AROUND half a million Brits use weight loss drugs.
And that number is expected to double in the next year with the rise in people using jabs, like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
The latter accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
Scottish Sun GP Dr Zoe Williams has said that Mounjaro – which works by suppressing appetite, making people feel fuller for longer – can save the lives of people with “life-threatening levels of obesity.”;
But the NHS does also warn that people should never take an anti-obesity medicine if it has not been prescribed as they can cause serious side effects.
For some, though, Mounjaro has been a lifeline, helping them shed weight they have struggled with for years and reach previously impossible life goals, like getting fertility treatment.
Today Digital Fabulous Editor Katy Pagan speaks to three women – who have together lost more than 22 stone – about their experiences, both good and bad, with the jags.
MUM-OF-TWO EMMA CLARK, LOST 98LB
MUM Emma Clark says the jag has been life-changing as she shed seven stone.
The Hamilton 29-year-old started using Mounjaro in August when she hit 22st 8lb and struggled to play with her young children.
She said: “I have two young children aged nine and five.
“I want to be that mum chasing my kids about in the park not sitting down out of breath like I was.”;
Emma, a carer for her son, has now lost 98lb in seven months.
She met the criteria to be prescribed the drug, also known as Tirzepitide, privately and lost one stone in her first week.
She admits: “When I first started Mounjaro I was nervous because of the stigma attached to using it.
“I had tried numerous diets and lifestyle changes but due to having PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) it made it that bit more difficult for me.
“At 22 stone 8lbs being my heaviest I decided, ‘stuff it let’s just try it and see what happens’.”;
She added: “Within three months my periods had regulated.
“Something I have never experienced was a regular period, sometimes I would have one then not have another for months, but I’ve actually had a period every single month since starting Mounjaro.”;
Emma used online calorie deficit and water intake calculators for her body and weight to ensure she uses the jab responsibly. She also set alarms to remind herself to eat on the days where suppression was at an all time high.
Emma, who dropped from a size 22-24 to a size 16, said: “Mounjaro is often named an easy approach but it really isn’t. You need to relearn eating habits, you have to adjust your lifestyle and cook more cleaner meals.”;
Emma documents her positive Mounjaro experience on social media – @mummyof2 including one positive side effect – getting rid of psoriasis, which she has suffered from for nine years.
But Emma told us: “The psoriasis in my scalp had reduced massively and by month six I had little to no psoriasis.”;
HEALTHCARE WORKER CONNIE BULLOCH – LOST 72LB
HEALTHCARE worker Connie Bulloch has insisted Mounjaro has been “life-changing”; after she shed five stone in seven months.
The 28-year-old, from Cambuslang, started using the drug in June.
She had been going to a personal trainer for two years but confessed it “felt hard to keep the weight off”;.
She said: “I was having investigations done on my womb as I had really bad periods and suffered with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder).
“So with all that, I was having two weeks when I was doing well and stayed on track, then two weeks when I wasn’t able to stay on track and couldn’t get into the gym as much.”;
Last March, Connie – who also has kidney disease – went for an op and piled on weight taking her to 15 stone 9lbs. Now, thanks to Mounjaro and sticking to a calorie deficit, she has lost 5st 2lbs, taking her weight down to 10st 7lbs.
She said: “I never in a million years thought I’d be back down at this weight, it really has saved my life.”;
Connie says people do judge her but the benefits outweigh the negativity.
She said: “I do receive some judgement from people because they see it as an easy way out but honestly I don’t care.
“It’s been an amazing thing to help me and if it helps people get more confidence and not have to get surgery for weight loss then I think that’s great too.”;
Connie documents her Mounjaro journey with brutal honesty on her social media account @conniebulloch1.
The 28-year-old experiences some typical side effects, including headaches and nausea, but also opened up on more unusual issues.
She said: “I’m absolutely freezing all the time, I constantly need a blanket over me. I also have random food nightmares. Worms coming out of food was an awful one.”;
But she insists: “The positives of Mounjaro have far outweighed the negative side effects.”;
STUDENT NURSE LAURIE MURRAY – LOST 115LB
STUDENT nurse Laurie Murray is one step closer to her dream of having a baby after shedding 115lbs.
The 34-year-old from Airdrie started using the jabs last April.
At 18st 10lbs, she had already lost 2st through dieting, but was keen to accelerate her weight loss journey.
She said: “I’ve been suffering with infertility and my BMI was at a point that I wasn’t eligible for any help.
“I went to my doctors to seek help knowing that there had been advancements in weight loss medications with the hope that I’d be able to get some help.
“But a few months later I was told they could only offer me an online weight loss programme.”;
With financial help from her mother-in-law, Laurie went private to get the medication and has lost more than 8st, now weighing 10st 7lbs, and reduced her BMI from 47 to 24.
The healthcare support worker, who’s studying for her nursing degree, is now able to get fertility treatment in her bid to start a family with husband Chris.
She said: “I feel like it’s allowed me to organise my head and live a better life. If I didn’t have to stop taking it to start a family I’d be on a maintenance plan.”;
Beyond sticking to a calorie deficit and taking daily vitamins, Laurie has smashed the common misconception that people who use skinny jabs are “lazy”; having taken up running and being a regular at the gym.
The only drawback of her incredible transformation, Laurie admits, is the loose skin on her tummy and thighs which she says makes her feel “very self-conscious”;.
She said: “I do wish it wasn’t as prominent as it is but it’s there and isn’t the worst thing ever, my husband doesn’t mind it at all.
“Hopefully babies are in my future and then maybe I’d address it but for now it’s staying.”;
