As stricter weight loss jab rules take effect, two women with opposing views clash over obesity treatment

A fierce debate over weight loss methods has erupted as new restrictions make it harder to access slimming jabs like Mounjaro and Ozempic. While some praise the injections as a game-changer in tackling obesity, others argue they are nothing more than a dangerous, short-term fix.

Business owner Chi Mutanda, 50, from Birmingham, lost nearly 1st 7lb in just three months using Mounjaro injections. After struggling to shed weight during perimenopause—despite regular gym sessions and a strict diet—she turned to The Slimming Clinic for a prescription.

“I hated the way I looked,” Chi admitted. “I was hiding under baggy clothes, feeling miserable. Nothing worked until I tried Mounjaro.”

The jab curbed her appetite, reducing emotional snacking and boosting her energy. She began eating more fruit and vegetables, felt healthier, and could finally keep up with her daughter’s football matches. On her milestone 50th birthday, she celebrated in a dazzling gold dress, beaming with confidence.

“50 doesn’t have to mean fat!” she declared.

However, Chi also acknowledged the risks of easy online access to these drugs. She shared concerns over lax medical checks, recalling a friend who was prescribed jabs after simply sending a photo to an online clinic.

“It could have been anyone in that picture. They didn’t check her medical history at all. That’s terrifying.”

While Chi champions the effectiveness of weight loss jabs when used responsibly, Elle Kearney, 28, from Liverpool, is taking a strong stand against them.

At 27 years old, Elle weighed 28 stone and suffered years of bullying, binge eating, and anxiety. After hitting rock bottom, she opted for a gastric bypass in August 2023, undergoing extensive counselling to address her emotional relationship with food. She now weighs just 13st, having lost an astonishing 15st.

Elle insists weight loss jabs fail to tackle the root cause of obesity, especially for those struggling with mental health issues.

“People assume being overweight is just about eating too much, but for many, it’s an addiction,” she explained. “There’s no quick fix. Jabs don’t address the psychological side of it.”

She recalled public humiliation over her weight—customers at her retail job commenting on her size, and an embarrassing moment when she couldn’t fit into a theatre seat. But it was the realisation that her weight could prevent her and her partner from starting a family that pushed her to undergo surgery.

“I had to change my life. I couldn’t risk my health any longer.”

Elle worries that without proper education and counselling, weight loss injections could become just another “dangerous fad”.

“Celebrities using it make people feel safe, but what happens if you take it at home alone and react badly?” she warned.

As the government cracks down on easy-access prescriptions, the debate rages on. Should obesity be tackled with medical interventions, or does real change come from addressing the deeper psychological battles behind weight gain?