Twenty-five stone Chris Leppard faces a make-or-break appointment to find out if he must have his legs amputated.

Doctors at Conquest Hospital, St Leonards, have told 24-year-old Chris his sore-covered limbs resemble those of an old man.

They warned him that without a dramatic turnaround, he faces losing both his legs.

Doctors told him years of carrying his colossal weight - at his heaviest he was 33st - have meant amputation is a strong possibility.

Chris is to attend a check-up on Wednesday, accompanied by his mother Anne, to find out whether progress has been made.

Yesterday Chris, who lives with his mother in Chiltern Drive, Hastings, said: "My left leg isn't too bad but my right one has got worse.

"I've got to keep my legs up all the time and I've had to give up the gym. I've also not been eating as well as I should be.

"I've been down about all this since the doctors said I could lose my legs. It seems I never win."

Mrs Leppard, 50, said: "He has been in a pretty bad way recently. It has not been a good time for him.

"But I'll stick by him whatever happens. We'll bring him back. I've told him that if he loses his legs, I'll have to roll him around."

Chris suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome, an incurable and poorly understood condition that compels him to eat almost constantly.

People with the hereditary condition fail to recognise when their bodies are full, leaving them craving food most of the time.

People with Prader-Willi have abnormally slow metabolisms, which means they should limit their daily food intake.

However, at the height of his illness, Chris's intake was 5,000 calories. Mrs Leppard would spend £25 a day on food, more than £9,000 a year.

Chris made national headlines last February when East Sussex social services sectioned him under the Mental Health Act.

He spent seven days at Eastbourne Clinic in Grange Road.

When doctors discharged Chris a week later, concluding he was free of any mental condition, he embarked on a radical lifestyle change.

He and his mother were also determined to pursue social services through the courts, claiming Chris was sectioned without consultation - something that East Sussex County Council and East Sussex County Healthcare dispute.

With the help of his mother, a root-and-branch review of Chris's eating habits led to a drastic reduction in his fat and sugar intake.

Before he would gorge on burgers and chips, crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks and greasy fry-ups.

In addition, he would snack on packets of biscuits and all manner of junk food throughout the day to satisfy his cravings.

Now he eats pasta, rice and other foods high in carbohydrates to make him feel fuller for longer.

He admits to snacking on some of his favourite foods still but he has learned to do so in moderation. Yet this latest body blow has led to his progress slipping.

Chris managed to drop to 25st from 33 within a few months thanks to daily visits to Zeus Gym in Grand Parade, St Leonards.

However, news that he faces both legs amputated have derailed his progress and he has postponed his gym visits.