By Brady Haran BBC News, East Midlands

Cledwyn's knees have collapsed under his weight

He knew he weighed over 30 stone, but did not know the exact figure.

Unable to find a set of scales which could accommodate him, Mr Rowles paid a visit to his local quarry.

An employee took pity on him, and allowed Mr Rowles to check his weight by standing on the weighbridge normally used by lorries.

He says: "It was then that I decided to take action and joined a group of men in a similar situation to myself."

Mr Rowles is among a small band of men who meet in a Leicester church hall every Tuesday.

The Big Blokes' Club meets on Tuesday nights

They call themselves "The Big Blokes' Club", and feel that the all-male environment allows them to discuss issues freely.

Mr Rowles believes the weight-loss industry has been "collared by women", and the needs of men are being overlooked.

This view is shared by Paul Hebblethwaite, a cognitive behavioural therapist who is working with the group.

Mr Hebblethwaite says: "Men are usually not quite so good at expressing how they're feeling and what they are struggling with.

"Within a group of males they are going to feel safer, but also this group's been running for a long time so they have all got to know each other well and are beginning to share some really tough struggles.

TRUCK DRIVER My biggest problem is that I drive a lorry, which is very male-oriented Peter Crane

"If there were females in the group I doubt somehow that they would be able to share at that level."

Fellow club member Pete Crane agrees.

But interestingly, he believes it can be all-male environments which lead to weight problems in the first place.

He says: "My biggest problem is that I drive a lorry, which is very male-oriented, and my hobby is riding motorbikes which is fairly male-oriented.

"There's very much an attitude of 'I can eat anything and I can drink anything'.

"That's not conducive to trying to lose weight, whereas getting some guys together to discuss things when they have got the same problems... is much more supportive."

Mr Rowles has shed two-and-a-half stone since joining the club and has his sights set on reaching 20 stone before he walks his daughter down the aisle next year.

He says: "Hopefully I'll get there with help from the guys at the Big Blokes' Club."