A MAN is begging for help to overcome his addiction to cereal - munching a staggering 13 bowls a day topped with a whopping 138 spoons of sugar.

Phillip Patrick, aged 19, had a healthy and varied diet until he left home three years ago and slipped into bad habits.

Now the dad-of-one only eats cereal - mostly Weetabix and cornflakes - topped with an enormous pile of sugar, scheduling his binges around his favourite TV programmes.

Mr Patrick - who has eaten an estimated 14,235 bowls in three years - devours six boxes of cereal and 15 pints of milk a week and a 5kg bag of sugar every nine days.

He washes it all down with regular cups of tea - with six sugars.

His weight has soared by four stones in the past three years to an unhealthy 15 stone.

And his bizarre diet has left him with barely enough energy to walk up the stairs and he can't go out for dinner or eat meals with his family.

He is now appealing for help to conquer his addiction after it has cost him his pub job and experts warned it could cause him to develop cancer or heart disease.

He said: "I know I'm still young but I'm not getting any younger and I need to be better for my son.

"I used to be quite an active lad, playing football, cycling and running.

"But now I've got no energy. I struggle to walk up the stairs because I'm so out of breath.

"It has become a habit now. It's part of my daily lifestyle. I've been doing it every day for three years.

"I need to get my life back - I could die from it."

Mr Patrick, from Worcester, started eating badly when he moved out of home and in with partner Sophie Richold, also 19.

Despite her healthy diet his new-found freedom saw him give up meals entirely in favour of cereal, as well as cups of tea - with six sugars in each drink.

He has two bowls in the morning - each piled high with 10 teaspoons of sugar - then four while he is watching The Bill, before another at 3pm and then 6pm.

Addicted Phillip has up to a further three during the evening - in between Emmerdale, Eastenders and Coronation Street - and then another before he goes to bed.

On an average day he consumes around 6,906 calories a day and has piled on around four stone in three years.

His carb and sugar overload saw him lose his job working in a bar last year because he didn't have the energy to stand up throughout his shift.

"It was really affected my life," he said.

"My sex life too - it used to be regular, but now it's a rare occurrence.

"Sophie gets annoyed at me because if we do go out for dinner I'll just have a fudge cake and be done in three minutes.

"I've tried to come off it a few times.

"The last time a couple of months ago I threw my sugar away and I only lasted two days.

"As soon as I saw a bag of sugar I had to buy it.

"I'm usually quite a patient person, and when I have sugar and cereal I'm quite happy.

"But in between bowls or if I can't have it I can be very, very moody.

"I need help to get my life back."