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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Woman who refused to eat for the first decade of her life choked on her own vomit, inquest hears
A woman who refused to eat for the first decade of her life choked on her own vomit, an inquest heard. Tia-Mae McCarthy, 21, baffled doctors as a child with her refusal to eat, surviving on tube feeds until she was a teenager. Her case drew national attention and was the subject of a 2006 TV documentary, The Girl Who Never Ate, which followed her mother Sue's search for answers. The 21-year-old from Fordingbridge, Hampshire, was born 12 weeks premature and weighing just 2lb 3oz, spent much of her first year in hospital. She was diagnosed with oesophageal atresia, a rare condition where the foodpipe does not connect to the stomach. She underwent surgery at three months old to move her stomach into her chest. Although the surgery meant she was physically capable of eating, she refused all food and had to be fed through a tube while she slept. Her mother, Susan McCarthy, believed it was psychological, linked to repeated medical trauma in her early months when she stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated. Then, at the age of ten, she suddenly accepted a spoonful of yoghurt – the start of a remarkable transformation that saw her ditch her feeding tube by the end of 2012. By 15, she was eating a full diet, from mac and cheese to salmon and venison. But she was found unresponsive in bed at her family home on April 28 this year. An inquest in Bournemouth heard the oesophageal surgery she had as a baby left her at lifelong risk of aspiration, food or liquid entering the airway, which could 'happen at any time'. The inquest heard she had a 'rattly' cough for about a week before her death. In a statement read to the court, her mother said her daughter had developed a cough about a week before her death, which was not unusual for her. She added: 'We were planning to go on holiday. 'On Sunday, I noticed her cough was a bit rattly. I was with Tia all day on Sunday - we went out for a coffee. 'She was really bright and cheery and enjoyed her time at the riding club. 'I messaged Jason (Tia's stepfather) and asked if Tia was OK, he told me she was still croaky. 'I messaged Tia to see if she was OK, and she replied to say yes, and this was the last time I had communication with her.' Her step-father, Jason Allman, had propped her up with extra pillows the night before she died to help her cough and breathing. The mother said she went upstairs the following day and discovered her daughter unresponsive in bed with the covers off, and realised she had died. Her step-father, Jason Allman, had propped her up with extra pillows the night before she died to help her cough and breathing. A post-mortem found vomit in the main and peripheral airways, with stomach fluid and remnants of the mac and cheese she had for dinner the night before. While Tia did have other disabilities, there was no medical reason after the surgery why she could not eat food and her case baffled the experts. Tia was featured in the documentary in which her mother took her to a specialist clinic in Austria. The controversial research programme even included periods of controlled starvation. Tia had other learning difficulties, which meant she could not live independently, and she still lived at home with her mother. She enjoyed riding and attended an adult day centre. In a police statement read to the court, officers said there were no suspicious circumstances and praised the care Ms McCarthy received from her family, saying: 'We attend a lot of vulnerable people - Tia was incredibly well supported and cared for by her mother and stepfather.' Recording his conclusion, Mr Allen said: 'I am satisfied on the basis of the circumstances that the cause of death is gastro-oesophageal aspiration. 'Tia-Mae McCarthy had a past medical condition which left her at increased risk of aspiration. She died as a consequence of a recognised risk factor of a previous surgical procedure.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
How booming ‘fat jab' black market is STILL rife after celeb stylist sells meds to Sun reporter for £280 via Instagram
WEIGHT loss drugs are still being brazenly flogged on the black market by a celebrity hairdresser who gave The Sun a Mounjaro jab with NO consultation, Sun Club can reveal. The news has led Mounjaro manufacturer Lilly to beg those taking weight loss drugs to only buy from a licensed healthcare professional and warn that "dangerous" black-market products are often made in "unsanitary conditions". 9 9 9 As part of a Sun probe, we obtained self-injectable Mounjaro, dubbed the King Kong of fat jabs, for £280 after responding to an Instagram post by celeb stylist Ozzy Tudo, who is known for working with Katie Price and telly personality Jessica Alves. Our reporter was sold potentially deadly prescription weight loss drugs by Tudo, despite having a normal BMI and telling him she wanted to shed at least one stone in just TWO WEEKS before going "on holiday". The investigation exposed the ease of obtaining the fashionable diet drugs on the booming black market and, despite being confronted about the illegal sale on hidden cameras, Tudo has now started openly selling them again. Less than 24 hours ago, he posted an image of a slim model in white underwear with bottles of Mounjaro underneath and wrote the caption: "Available at great price #mounjaro." He also then posted an image of a Mounjaro injection pen to his 72k followers with the words: "#mounjaro. Very effective." When we asked Tudo about him continuing to sell Mounjaro over Instagram, he said: 'Why don't u go after the pharmacies which sells hundreds or thousands of pens without prescription [sic]? "It's no me do does wrong , it's these big companies, pharmacies and suppliers who sells to everyone who pays pharmacies accept fake prescriptions or without prescription [sic]." Asked to provide evidence that he was a qualified prescriber, Tudo refused to respond. Weight loss drugs can only be lawfully supplied