EXCLUSIVE Mounjaro made me look old: I've 'aged 15 years' since losing 7st - but here's why I don't care about having 'jab face'
A mother-of-two who lost seven stone thanks to weight loss jabs has been told her 'Mounjaro face' has aged her by 15 years - but she has no regrets.
Ashley Nickson, 35, tipped the scales at 17st 10lbs after piling on the weight while she was pregnant with her children, Mally, six, and Charlie, two.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Popular morning snack and dinner staple found to contain alarming levels of autism-linked chemicals
People vying to be healthy may want to think twice before reaching for two popular nutritious staples. The Environmental Working Group, a health advocacy organization, recently released its 'Dirty Dozen 2025' list - where it ranked the fruits and vegetables covered in the most toxic chemicals. After analyzing the Department of Agriculture's data on levels of pesticide contamination in different fruits and vegetables, the group ranked 47 of them based on their toxicity levels. Of these, they found the top 12 fruits and vegetables covered in pesticides. While usual suspects such as spinach, strawberries and kale took the top three spots, researchers noted that blackberries were a new addition to the list. Over 80 percent of samples of the popular berry, which is usually priced at $6 for 12oz, were found to be covered in two or more pesticides, placing it 10th on the list. The agency noted the most common pesticide they found on blackberries was cypermethrin - a toxic synthetic insecticide linked to autism. Also new on the list, landing in 12th place, were potatoes - the most commonly eaten vegetable in the US. The researchers found nearly all of the 1,000 samples of potatoes had high concentrations of chlorpropham, a plant growth regulator banned in the European Union due to its hormone-disrupting and cancer-causing properties. Alexis Temkin, EWG's Vice President of Science told CNN: 'The guide is there to help consumers eat a lot of fruits and vegetables while trying to reduce pesticide exposure. 'One of the things that a lot of peer-reviewed studies have shown over and over again (is) that when people switch to an organic diet from a conventional diet, you can really see measurable levels in the reduction of pesticide levels in the urine.' Organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides, with farmers opting for more natural options that are less persistent in the environment. She noted that her team found 50 different pesticides across a variety of fruits and vegetables that made the Dirty Dozen list. Coming in fourth were grapes, fifth were peaches and sixth were cherries. These fruits were followed by nectarines, pears and apples at seventh, eighth and ninth place, respectively. The EWG ranked blueberries in 11th place. The agency noted blackberries had never made it on the list before as they hadn't been tested prior to 2023. However, both the EWG and Department of Agriculture examined 294 non-organic blackberry samples from July through December 2023 and found at least one pesticide in 93 percent of them. Most notably, they discovered the presence of cypermethrin, which is banned in the EU to due to its dangers to human health. While cypermethrin has proven beneficial in killing harmful insects in berries, certain studies have shown that consumption by pregnant woman may increase the risk of autism. A 2019 BMJ study found that a baby had a higher risk of developing autism if its mother had been exposed to cypermethrin within 6,500 feet of their home during her pregnancy. Cypermethrin has also been found to disrupt thyroid hormones, which are critical to brain development. At times, direct exposure to the insecticide may also cause irritation to the skin and eyes, numbness, tingling, itching, a burning sensation, loss of bladder control, incoordination, seizures and in severe cases, death. Since fruits such as blackberries are promoted for being rich in antioxidants and vitamins, they are often included in recommended healthy diets for children and pregnant women to help improve their nutrition levels. However, this may put them at a higher risk of being exposed to the insecticide. While insecticides are added into blackberry fruits as they grow, potatoes are covered in pesticides after they are harvested and ready to eat. Temkin said: 'It's applied after harvest to essentially prevent potatoes from sprouting while they're in storage or in transit. 'Because it's applied so late after harvest and so close to when consumers might be exposed or eating potatoes, that's partially what leads to some of these really high concentrations.' Between 2022 to 2023, the Department of Agriculture collected and tested more than 1,000 samples of potatoes for pesticides after washing and scrubbing each piece. They found that over 90 percent of samples contained twice the acceptable levels of chlorpropham allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency even after washing and scrubbing. The toxic pesticide has been linked to causing changes in blood cells and harm to the thyroid by reducing the production of certain hormones such as thyroxine - which is responsible to maintain the growth of cells. Low levels of thyroxine can cause DNA mutations and excessive growth of cells across the body - which may pave the way for cancer development. Similarly to cypermethrin, a 2024 Medicina study also found that prenatal exposure to chlorpropham has been found to increase a baby's risk of developing autism. Chlorpropham was banned in