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Emma Dyer recalls the moment she impulsively purchased a set of weight-loss injections online, without undergoing any medical consultation or identity verification. Despite her past struggles with anorexia and bulimia, no questions were asked about her health history. “It was just so easy – too easy,” Emma reflects. “They never asked for my medical history or what medication I was taking. It was like buying groceries.”
Shortly after beginning the injections, Emma experienced a severe physical reaction. She collapsed in her bathroom and feared she might die. At the time, she was at a healthy weight and felt mentally stable, working in a job she enjoyed. However, a single comment from a customer about her appearance triggered a downward spiral. Driven by a desire to lose weight quickly, Emma searched online and found the injections, paying £115 for what she believed were Saxenda doses. The website she used only requested her body mass index (BMI), which she admits she falsified. “If they’d checked my medical history with my GP, I don’t think I would’ve been eligible,” she says. “My BMI was normal. I just wasn’t in the right headspace to make a logical decision.”
Upon receiving the injections in March 2024, Emma says the instructions provided were poorly printed, and unaware she should have started on a lower dose, she used a medium one. The initial day showed a suppressed appetite, which she welcomed, but by the second day, severe side effects set in. “I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t open my eyes,” she recounts. “I was hallucinating and throwing up so much I started vomiting blood. I literally thought, ‘this is it – this is how I’m going to die.’” Despite feeling ashamed and scared, Emma kept her experience to herself, knowing that others would have urged her not to take the injections but feeling unable to accept that she was unwell. Now, she chooses to share her story, hoping to prevent others from making the same mistakes.
Emma’s case reflects a growing phenomenon in the UK, where approximately 1.6 million adults reportedly used weight-loss injections in the past year, according to estimates from University College London researchers. While some obtain drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy through the NHS, most purchase them privately. These medications suppress appetite by imitating the hormone GLP-1 but come with risks, including potential weight gain after stopping treatment. NHS England’s national medical director, Dr Claire Fuller, expresses concern about unregulated sellers offering these powerful drugs without medical supervision. “The lack of supervision can put people’s health at serious risk,” she warns, emphasizing that these medications require prescription and continuous support from trained healthcare professionals. The NHS also stresses that access to these drugs should be paired with behavioral support focusing on nutrition and physical activity.
Daniel Magson, CEO of the Derby-based eating disorder charity First Steps ED, highlights a troubling trend of people obtaining weight-loss injections from unconventional sources, including pharmacies and even hairdressers, often without proper support. He reports increased hospitalizations due to food restriction complications, worsening mental health conditions, and relapses in individuals previously recovered from eating disorders. The charity has seen a significant rise in referrals, with
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