A bodybuilder, who gorged on junk food and drank eight cans of energy drink to gain weight, died of liver cancer caused by years of steroid abuse.

Fitness enthusiast Dean Wharmby, 39, from Rochdale, died in July after a five and a half year long battle with with his illness.

Obsessed with gaining size, to obtain the perfect bodybuilder's physique, he survived on a 10,000 calorie a day diet of burgers, pizzas and bacon sandwiches - washed down with seven to eight cans of energy drink.

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Peak of his powers: Dean Wharmby, pictured, when on steroids and at the top of his bodybuilding game

Final days: Mr Wharmby, pictured with partner Charlotte Rigby, in bed towards the end of his battle with cancer

The dad of one also took anabolic steroids to boost his energy and sculpt his muscles - something coroner Lisa Hashmi said was a 'direct cause' of his death.

At his inquest Mrs Hashmi said Mr Wharmby's death should serve as a reminder to people of the dangerous of using steroids.

She said: 'I find on the balance of probabilities that in such a fit, health-conscious young man the most probable cause of his liver tumours was the misuse of anabolic steroids.

'To my mind, there is a direct, causal link with Dean's death.

'Dean's death and the precious loss of such a young life in such circumstances ought to send out a very clear message to all those involved in the body building and fitness industries.

'Use of anabolic steroids, which is apparently rife throughout, is not without inherent risk.

'I would urge all those using and abusing such drugs to reconsider their position and ask whether it is really worth it given the life-threatening risks.'

Towards the end of his life Mr Wharmby had reverted to natural medicine, including spiritual healing and reiki, and at one point he was taking 200 natural remedy tablets a day.

His partner Charlotte Rigby said that when she first met Dean eight years ago, she had suspicions he had used steroids because of his muscular build, but said when they got together in 2010, he was trying to stop taking the drugs.

She told the inquest: 'Being big was what everyone knew Dean for.

'I didn't know the ins and outs, but I knew a lot of people who were using it. It was the done thing because of the benefits people could see with their bodies.'

Big Character: Ms Rigby, pictured here with Mr Wharmby, said that her partner was known for his size

Battle: Mr Wharmby, pictured, fought against his illness for over five years and turned to natural medicine

Dean and Charlotte chronicled his battle with cancer on a Facebook page called 'Dean's Journey' which attracted around 10,000 followers.

Uploading moving videos and staying positive through the ordeal, he also posted about his unique approach to fighting the cancer by using natural medicine, taking vitamins and adopting a strict diet which involved cutting out sugar and meat.

When talking to MailOnline in March, Mr Wharmby explained why he first adopted his unorthodox calorie filled diet when working out.

He said: 'It was because I was trying to be as big as possible. I can't say it was the diet for sure, but things like the energy drinks could be contributing factors. Red meats - all things we have found out have so many impurities in them now.

'I think it was a combination of it all.'

Mr Wharmby had been a bodybuilder for 20 years before he became ill.

In the beginning, he admits to taking steroids for about a year to create his physique because 'everybody did it'.

But he soon turned his back on them, as he began to build his personal training business.

It was then his diet took a turn for the worse.

'I could train seven clients in a day, back-to-back,' he said. 'Then I would have to have the energy to train myself.'

Physique: Former bodybuilder Dean Wharmby, 39, pictured, in the gym before he was diagnosed with cancer

Family affair: Mr Wharmby, pictured during his healthier days, having fun with his daughter Scarlett

Loving father: Mr Wharmby, pictured, reading a book with his five year old daughter Scarlett

He added: 'I was constantly on the go.'

Mr Wharmby found the energy from seven to eight cans of energy drink while eating every two hours.

And while some of it was typical bodybuilder fare - protein shakes, eggs and chicken - other bits were less conventional.

Mr Wharmby would grab a McDonalds for a snack, and a pizza on the way home - which he would eat while his girlfriend of five years cooked dinner.

At his biggest, he was 20 stone.

Man at work: Mr Wharmby, pictured while still a body builder, outside the fitness centre he worked at

On the Go: Mr Wharmby, pictured, said that at one point he had the energy to train seven clients in one day

But then he became unwell five-and-a-half years ago, and doctors discovered a growth.

He was offered chemotherapy and a liver transplant, but he decided to turn both down in favour of natural remedies.

He said: 'I refused it from day one. The main reason why I chose to do natural instead of artificial was because I wanted to live. I didn't want to die.'

However, that meant he needed to completely rethink his diet, which was full of 'acidic foods' - which he believed helped cancers thrive.

SHORT TERM GAIN LONG TERM PAIN: THE DANGERS OF STEROID ABUSE Anabolic steroids are taken to increase muscle mass and athletic performance. They can cause serious side effects and can become very addictive. Classed as a category C drug, anabolic steroids can only be sold by pharmacists to someone with a prescription. It is illegal to import or possess the drugs, if it is believed you are going to sell them. The penalty can be a heavy fine or even prison time. Steroids can be taken by an injection into the muscle, in pill form or they can also be applied by use of a cream or gel. Side effects to steroid abuse for men are a reduced sperm count, infertility, shrunken testicles, erectile disfunction, baldness, severe acne, breast development, increased risk of developing prostate cancer and stomach pain. Side effects for women are facial hair growth and body hair, loss of breasts, swelling of the clitoris, a deepened voice, an increased sex drive, problems with periods, hair loss and severe acne. Psychological and emotional effects include aggressive behaviour, mood swings, manic behaviour, hallucinations and delusions. Advertisement

And for a year, it was successful: Mr Wharmby's tumour disappeared.

'But I got complacent,' he admitted. 'The old lifestyle crept in again.'

In 2013, he collapsed outside the gym where he was working as a trainer, and rushed to hospital.

For the majority of the next year, he returned to his healthy lifestyle.

But then things started to go wrong: he broke up with his girlfriend briefly, and found himself homeless - making it hard to concentrate on getting better.

By November, he was in hospital 'hooked up to every machine you could think of' and doctors said he had just three weeks to live.

Happy couple: Mr Wharmby called his partner Charlotte Rigby, both pictured, 'his rock' during his cancer fight

The tumour had got too big to operate on, and there was little the doctors felt they could do.

'I was offered chemotherapy, but doctors basically said there was no point,' Mr Wharmby said.

So Ms Rigby – whom he called his 'rock' - began his healthy regimen once more.

They also began fundraising to help pay for the treatment costs and set up the Facebook page.

He was also visited by a doctor in London – who hoped to shrink his tumour by using natural medicine.

But Mr Wharmby's cancer was too advanced.

Writing on the Facebook page, shortly after he died, Ms Rigby said: 'I am heartbroken but it was such a release and I felt shortly after that he was no longer in the room.