when prescribed for someone by an appropriate practitioner – such as a doctor, a nurse or a pharmacist-independent prescriber - after a detailed health assessment. Mounjaro - which has been linked to 33 deaths in the UK - is approved for adults who are classed as "obese", so with a BMI of 30 or more, or those with a BMI of 27 or more who also have weight-related health conditions. I went on fat jabs but the hair loss was unbelievable so I quit - I'd rather be chubby with hair than skinny and bald However, earlier this year our reporter - who has a BMI of 21 - contacted Tudo through a mobile number on his Instagram account, which he uses to advertise Mounjaro and Ozempic. She told him she weighed nine-and-a-half stones, a size small dress size, and wanted to shed at least one stone before going on a holiday. She was not asked her height or her BMI. She was also not asked for her name or address. Tudo, 47, advised that a dose of 5mg 'is enough' and said to travel to his studio near King's Cross Station in London, where he would supply the drug. Once at the address, a woman, who did not speak English, led us up a staircase and handed over a brown paper bag containing the pen - which holds four injections of the drug, to be taken once a week for a month. With no consultation or explanation of how the prescription drug works, our reporter messaged Tudo saying: 'I don't know how to take it.' He replied: "Send u a video. It's so easy." The hairdresser then sent a YouTube tutorial video on how to self-inject. Asked if it would have any side effects, he replied: "It depends on each person, usually no." When we later confronted Tudo about the illegal sale, which was filmed using concealed cameras, he said: 'I don't even have Mounjaro here.' Pressed on how he prescribed the drug, which has been linked to 'deaths' without the necessary qualifications or even asking our undercover reporter for a name, he said: 'Deaths? No. Just a few overdoses.' Harley Street doctor Sophie Shotter, who has been practising for 16 years, said it was "terrifying' and a "risk to public health" that The Sun had obtained the drug without any medical consultation. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who shed the pounds. In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits. It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight. Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and therefore lose weight. To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1. GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food. London GP and founder of Dr Zoe Watson, said: 'Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1. 'These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.' Aren't they diabetes drugs? Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients. But people started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds. Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss. Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients. Can I get them? Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment. The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide. Both are only available throught specialist weight management services, which means you have to be referred to clinics led by experts. GPs can't prescribe them on their own, Dr Watson said. The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed. Are there any risks? Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. What other options are there? Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024. Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes. The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months. It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor. It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective. Dr Mitra Dutt from LloydsPharmacy says: 'Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda. 'Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake." After examining the pen at her Harley Street practice, Dr Shotter said: "This is a controlled, prescription-only drug. "This is a UK-approved pen, so this has not been smuggled into the country. "It is a huge concern, because, how has it appeared on the black market in the first place? "If you [our reporter] came into my surgery asking to go on a weight loss drug, immediately the answer would be, 'No.' "If you lost one to two stones, you could drop into a low BMI category. "This is not what the drug is intended for and it is, quite frankly, terrifying that you've been able to buy it. And not just that, it is the fact, you've been placed on a higher dose. "If a patient came to me who did qualify because of their weight, then I would have a thorough consultation with them. 'I would possibly run blood tests to ensure it is as safe as possible and to make sure there are no underlying liver or pancreatic problems. "This man has not even asked you your name, so how is the drug being prescribed? It is impossible that this is legitimate. "It is a genuine risk to public health and especially dangerous to those with eating disorders. 'These drugs carry risks to your health and your mental health, especially to those who suffer from eating disorders.' 9 9 9 9 The rise in the 'dangerous' black market availability of weight loss injections is being increasingly seen by eating disorder charities in the UK. After being informed about The Sun's investigation, Tom Quinn, Beat's Director of External Affairs said: "We're incredibly concerned that it's so easy to access weight loss injections on the black market. "Medications which cause weight loss can be very attractive to people with eating disorders, and can contribute to these dangerous mental illnesses getting worse. "They pose severe health risks, especially if they are easily accessible without prescriptions. "Weight loss injections are very serious medications with severe side effects such as vomiting and nausea, which can contribute to an eating disorder developing, or make it worse. "We also have concerns about what happens after somebody stops taking these drugs. If somebody gains weight after their prescription finishes, this may trigger feelings of guilt and shame, which could increase the chances of an eating disorder developing. "More action needs to be taken to prevent these drugs being so easily accessible. 