the EU in 2019 after officials found that people, particularly children, were being exposed to more than acceptable levels of chlorpropham through non-organic potatoes. Despite the results, Temkin noted the annual report is not meant to discourage consumers from eating fruits and vegetables but instead to encourage people to buy organic food. Multiple studies have shown that those who consume organic food have lower exposure to synthetic pesticides as organic farming prohibits the use of such chemicals. The EWG recommends buying organic whenever accessible because food residues are a main source of pesticide exposures for many people. For people looking to eat cleaner fruits and vegetables, the EWG found pineapple to be the least contaminated produce tested, followed by sweet corn (fresh and frozen), avocados, papaya, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, watermelon, cauliflower, bananas, mangos, carrots, mushrooms and kiwi. If you do opt for a dirty dozen, be sure to wash it with water or solutions of baking soda or vinegar.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
How the assisted dying debate is dividing doctors as politicians prepare to vote on bill
There are few issues more controversial, more divisive. Assisted dying polarises opinion. But it's a difficult conversation that needs to be had because ultimately death affects us all. Even if you are fortunate enough to never be directly impacted by an assisted death you will almost certainly be indirectly affected if the End of Life Bill passes into law. It would be the biggest social change to British society many of us would ever see in our lifetimes. And after patients and their immediate families, it's the country's doctors who will be the most affected by any change in the law. Like society, the medical community is divided on the issue. One senior doctor said: "It's like Brexit, but worse." Another told me: "Emotions are running high". These are the milder, reportable comments. There is bitterness and mistrust. The deep-rooted anger leads to each side accusing the other of deliberately spreading misinformation, "what-iffery" and "shenanigans" in the lead-up to the final vote next week. We asked two senior doctors to share their views on assisted dying with us and each other. Dr Mark Lee is a consultant in palliative care. "I have worked in this field for 25 years and looked after thousands of patients at the end of their lives. I am against the assisted dying bill because I believe it poses risks to patients, to families, to doctors and to palliative care." 'We can get this right' Dr Jacky Davis is a consultant radiologist and a campaigner for assisted dying legislation in this country. One of the arguments put forward by opponents of assisted dying is that Britain ranks highest among countries in its delivery of palliative care. And there is no need for such a radical change in end of life care. It is not an argument Dr Davis accepts. She said: "The status quo at the moment means a number of people are dying bad deaths every day. 300 million people around the world have access to assisted dying and more legislation is in the pipeline and no place that has taken up a law on assisted dying has ever reversed it. So we can learn from other places, we can get this right, we can offer people a compassionate choice at the end of life." Most deaths in palliative care 'peaceful' Dr Lee accepts palliative care has its limitations but this is a result of underfunding. This national conversation, he argues, is an opportunity to address some of those failings and improve end of life care. "I think the NHS currently is not resourcing the situation enough to be able to provide the patients with the choice that they need to get the care that they needed and that is because they are not getting the choice and because palliative care is patchy. But in my day-to-day work, and I've worked in palliative care for 25 years, normal death is peaceful, comfortable, and does not involve people dying in pain." "I absolutely agree with Mark," Dr Davis responded. "The vast majority of people will die a peaceful death and do not have the need for an assisted death. And I absolutely am with him that palliative care in this country has been treated abysmally. Nobody should have to hold a jumble sale in order to fund a hospice. That's terrible. "What I didn't hear from Mark is, while the vast majority of people will die a peaceful death and have got nothing to fear facing death, there are people who have diagnoses where they know that they are likely to face a difficult death and will face a difficult death. "What are you offering to the people who aren't going to die a peaceful death? And what are you offering to people who are so afraid that that's going to happen that they will take their own lives or will go abroad to seek an assisted death?" Concerns about pressure on NHS One important voice that has been missing from the national assisted dying debate is that of the NHS. Senior leaders will not speak on the issue until the fate of the bill is decided. And its understandable why. It is not clear what role the health service would have if the bill passes. 