Worth a shot?
The so-called ‘skinny jab’ semaglutide is now available on the NHS, with side effects ranging from nausea to fatigue. WH investigates the new hunger for thin – and those taking a stab in the dark to get there
When Isobel Turner* heard rumours that there may be more to Kim Kardashian’s recent weight loss than a dedicated healthy-eating and workout routine, she was intrigued. The 37-year-old PR from Swindon had been working with a PT for years. But time for herself had been harder to come by since becoming a parent and going freelance. And with gym visits the exception, rather than the rule, and sugar-based snacking an evening ritual, she found herself persistently above her goal weight. All it took was a simple Google search to discover that the drug rumoured to be behind the star’s 1st 2lb weight loss was Ozempic – an injectable medication for type 2 diabetes.
Almost as swiftly, Isobel purchased a month’s supply for £195 via an online pharmacy. The only hurdle? A consultation, via email. Within days, she was self-injecting a 0.25mg dose into her stomach on a weekly basis. The change to her appetite was instant. ‘I’m hit by a wave of terrible nausea, like pregnancy morning sickness,’ she tells WH; a nausea that put paid to her desire to eat anything in the evening – sugarladen or otherwise. The effects fade throughout the week before she administers a fresh shot. So far, she’s 3lb down in a fortnight.
£6.5bn WHAT OBESITY CURRENTLY COSTS THE NHS EVERY YEAR
Moving the needle
Talking about weight loss feels as below the belt as a pair of mid-90s low-slung jeans. And yet, both have made a resurgence over the past year. The thin-jection buzz began as a whisper in celebrity circles; that a drug called Ozempic – and its sister brands Wegovy (also an injectable) and Rybelsus (a tablet) – could get you lean by suppressing your appetite. In September 2022, US talk show host Andy Cohen broke rank when he tweeted that celebrities were mysteriously showing up to his show 25lb lighter, asking, ‘What happens when they stop taking #Ozempic?’ Rumours that it had become Hollywood’s worst-kept secret were made weightier when The Guardian reported that a number of actors and musicians had told the outlet that they ‘personally’ knew highprofile people using it. A Variety exposé shed more details: A-listers were singing the drug’s praises on the encrypted messaging app Signal and paying $1,500 (£1,200) for a month’s supply. And while the identity of its users remains hushed up, accusations were no longer being whispered by this year’s Oscars. ‘Everybody looks so great,’ said Jimmy
