24 STONE AT 14

WHEN Mohammed Ali was born he weighed a bouncing 10lb 4oz. By the age of seven he was nine stone. And at 10 he tipped the scales at 12.

Now doctors at a child obesity clinic in the Midlands have put him on a strict low-fat diet - and it finally seems to be working.The more he was taunted at school, the more he ate... piling on the weight. In one year, between the ages of 12 and 13, he put on an incredible four stone.The higher cheese prices have exacerbated pressure companies already face from higher wages and fuel costs, Chris Sternberg, spokesman for Louisville, Ky.-based PapaSNACKS: Apple or grapes or tangerines, low-fat yoghurts, two cream crackers, Weight-Watchers snack bar.The higher cheese costs are the result of an economic chain reaction. Prices for milk, a key ingredient in cheese, have gone up - a result of higher feed grain costs for dairy cattle herds, Rob Hainer, spokesman for the Atlanta-based Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, told The Associated Press. In particular, corn prices have risen amid growing demand for ethanol fuel, he said. Also fueling higher cheese costs has been strong U.S. and global demand for dairy products, he said."There's some definite room to the upside," said analyst David Zaslaysky, projecting that block cheddar cheese prices could reach $2.15 to $2.20 a pound in late summer.Where it was once Sushi, Mexican food, or other, you aint nobody if you don't have a wood fired oven today. The latest trend isn't a new invention either, it originated hundreds of years ago, and its claims of giving food a new flavourful lease of life do not go unsubstantiated. An authentic wood fired oven, or brick pizza oven , combines oven porosity, high temperatures and aroma's from burning wood, to intensely cook pizza's in less than 90seconds, seal flavours into roast meats and bake breads to perfection. The dishes from a wood fired oven seem endless.Even school staff watch what he eats - so there is no cheating.For Jennifer LeClair, a mother of four teenagers, milk is a necessity she's just unwilling to do without. "If worse came to worse I might cut back on some of my other groceries – cookies or treats, that we can live without. And really. if you're talking 20 cents a gallon that may be a dollar or two a week. It's not that big of a deal given its importance?'SNACKS: Five bars chocolate, three bags crisps, 10 custard cream biscuits.Veteran pizza makers used to casually eyeball the amounts of cheese heaped onto pizzas, but now everyone has to be more meticulous - pouring cheese into measuring cups.John's, told AP.Mohammed is getting out and about on his bike and has ditched his sugary, high-fat diet for grilled fish, salad, vegetables, fruit and yoghurts.TEA: Baked or grilled fish with vegetables or fish pie with salad or roast breast of chicken with vegetables and one roast potato.TEA: Chips or pasta or roast dinner with lots of mashed potato or five roast spuds.DRINKS: One pint of full-fat milk, five cans cola. Bottle of cream soda, limeade or blackcurrant fizzy drink. Three milkshakes."I have a problem and really want to lose weight," says Mohammed, from Birmingham.Watch out, girls!According to state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Taylor. $4-a-gallon milk may not be out of the question before summer's end, but thus far, the impact on retailers and consumers has not been dramatic enough to affect sales. Prices at supermarkets in southern portions of the state vary from a low of $2.79 for a gallon of store-brand whole milk to $3.65 or higher for a gallon of brand-name whole milk.The story is different for consumers of a milk product - cheese, specifically mozzarella cheese.While rising cost of feed, fuel, power and other variables that go into operating a dairy farm have had a significant impact on the amount of money remaining in the pockets of farmers after selling their milk, it's actually the U.S. Department ofBREAKFAST: Bowl of corn flakes or Rice Krispies with semi- skimmed milk or one piece of toast with no butter.Now, at 14, the youngster cruelly dubbed Ground Trembler by some classmates, weighs almost 24 STONE and is the fattest teenager in Britain.Mohammed's daily diet used to consist of fish and chips, burgers, roast chicken, pizzas and baguettes.Mohammed adds: "I've stuck to my diet for three weeks and think I've lost a few pounds."The prices may have crept up a little, but not enough to make a difference in our milk sales," said Janice Clark, manager of Harvest Market in Bedford. "Milk is just one of those staples you can't do without"LUNCH: Chicken or tuna and salad sandwich.DIET THENThe fuel efficient, commercial Gio range of ovens by the Stone Bake Oven Company, come in four different sizes to suit the demands of any catering establishment. Whether a sole means of cooking, or an addition to a catering kitchen for a seasonal menu, the Gio range is capable of achieving a vast range of cooking techniques and reducing cooking times.Agriculture that sets dairy prices based on commodities market trading of cheese, butter and milk powder.He said cheese prices could level off or retreat slightly in the fourth quarter.All washed down with fizzy drinks and milkshakes.d.sherwood@mgn.co.uk

d.sherwood@mgn.co.uk

Author: DEBORAH SHERWOOD Senior Writer