
"I'd reached the bottom of my mental health, I was on the ground. I was very close to going to the doctor about depression, anxiety, not being able to go out, because I was getting shouted at in the street. On social media people were sending me horrific messages and comments and direct messages on Instagram and Twitter.
"And in the end I just thought, I need to do something about this, this is going to be the end of me, mentally and possibly physically." It has been a tough year for Murphy, who was lambasted on social media last year after claiming it was wrong for amateur players to be entered into professional events.
Following a long battle with his weight which coincided with his mental taking a turn for the worse, Murphy decided to go under the knife after exhausting all other avenues. "I've lost weight, gained weight pretty much consistently for the last 20 years and I've tried every diet going," Murphy added.
"I've tried being very cautious and careful in calorie counting, I've been to various clubs and saw success with those methods. It was just always the maintenance of keeping weight off that I struggled with. When you're away on tour you're eating late, you're often eating rubbish, and I've just been unable to discipline myself.
"I just ran out of patience with it. At the World Championships this year I'd ballooned to nearly 20 stone, so I just knew I had to do something about it. There are three or four types [of gastric surgery] - I wanted the most extreme one, the one that is irreversible. Because my stomach's now so small, it's highly unlikely I'll ever be able to physically consume enough calories in one go to put the weight back on."
Since the surgery, the Tripe Crown champion has felt better than ever and has shed four stone in the following three and a half months. "I can now eat whatever I want, but I can literally eat very, very little of it," he said.
"I couldn't tell you the last time I finished a coffee as I can't physically take that much liquid in one go - if I sit there with a pint of Guinness, I'll still be sipping away at my first pint while everyone else is on their third. So I can still do all the same things. But whereas I would have eaten the whole packet of biscuits before and then been looking for a packet of crisps, that's me done."
