On Saturday I wrote about my experience with one of the new Ozempic-like slimming shots. It was accompanied by a photo showing the dramatic transformation of my figure after just four weeks.
Despite some unpleasant side effects, I shared with the Mail readers how pleased I was with the results and how I felt my life and health had improved.
I’m certainly no wimp when it comes to insults on social media, but even I was shocked by the responses.
“Stop taking drugs that should be used to treat people with diabetes,” one post admonished. “Good on you for supporting Big Pharma,” another smirked. And yet another: “Why don’t you lose weight the right way, with diet and exercise.” (As if I haven’t tried!) And these are just a few of the milder comments.
It seems that fat shaming of women has now been replaced by jab shaming. You don’t have to be a member of Mensa to know that the majority of users of the new injections are women, so bring out the ducking stool!
Nadine before she started taking diet pills – she says she ‘lost weight like a 20-year-old’ again
Since I started my weekly Mounjaro injections — I’m now six weeks in and have lost 6.5 kilos — and have been talking about it openly, countless women, young and old, have told me that they are also using the shots.
The difference is that they do it in secret. They haven’t told their spouses, partners, friends or family, despite the fact that most, like me, had long-term health problems that affected both their daily well-being and their lifespan.
Some were embarrassed, others were ashamed. One woman whispered, “I feel like I’m cheating, and nobody likes cheaters.”
I’ve learned that it’s acceptable to get bored with dieting and pick at a lettuce leaf, but it’s really not done to admit that ‘I poke my stomach once a week and I immediately lose weight’.
What you are really saying is: I get maximum benefit with minimum effort. And that is just not okay.
We are women. We are supposed to be martyrs. Smeared with unpredictable hormones, we are born to suffer.
And God forbid that vanity should be our motivation – which seems to be the general assumption.
I went on the shots after my GP flagged up several health issues. I was 200 pounds overweight, pre-diabetic, with cholesterol levels that refused to drop to acceptable levels even with statins, and signs of non-alcohol related fatty liver disease. I had also had a hip replacement.
Every woman I spoke to had her own story about her weight problems. Menopausal women who find it much harder to lose weight than when they were younger. Women who juggle their careers with housework and raising children, who don’t have time for a haircut, let alone a diet and exercise regimen.
We must address and nip ‘jab-shaming’ in the bud now, because many women’s lives depend on it – and that includes our NHS, writes Nadine Dorries
Women who are caregivers and give almost all of their energy to someone else. One young woman told me she had polycystic ovary syndrome, with associated insulin resistance, which made losing weight even more challenging for her.
And yet, these women all felt like they were doing something wrong by turning to the shots.
This can’t go on. One in four adults in England is obese. Overweight patients cost the NHS almost £7 billion a year. Extra pounds are a life- and joy-stealer, linked to a long list of chronic and life-threatening illnesses, from diabetes, stroke and cancer to joint problems, poor sexual function, mental health problems… the list goes on.
During the pandemic, we found that obesity tripled the risk of hospitalization and was associated with higher mortality from the virus.
As a former nurse, I understand the real concern of doctors that Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are used by people who are not overweight but simply want to lose a few pounds for cosmetic reasons. They see the injections as a quick way to achieve that.
And yes, there must be strict action against unscrupulous online pharmacies and doctors who prescribe medications to people who do not meet clinical criteria.
But let’s not lose sight of the people whose health can be transformed by these shots.
My advice to women considering using them is to seek medical advice, do your research and be aware of the side effects before you start and most importantly be honest about the injections if you decide to do so.
In this way you will be an inspiration and encouragement to other women.
We must address and nip ‘jab-shaming’ in the bud now, because many women’s lives depend on it, including our NHS.
Hard to get fired for sex
I am the butt of jokes in my house when it comes to sports. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked, “Don’t we have dishes to wash?” when trying to join in on a cricket or football conversation. It always gets a laugh — not least from me.
But maybe I should cancel my family members, just as Eurosport canceled veteran sports commentator Bob Ballard after he made a comment about the Australian women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team, who had just won Olympic gold, taking a long time to leave the swimming pool in Paris.
“You know how women are… hanging around, doing their makeup,” he joked. Yes, it was bad judgment. But kicking him out of the Games, with likely career-destroying consequences, is much worse.
When the new series of Strictly – the 20th – starts next month, it will be up to us, the dedicated fans, to lift the show back to glitterball heights spiritually after the scandals of the past few months. I know we won’t disappoint the new crop of celebrities and their professional partners.
Edna’s words will stay with me forever
The great Irish writer Edna O’Brien sadly passed away last weekend.
My literary gem of today comes from her trilogy The Country Girls, written in the sixties. According to her, this trilogy broke the silence about women and their sexuality, especially in Ireland, where the repressive Roman Catholic Church held sway over all aspects of life.
I read her book over 20 years ago, but the characters, the words, the scenes still live in my head. If you ever needed a barometer to judge a book, this is it.
Edna apparently wrote the first book in just three weeks — an incredible feat. They don’t make ’em like Edna anymore.
The Conservative leadership battle is underway. I won’t say anything yet…