An obese woman who comfort ate her way to 23 stone has revealed she was shocked into losing weight after being left humiliated by a group of strangers.

Emily Case, from Folkestone, Kent, went on to shed 13 stone after a car full of men wound down their vehicle window and shouted 'Oi, fatty!' before launching kebabs at her.

The incident shocked 22-year-old nail technician into finally doing something about her size and she joined Slimming World, started eating healthily and exercising - and is now 10st 3lb and dropped nine dress sizes to a size 10.

Emily Case was mortified when, at 23st a group of strangers threw a kebab at her in the street, the incident encouraged her to slim down to a just over 10st and a slender size 10

However, Emily was so concerned she would pile on the pounds again, she used her savings to pay for a gastric-bypass operation.

Emily revealed that she had always battled with her size and had suffered years of torment before the kebab attack - spending her spare cash on sweets and comfort eating puddings and biscuits.

She said: 'I'd always struggled with my weight. I was bullied for being fat at school, and my mum had to take me to Slimming World when I was just 13.

'Although my mum cooked healthy meals, I'd spend all of my pocket money on sweets.

'By the time I was 17, I weighed 17st and the weight just piled on. Soon, I was 23st 6lb and a massive size 28.'

Embarrassed by her size, Emily shunned social events and comfort ate puddings and biscuits.

Emily says that she always struggled with her weight and was bullied from a young age leading her to comfort eat on puddings and biscuits. Pictured here with boyfriend Jamie Jones

Doctors informed Emily she had hyperthyroidism causing her to gain weight and so she decided to tackle her size losing two stone in six months thanks to diet and exercise

But the turning point came in late 2013, when she and her boyfriend of four years, yardman Jamie Jones, 23, visited Dover to see a friend.

Whilst Emily walked ahead down a high street, a group of men drove past and threw a kebab at her.

Emily said: 'It was absolutely mortifying. The fact that absolute strangers could humiliate me like that was really upsetting - it felt like I was back with the bullies on the school playground.

Determined to lose more weight Emily spent her £11,000 savings on gastric-bypass surgery

'I couldn't even bring myself to tell Jamie what had happened. He never commented on my weight and always told me that I was beautiful, but it was hard to feel attractive when everyone else clearly thought I was disgusting.

'I knew then that I couldn't go on being ashamed of my size. I had to do something.'

Emily visited her GP, and was told she suffered from hyperthyroidism, a condition that slows down metabolism and can cause weight gain.

Over the next six months, Emily managed to lose two stone through diet, exercise and thyroid medication.

But after worrying that she wouldn't be able to keep the weight off, she began to consider gastric-bypass surgery.

Emily was eligible for the operation on the NHS. However, as she was unwilling to spend another two years completing the compulsory weight management course, she opted to use her £11,000 savings to undergo the operation privately at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital in June 2013.

She said: 'I couldn't wait any longer to do something about my weight. I knew that my huge size was putting a lot of pressure on my body, and I didn't want to compromise my health anymore.'

For two weeks prior to the operation, Emily was only permitted to consume four pints of semi-skimmed milk, a pot of jelly and a cup of Bovril per day in order to shrink her liver.

Then once the operation was complete, she began a liquid diet - slowly introducing solid foods after seven weeks.

The weight soon began to drop off and she lost over a stone in the first week alone.

Emily said: 'It was amazing, and really gave me the confidence to keep going. Obviously I missed all of my favourite foods, but I knew it would be worth it in the end.

Within a year Emily reached her target weight of 10st 3lb and has dropped nine dress sizes to a size 10

'In time, I also began to go running and work out on my Wii-Fit.'

A year on, Emily has reached her target weight of 10st 3lb and has dropped nine dress sizes to a size 10.

Now, instead of hiding her body in leggings and baggy jumpers, she loves showing it off in dresses and skinny jeans.

Emily said: 'I've never felt more confident in myself. Losing weight has completely changed my life.

Emily, pictured at 23 stone, said: 'I'll never go back to being so big again. While it was horrible at the time, that kebab has completely transformed my life'

'It's not even all about the way that I look. My improved health has meant that I could take up horse riding again, which I had to give up before because I was too heavy. Plus I run up to 10 miles per week.

'People say that a gastric-bypass is the easy option, but I've had to put a lot of work in myself. It takes a lot of self-discipline to stick to my diet, and I'll never be able to eat the same again.

'I can only eat a small plate of food, and nothing that is high in sugar or fat.'

And Emily isn't the only person to appreciate her weight loss - boyfriend Jamie loves it too.

She added: 'I know that Jamie loves me for who I am, and not for my weight. But he has told me how wonderful he thinks I look, which is a big confidence boost.