WHEN Chanel Robinson piled on the pounds in the pandemic her self esteem took a hit - but that wasn't the only downside.
Facing a deadly diagnosis that doctors warned was a result of her 18st frame, the 29-year-old turned to weight loss jabs. Along with shedding a staggering 6st she admits there were two vital side effects she hadn't expected that have transformed her life and looks.
Things took a turn for Chanel when a routine health check revealed she was pre-diabetic - meaning her blood sugars were higher than usual and she was at high risk - and had high cholesterol, putting her at increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
The discovery was the wake-up call she needed to finally take control of her health.
“Physically, just walking around doing miles was hard,” Chanel, from Atlanta, Georgia, tells Sun Health.
“I just felt very sluggish and I think I slept a lot more.
“I had low confidence. I wasn’t happy with myself and I was super critical.
“I didn’t feel comfortable wearing certain things. I felt like going out was a task.”
Due to her pre-diabetes and high cholesterol, Chanel says she was able to get a prescription for the weight loss injectable “pretty easily”.
The medication works by mimicking a hormone the body produces when the stomach is full, slowing down digestion and preventing cravings.
Switching off hunger signals means patients eat less and avoid weight gain.
Despite easy access to the drug, Chanel’s medical insurance does not cover the expenses, meaning she has to fork out around $1,500 (£1,126) every month.
But having shed 6.5st - and wiped years off her appearance - Chanel says the hefty cost is more than worth it.
The content creator posted her transformation on TikTok, where it racked up an incredible 7.8million views, 609,000 likes and 6,620 comments.
She says: “I started taking them 100 per cent for weight loss.
“I was unhappy with my weight and how I looked. I was 246lbs then – I’m like 5ft, too.
“I felt like my life was heading in the wrong direction so I decided to start taking them then.
“I went to the doctor and I found out I was pre-diabetic and had high cholesterol.
“I needed to be on them for reasons other than weight loss.
“Weight has not always been something I've struggled with, but I did put on 60 to 70lbs during Covid.
“I know being sedentary during that time didn’t help and I continued those bad habits I developed during those times.”
Now that my skin has cleared up, I just look incredibly youthful. I feel more confident than ever
Chanel Robinson
Chanel says having polycystic ovary syndrome (PSOS), a condition where you have few, unusual or very long periods, also contributed to her weight gain.
Along with having an inactive lifestyle, the condition meant she found it difficult to slim down.
But having taken Ozempic since June 2023, Chanel feels slimmer and more confident than ever - and she says there’s been an unexpected benefit to the treatment: her youthful glow.
“Ozempic has made me look 10 years younger by improving my skin and my health,” she says.
“I've just gotten this glow that I don't even think I had prior to gaining weight. It was a nice bonus.
“I'm extremely happy with how I look now. My confidence has grown so much in the way I present myself, the way I dress.
“I've definitely had people comment on it. The huge improvement in my skin is something people who know me point out in person, but it's a pretty big conversation online as well.
“I had really bad seborrheic dermatitis that caused itchy, scaly patches on my face, which I feel like aged me.
“Now that it's cleared up due to the weight loss, my skin just looks incredibly youthful.
“It was hard going out with my friends because I was always 'the bigger friend' and it didn't help that I just genuinely didn't put much effort into my appearance because I wasn't happy with myself.
“But now that the weight loss has shaved years off my appearance, I feel more confident than ever now that I look my age.”
Chanel says she saw the effects of Ozempic quickly – losing more than 2st in the first few months.
She eats the same as before but now has smaller portions, and she doesn’t feel hungry as often.
As well as the weight loss, clearing up her skin and helping with her PCOS, the injections have had a profound effect on her other health conditions.
“It’s just changed so much,” Chanel says.
“It’s definitely helped my dermatitis and PCOS, and my cholesterol has lowered. Plus, I’m no longer pre-diabetic.
“I’m doing physical activities and I genuinely want to go out and move more.”
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
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 patient.info, 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.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
Although the medication has been a success, Chanel says she has experienced some side effects like nausea, fatigue, constipation, diarrhoea and migraines.
“You're not eating as much food and stay fuller for a lot longer,” she says.
“I remember the day after I took it, I didn’t eat until 7pm because I genuinely had no desire for food.
“That was something I had to learn how to deal with. I wasn’t hungry, but I had headaches and fatigue.
“Now I'll eat pretty late at like 12pm in the afternoon. I don’t eat until around this time and then I’ll have a snack and something smaller for dinner.
“The only side effect I was warned about was not to overeat as I might projectile vomit.
“I've probably overeaten a handful of times, but I've felt extremely uncomfortable. That’s the worst feeling.
“On Thanksgiving and Christmas you’re eating all day – it’s that kind of full. The food sits on you for twice as long.
“I have experienced nausea, fatigue, constipation, diarrhoea and migraines. But it has only happened a few times - they aren’t consistent side effects.”
Chanel says despite always being open and honest about her weight loss journey, she has been judged by others online.
She says: “I always tell people how I’ve lost weight.
“I’ve never had judgement in person but definitely online.
“I think so many of us have struggled with weight for so long and we didn’t have options. People work out and diet and it doesn’t seem to stick.
“But people come in and have something negative to say – ‘You're lazy, you're stealing medication from people who need it.’
“Honestly, it's just entertaining. I get some comments like that but I’m a pretty strong person.
“It doesn’t bother me. I just think, ‘Wow, there are people out here who want to see people continue to stay overweight and struggle.’
“They’re basically saying, ‘I don’t respect the fact you did this and didn’t put blood, sweat and tears into the gym and didn’t count calories.’
“They think if they struggled to lose weight, I should as well.”
