text: A mother-of-three who gained 12 stone after getting married when her binge eating problem became so bad that she hid calorific treats in her medicine cabinet has slimmed down to her pre-wedding weight. Julia Van Herck, 42, from Fulham, West London, underwent surgery after ballooning to 23 stone after tying the knot with Stefan in 1993. She wore a size 26 to size 28 and would regularly comfort eat tubs of ice-cream and family-sized pizzas because she was scared that her husband might leave her. Mum-of-three Julia Van Herck gained 12 stone (left, at her heaviest) after binge eating following post-natal depression and amid fears that her husband would leave her. She has since slimmed down to 11 stone (right) Julia (pictured above with actor and singer Darius Campbell) admits she used food as an 'emotional crutch' and would stash snacks away in hidden places so her family wouldn't discover her secret . Battling bouts of post-natal depression after having her children, Julia says she would sneak downstairs at night and gorge on calorie-laden treats, fearful her life was falling apart and she was going to split with Stefan. The fears proved unfounded and a health scare finally prompted her to lose weight. Julia said a turning point came in October 2012 when she contracted pneumonia and was taken to Charing Cross Hospital in London. 'I was pumped full of antibiotics and developed painful thrush all over my body,' she said. 'It was in my fingers, feet and mouth. 'It didn't clear for ages.' It was while she was in hospital that doctors offered her weight-loss surgery. Julia now weighs a healthy 11 stone and is a size 12. 'I used food as an emotional crutch,' she admits. 'My husband is from Belgium and when I married him in 1993 I went from a slim 11.5 stone to 18 stone within two years. 'I was homesick and I just kept eating. I suffered with post-natal depression and every time I had a child my binge eating worsened.' Julia says that a communication breakdown with her Stefan led her to devour her favourite snacks and by 2011, she'd reached rock bottom. 'There was no communication between me and my husband and I was really isolated. Food was my friend and I needed a friend. So I binged.' Julia can once again fit into the gown that she wore at her wedding to Stefan in 1993 (left) when she weighed 11.5 stone. The slimmer, who underwent weight loss surgery, says she's a new woman, right . Julia feared her life was falling apart and used food as a way of escaping her woes . Mum to Zachary, ten, Ciaran, 16, and Letitia, 19, Julia gorged on sugary foods. 'I was heavily addicted to sugar. Biscuits, cakes, ice-cream...I loved it all. The only savoury thing I ate was pizza. If I was on a binge cycle I would eat crisps and cereal.' The situation got so bad that Julia would hide food from her family so they were unaware of how bad her eating had got. 'I hid food in the medicine cabinet so my family didn't know what I was doing.They didn't know I was buying extra. Looking back my husband must have been aware. The carer described her eating as 'a form of self-harm'. 'Ice cream was my biggest splurge,' she said. 'I would eat a family-sized pizza and two tubs of ice cream in an hour. I couldn't stop.' Doctors agreed that Julia could be a candidate for weight loss surgery but first they said that she had to shed some pounds. So, in January 2013 she started only drinking juice. She was inspired by the story of Joe Cross, an Australian who weighed more than 22 stone but lost more than seven stone by sticking to a juice diet. He wrote a book, Fat, Sick And Nearly Dead, which Mrs Van Herck heard about. 'This led to me losing weight and wanting to eat fruit and vegetables,' she said. 'I even started exercising.' Just look at us now: Julia and husband Stefan decided they wanted to stay together and Julia realised that all the fears that she'd had were just down to a lack of confidence . Life overhaul: Julia now eats healthier foods and even goes to the gym and has a new wardrobe . By October 2013 she was four stone lighter and doctors agreed she could undergo weight loss surgery at St Mary's Hospital in London, which proved successful. Now she weighs 11 stone and loves healthy food. She never binges. 'I realised I had been causing myself pain by eating,' she said. 'Now I am much happier. I buy smaller clothes and feel confident in myself.' And to prove just how far she has come, Julia has stepped back into her bridal gown after rekindling her relationship with Stefan. 'I spoke to my husband and he didn't want to split up. It was in my head because I wasn't confident. 'I've stopped taking anti-depressants for the first time in my life.' The sky's the limit now, it seems: 'I've even started going to the gym and can now run much further than I used to be able to walk without losing breath. I'm a new woman.' The NHS said: 'Binge eating is an eating disorder where a person feels compelled to overeat on a regular basis through regular binges. 'People who binge eat consume very large quantities of food over a short period of time, even when they are not hungry. 'Binges are often planned in advance and can involve the person buying 'special' binge foods.' Joe Cross' new film Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2 will air on Channel 5, 7pm on  April 21.
target: Julia Van Herck used to binge on tubs of ice cream and family-sized pizzas .
  Mum-of-three blamed post-natal blues and 'not talking' to her husband .
  Wake-up call came in 2011 when a bout of pneumonia knocked her for six .
  Weight-loss surgery followed and now Julia weighs just 11 stone .