'And it's vital that there is more education so that people are aware of how dangerous it is to abuse medication in order to lose weight. "For those with binge eating disorder, losing weight won't help a person recover from an eating disorder. 'While it may bring their BMI down in isolation, it will do nothing to address the root cause or symptoms of the eating disorder – and could make things worse. "Doctors and pharmacies must make the general public aware of these dangers, and ensure that prescriptions are only possible after stringent health checks." BLACK MARKET Medicines bought on the black market that have not been through rigorous safety testing bring additional risks. The market leaders Mounjaro, which contains tirzepatide, and Ozempic, which contains semaglutide, are administered via injection of pre-filled pens. They work by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, which is released after eating, and suppresses a patient's appetite. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends semaglutide for adults who have at least one weight-related comorbidity and a body mass index (BMI) score of at least 35, or a BMI of at least 30 and meet criteria for referral to a specialist weight management service. A Lily spokesperson said: "Patients should only use Mounjaro (tirzepatide) when prescribed by a licensed healthcare professional and prescriptions should be fulfilled and supplied only by registered pharmacies and providers. Any tirzepatide offered without a prescription or for purchase on social media or black market is unlawful. These products are either fake or being 'resold' by an individual who obtained them through illicit means. Both practices put patients at risk. "Counterfeit, fake, and other unsafe products that are sold in a manner that falsely represents their authenticity, origin, or effectiveness are dangerous. These black-market products are often made in unsanitary conditions, which is especially dangerous for sterile injectables, like tirzepatide. "They may contain the wrong ingredients, contain too much, too little, or no active ingredient at all, or contain other harmful ingredients. No one should ever risk putting them into their bodies. "Lilly has taken steps to help address the risks posed by the proliferation of counterfeit, fake, and unsafe products across the world, including working with regulators and law enforcement, and identifying and removing fraudulent or unsafe content online and on social media — and we will continue to pursue all available avenues to combat fake and black-market medicines. "But our efforts alone are not enough. We applaud the MHRA's warnings on the risks of unsafe fake weight loss pens and the risks of buying medicines online without a prescription, and we welcome their continued partnership in the fight against counterfeit and illegal medicines. "We call upon regulators and law enforcement across the globe to take action against those who threaten the health and wellbeing of patients by selling fake or unsafe medicines." 9 9
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Struggling to sleep? Your gut bacteria could be to blame
Your gut health can impact everything from your mood to your immune system, but it could also be the cause of your poor sleep, a study has found. Specific types of gut bacteria have been linked to insomnia risk by researchers, while insomnia itself has also been linked to an abundance of certain 'bugs' in the gut. Insomnia, which means a person has difficulty falling and staying asleep, affects about a third of adults in the UK. It can be caused by anxiety, noise, alcohol, caffeine or shift work, according to the NHS. Several studies have explored the effects of the gut microbiome on various sleep characteristics, but it's not yet clear how different groups of gut bacteria might affect the risk of insomnia. The study, published in the journal General Psychiatry, used data on 386,533 people with insomnia from a previously study, gut microbiome data for 18,340 people from the MiBioGen alliance and for 8,208 people from the Dutch Microbiome Project with 71 groups of bacteria in common. Their analysis revealed associations between specific gut microbes and insomnia. Overall, a total of 14 groups of bacteria were positively associated with insomnia and eight groups showed a negative association. Insomnia itself was associated with a reduction of between 43 per cent and 79 per cent in the abundance of seven groups of bacteria and a 65 per cent to a more than fourfold increase in the abundance of 12 other groups. Researchers found the Odoribacter class of bacteria, in particular, was significantly associated with the risk of insomnia. This type of bacteria plays a role in producing short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which in the right levels can help maintain a healthy gut. However, there are some limitations to the study. All the study participants were of European descent, so the results may not be more widely applicable as the make-up of the microbiome varies among different ethnicities and geographies, researchers point out. Diet and lifestyle – which affect the microbiome – were also not accounted for. Although bacteria are linked to insomnia, those same bacteria may be shaped by a person's eating habits, stress levels, and environment. 'Overall, the intertwined effects of insomnia on gut microbiota, and vice versa, represent a complex bidirectional relationship involving immune regulation, inflammatory response, release of neurotransmitters, and other molecular and cellular pathways,' study authors said. The authors conclude: 'Our study offers preliminary evidence supporting a causal effect between insomnia and gut microbiota, providing valuable insights for the future development of microbiome-inspired treatment plans for insomnia.' These treatment plans might include the use of probiotics, prebiotics, or faecal microbiota transplantation, they suggest.
