Dying to be SKINNY

In a supposed ‘body positive’ world, why are women risking everything to be thin?

Seeing a wave of celebrities losing weight at a shocking rate seems to be having a knock-on effect on us regular folk too. More than half a million Brits are now using injections to assist their weight loss. Available on prescription, they work by suppressing the appetite and can help with weight loss when used alongside diet and exercise. But while many have seen a positive result from the use of properly prescribed weight-loss injections, some people are finding them through illicit means – unlicensed salons and bogus online sellers who provide fake pens. In the UK alone 82 deaths have been linked to the use of the jabs, which can also be taken for diabetes. Woman investigates and speaks to someone who feared for her life after trying injections she bought online...

'I'M JUST GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE'

Shannon Flannery, 28, lives in Kent.

I know I’m not alone in scrutinising my body in the mirror, looking at every lump, bump and imperfection. We’ve all done it at some point and in February 2024, with my sister’s wedding coming up that summer, I wanted to look my best.

I’d piled on a bit of weight over the past year and while I was only a size 14, I wasn’t comfortable with my curves. I wanted to drop a few dress sizes before the wedding, where I was going to be a bridesmaid. But as a single mum of two girls, aged nine and four, life was busy, and I knew that in order to lose enough weight in just six months, I needed a quick fix.