0:32 Dr Lee warned that his NHS colleagues were "extremely worried", going further to say assisted dying would "break the NHS". He added, that the country's already under-pressure hospice sector would struggle to cope with staff "walking away from the job if they are forced to be involved in any way". Dr Davis refuses to accept these warnings, arguing that the challenge to the health service is being overstated. "I think it's really important to take a step back and say this would be a very small number of deaths. And this is very small in terms of the other things that are coming through big drug discoveries, big new surgeries, all the rest of it this would be very small in terms in terms of money." The two doctors did agree on one thing. That every patient is entitled to a pain free and dignified death. 1:12 Dr Lee said: "I look at the whites of the eyes of people every day with that. I stand in that place every day. And that is shameful that anyone in this day and age should die in that position. Jacky and I can agree on that. That is unacceptable. But it still doesn't justify the response that we meet suffering with killing someone, rather than addressing the needs that are in front of us." Dr Davis responded by saying: "You say you've looked in the whites of patients' eyes at the end, and I'd say looking into the whites of patients eyes and listening to what they're asking for when they've been offered everything that you can offer them and they're still saying, 'I've had enough', then we should follow the example of other countries and say, 'we will help you'." These are the two very divided opinions of two NHS doctors, but these are the same arguments that will be taking place in hospitals, hospices, offices, factories and living rooms across the country. In about a week's time, it will be down to the politicians to decide.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Chancellor unveils £6bn NHS funding after health-centred spending review
Some £6 billion will be spent on speeding up testing and treatment in the NHS, Rachel Reeves has announced, after she placed the health service at the heart of Government spending plans. The Chancellor unveiled the investment, which includes new scanners, ambulances and urgent treatment centres aimed at providing an extra four million appointments in England over the next five years, after Wednesday's spending review. The funding is aimed at reducing waiting lists and reaching Labour's 'milestone' of ensuring the health service carries out 92% of routine operations within 18 weeks. In the review, Ms Reeves set out day-to-day spending across Government for the next three years, as well as plans for capital investment over the next four years. The NHS and defence were seen as the winners from the settlement, as both will see higher than average rises in public spending. This comes at cost of squeezing the budgets of other Whitehall departments and experts have warned tax rises may be needed later this year. The Chancellor and Sir Keir Starmer both sought to portray the review as a 'new phase' for the Government, following the criticism Labour has faced during its first year in power, including over cuts to winter fuel allowance. Ms Reeves claimed the NHS had been 'put on its knees' as a result of under-investment by the previous government, adding: 'We are investing in Britain's renewal, and we will turn that around.' The new £6 billion investment will come from the capital settlement for the NHS and will also help to speed up diagnoses with scans and treatment available in places such as shopping centres and high streets. The scale of day-to-day spending for the NHS is akin to an extra £29 billion a year. In a broadcast interview on Wednesday evening, Ms Reeves said the Government was 'confident' it could meet its pledge to reduce waiting lists after the boost to NHS spending. But while health and defence have benefited from the review, the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Transport and Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are all in line for real-terms cuts in day-to-day spending. The Foreign Office is also in line for real-terms cuts, mainly as a result of a reduction in the overseas aid budget, which was slashed as part of the commitment to boost defence spending to 2.6% of gross domestic product – including the intelligence agencies – from 2027. Ms Reeves acknowledged 'not everyone has been able to get exactly what they want' following Cabinet squabbling over departmental budgets. She said 'every penny' of the spending increases had been funded through the tax and borrowing changes she had announced in her first budget. The Chancellor also insisted she would not need to mount another tax raid to pay for her plans, but experts warned the money for the NHS might still not be enough and the Government is under international pressure to boost defence funding further. Paul Johnson, of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, described the hospital waiting times target as 'enormously ambitious', adding: 'And on defence, it's entirely possible that an increase in the Nato spending target will mean that maintaining defence spending at 2.6% of GDP no longer cuts the mustard.' At a summit later this month Nato members will consider calls to increase spending to 3.5% on defence, with a future 1.5% on defence-related measures. Steven Millard, interim director of the NIESR economic research institute, said the Chancellor's non-negotiable fiscal rules, coupled with the 'small amount of headroom' in her spending plans, meant 'it is now almost inevitable that if she is to keep to her fiscal rules, she will have to raise taxes in the autumn budget'. Elsewhere, policing leaders warned forces may need to make deep cuts after their settlement was announced. The spending review provides more than £2 billion for forces, but ministers have acknowledged some of that 'spending power' will come from council tax hikes.
