On Saturday I wrote about my experience with one of the new weight loss injections similar to Ozempic. I wrote it with a photo showing the spectacular transformation of my figure after just four weeks.
Despite some unpleasant side effects, I shared with Mail readers my joy at the results and how I felt it had changed my life and health.
I’m certainly no snowflake when it comes to social media abuse, but even I was surprised by the response.
“Stop taking drugs that should be used to treat people with diabetes,” warned one comment. “Well done for supporting big pharma,” scoffed another. Still another: “Why don’t you lose weight the good way, with diet and exercise?” (As if I haven’t tried!). And these are just some of the milder comments.
It seems that weight discrimination against women has now been replaced by vaccine discrimination. You don’t need to be a member of Mensa to know that the majority of people using the new injections are women, so get out your stool!
Before Nadine started taking weight loss injections, she says she had “lost weight like she was 20 years old” again
Since I started my weekly Mounjaro injections (I’m now six weeks in and have lost 14 pounds) and have been talking about it openly, numerous women, young and old, have confided in me that they too are using the injections.
The difference is that they do it in secret. They haven’t told their husbands, partners, friends or family, even though most of them, like me, had long-term health problems that affected both their daily well-being and their longevity.
Some felt embarrassed, others felt ashamed. One woman whispered: “I feel like I’m cheating, and nobody likes cheaters.”
I’ve learned that it’s okay to be a diet bore and pick at a lettuce leaf, but hey, it’s definitely not okay to admit that “I poke my belly once a week and I’m losing weight.”
What you’re really saying is: I’m getting the maximum benefit with the minimum effort, and that’s not the case.
We are women. We are supposed to be martyrs. Afflicted by unpredictable hormones, we were born to suffer.
And God forbid that vanity should be our motivation, which is what is generally assumed.
I decided to get vaccinated after my GP pointed out several health problems. I was 12kg overweight, pre-diabetic, my cholesterol levels refused to come down to an acceptable level even with statins, and I had symptoms of a non-alcoholic fatty liver. I had also already had a hip replacement.
Every woman I’ve spoken to has her own story to tell about her weight problems. Menopausal women who find it much harder to lose weight than when they were younger. Women juggling a career with housekeeping and child-rearing who can’t find time to cut their hair, let alone stick to a diet and exercise regime.
We must call out vaccine discrimination and nip it in the bud now, because women’s lives may depend on it – and so could our NHS, writes Nadine Dorries
Women who care for their family members and devote almost all their energy to someone else. One young woman told me that she had polycystic ovary syndrome, with insulin resistance, which made losing weight an even greater challenge for her.
And yet, all of these women felt that by turning to vaccines they were doing something wrong.
This cannot continue. One in four adults in England is obese. Overweight patients cost the NHS nearly £7 billion a year. Excess weight is a stealer of lives and joy, linked to a long list of chronic and potentially life-threatening diseases, from diabetes, stroke and cancer to joint problems, poor sexual function, mental health issues… and so on.
During the pandemic, we learned that obesity tripled the risk of being hospitalized and was linked to higher mortality from the virus.
As a former nurse, I understand the very real concern of doctors that Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are being used by people who are not overweight but just want to lose a few kilos for cosmetic reasons and see the vaccines as a quick way to do so.
And, yes, there must be a crackdown on unscrupulous online pharmacies and the doctors who prescribe them to people who do not meet clinical criteria.
But let us not lose sight of those whose health these vaccines have the power to transform.
My advice to women thinking about using them is to seek medical advice first, do your research and be aware of the side effects before starting, and most importantly, be honest about getting the injections if that is what you decide to do.
In this way you will be an inspiration and an encouragement to other women.
We need to speak out against vaccine discrimination and nip it in the bud now, because many women’s lives may depend on it – and so may our NHS.
It’s 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 “Aren’t there any dishes to wash?” whenever I’ve tried to join in on a conversation about cricket or football. I always laugh, and so do I.
But maybe I should cancel members of my family, just as Eurosport cancelled veteran sports commentator Bob Ballard after he made a joke about the Australian women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team, who had just won Olympic gold, taking their time leaving the Paris Aquatics Centre.
“You know how women are… hanging around, putting on makeup,” he joked. Yes, it was a reckless decision, but kicking him out of the Games, with consequences that would presumably damage his career, is far worse.
When the new season of Strictly (number 20) begins next month, it will be up to us, the die-hard fans, to spiritually elevate the show to its full potential after the scandals of the past few months. I am sure we will not disappoint the new generation of celebrities and their professional partners.
Edna’s words will stay with me forever.
The great Irish writer Edna O’Brien sadly passed away over the weekend.
My literary gem of the day is her trilogy The Country Girls, written in the 1960s, which is credited with breaking the silence about women and their sexuality, especially in Ireland, where the repressive Roman Catholic Church dominated every aspect of life.
I read your book over 20 years ago, but the characters, words, and scenes are still vivid in my head. If you ever need a barometer to judge a book, this is it.
Apparently Edna wrote the first book in just three weeks, an incredible feat. They don’t make books like Edna anymore.
The Conservative Party leadership contest is underway. I won’t say anything… yet.