Gemma Collins slams skinny people for taking weight loss jabs in sad confession
EXCLUSIVE: The Only Way Is Essex legend Gemma Collins has opened up about her life-changing weight loss injections - but has called out 'skinny people' for taking the drugs off those who really need it
Gemma Collins has always been candid about her weight struggles, often documenting her ups and downs with various diets and fitness regimes. But recently, the former TOWIE star, 44, revealed something more personal - her exhausting battle with 'food noise', which is the constant, intrusive thoughts about eating.
Food noise affects thousands of people who describe the experience as persistent, intrusive thoughts about eating - what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, and how to control cravings. It's not simple hunger, it's a mental loop that can run all day, hijacking focus, energy, and peace of mind.
It's especially common in people with a history of dieting, emotional eating, or disordered eating habits - all of which Gemma has suffered with in the past. However, the reality TV icon has now revealed that she has finally found some quiet in her mind - and she's never felt better.
Injectable medications such as Mounjaro work by mimicking a hormone that affects appetite regulation in the brain. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, they've now been licensed for weight loss in the UK and beyond, helping users feel full for longer and quieting the mental noise around food.
Speaking out about using the weight loss and diabetes medication Mounjaro, Gemma shared that for the first time in years, she feels in control and confident. 'I feel amazing,' she said, crediting the treatment with not just physical changes, but mental relief too.
"I've gone from a size 26 to a size 20, and I've never felt better. Mounjaro is unbelievable and it's changed my whole life. I think it's a life-changing drug. Being able to pick up a size 20 top in M&S, put it on in the changing rooms and just get on with my day, is just such a life-changing experience for me honestly," Gemma gushed about her newfound self-confidence.
Gemma then went on to share her distaste for the individuals who are using the weight loss injections who are already thin and not overweight. The TOWIE icon, who has battled with her weight for years, says those people who are using the jabs simply for a quick fix into shedding a few pounds are taking away from those who desperately need them.
"I really don't agree with already slim people taking it, that's just not right at all, and it's not what it's for. It's for overweight people and it breaks my heart when there's people on the NHS who can't access it and it's such a shame because everyone deserves not to struggle with their weight and you would only understand if you had a weight problem and how difficult it is. I know how it is."
When asked how she feels about the people who desperately want to go on the drug but are afraid of the side-effects, Gemma insisted that she couldn't recommend it enough - because she feels like a completely different person since being on it.
"Don't be scared or anxious - do it! You can't just buy them backstreet - there's so many people selling them dangerously and on the backstreet market. You have to go with a proper company and it will seriously change your life. It has been the biggest success for me. I have so much energy. I just feel good and I'm not obsessed with looking too thin.
"I feel a lot more confident - I mean I have always felt confident - but genuinely more confident in myself. I'm not panicking thinking 'Oh what can I wear'. I can go into so many more shops now, it feels beautiful. It's a massive weight off my shoulders.
"I don't need to prove anything to anyone, I know myself that I'm losing the weight and I feel so much healthier. They really are a wonder-drug and if anyone is struggling with their weight, I really do understand. I know how difficult it is. It's always so much more than just what you eat - it has to do with your blood sugars, genetics, mental health etc. There's nothing to be scared of as long as you don't abuse it."
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Prof Easton said recent studies had shown people who stopped taking the drugs had put the weight they lost back on within around a year. 'That's often true of any diet, people would say, and that's certainly my experience of having wrestled with my weight in diets over the years,' he said. 'All I would say that I found interesting from that review was that they were suggesting perhaps that weight returns even quicker after having been on GLP-1 drugs. 'Then speculating, because there was no way of knowing from that review, that perhaps it's because people are not changing the behaviours we've been talking about like exercise and other lifestyle changes, just relying on the drugs. 'When you stop them, of course, you're going to put weight back on. The switch is turned back off, or whatever it was. 'I mean very similar to, for example, statins or anti-hypertensive blood pressure medications, if you want lifelong effects, you have to keep on them lifelong.' 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Professor Graham Easton, a GP who has been using weight loss jabs himself, said: 'I think it's a major issue about the proper funding and resourcing of not only the GPs in the surgeries but also the wraparound care we talked about. 'I think the other issue is that so far, to my knowledge, the NHS and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have talked about this being something you take for two years, and that's probably related to data from research studies. 'But as we discussed, this is likely to be a lifelong commitment if it is going to be worthwhile to the NHS. 'There's no point in most people taking it for a couple of years and then have the weight bouncing back. 'You can argue possibly you're about to prepare for surgery or something, but in most cases it doesn't make any sense. 'Then I think there's a big issue around access. Most obesity occurs in poorer populations as wealthier populations tend to not be so affected. 'There's a massive sort of socio-economic inequality and there is a worry about this driving that inequality even further. 'Unless the NHS makes sure that these are available across the board equally, I think that's a major risk.' Prof Easton said recent studies had shown people who stopped taking the drugs had put the weight they lost back on within around a year. 'That's often true of any diet, people would say, and that's certainly my experience of having wrestled with my weight in diets over the years,' he said. 'All I would say that I found interesting from that review was that they were suggesting perhaps that weight returns even quicker after having been on GLP-1 drugs. 'Then speculating, because there was no way of knowing from that review, that perhaps it's because people are not changing the behaviours we've been talking about like exercise and other lifestyle changes, just relying on the drugs. 'When you stop them, of course, you're going to put weight back on. 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'All those benefits, even if there was something that we hadn't really thought of that emerged down the line, I suspect that the harm of that is outweighed by the potential benefits of weight loss improvement in diabetes control.' Dr Cork said no drug is without side-effects and previous weight loss medications had failed because of them. 'There are side-effects, there are some concerning side-effects that tend to be very rare, but then you can monitor for those side-effects,' he said. 'As long as you're getting the correct care, as long as your GP is aware that you're taking them, then those should be identified. 'If you do find those side-effects, you can stop taking the drug.'
