The meal is over and as I start carrying plates from the table to the sink to begin the washing up, a relative follows me to continue a conversation started during dinner.
She has been telling me about a dinner party she’d hosted where none of the guests ate what she cooked or drank any wine with her because they were all on GLP-1s. “I just don’t think it’s the right way to lose weight,” she says plaintively. “It can’t be good for their health”.
I keep my gaze focused on the task in front of me: ferociously scrubbing some sugar that had caramelised on the edge of a baking tray. “I don’t know,” I say weakly, as I try to round off the chat. “I think everyone is different and what might work for some might not work for others”.
I feel uncomfortable, not only because I am obese and she is naturally very thin – making me feel like the de facto spokesperson for the overweight population in this conversation – but also because I am on the drugs, as only my husband, best friend and pharmacist know.
Shorts
Scroll to previous short
Scroll to next short
Children are responsible for their parents, it’s not the job of the state to take over when it gets messy and inconvenient (Photo: Halfpoint Images/Getty)
health
How reading for pleasure can improve your health
Academics at the University of Cambridge found that reading boosts mental health and is linked to better cognitive performance at any age.
Reading for wellness
The review, published in the Psychological Medicine journal, found that reading can offer benefits for people of any age.
Pyschiatrists Professor Barbara Sahakian and Dr Christelle Langley said book clubs and reading groups “can provide additional benefits through social interaction”.
Caption: Australia, Sydney, University of Sydney education campus Fisher Library books stacks shelves. (Photo by: Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Photographer: Jeff Greenberg
Provider: Universal Images Group via Getty
Source: Universal Images Group Editorial
Copyright: ?JeffreyGreenberg@aol.com
2 min read
What are the benefits?
Data suggests reading can enhance cognitive development and academic performance in children, and slows mental decline later in life.
Caption: OXFORD, ENGLAND – AUGUST 25: Books sit on shelves in the Duke Humphrey???s Library at the Bodleian Libraries on August 25, 2020 in Oxford, England. The world famous libraries closed in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. After putting in strict social distancing measures the Oxford University Libraries have partially opened for students and academics. A gradual reopening to the public, via online booking, begins on September 1. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Photographer: Christopher Furlong
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Switch off the screens in the evening (Photo: Imgorthand/Getty)
The report examined data from previous trials and surveys, finding that adults who regularly read had 33 per cent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
What the experts say
We should be doing everything we can to introduce children and young people to reading. The important thing is to find something they’d really enjoy reading about – it might be a TV programme or a game – and use this as a way in.
Dr Christelle Langley of the university of cambridge
Boy, sister and reading book on sofa house for knowledge, bonding and learning literature, fantasy and language development. Family, girl and storytelling, education and information of child growth. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
politics
State pension likely to rise by 3.9% – everything we know
The state pension is on course to rise above £13,000 a year for the first time from next April, according to new wage data used to calculate the increase.
The rise will push the full new state pension above the income tax threshold for the first time.
How is state pension calculated?
It rises each April under the triple lock – so it increases by whichever is highest of average wage growth, inflation or 2.5 per cent.
The final figure will be confirmed by the Treasury at the Budget on 28 October, once the inflation data is published on 21 October.
Caption: Pedestrians walk outside the Bank of England (back L) in the financial district in London on July 30, 2026. The Bank of England held its benchmark interest rate at 3.75 percent on July 30 but warned of higher inflation to come owing to the US-Iran war pushing up energy prices. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: HENRY NICHOLLS
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
3 min read
How much will the state pension rise by?
The full new state pension, paid to people who reached state pension age after April 2016, is set to rise from £241.30 to £250.70 a week.
The full basic state pension, paid to those who reached pension age before April 2016, is set to rise from £184.90 to £192.10 a week.
Both rises are smaller than had been expected a month ago.
The tax pensioners could pay
The expected rise will take the full new state pension above the £12,570 income tax personal allowance for the first time.
Pensioners whose sole income is the state pension are not expected to have to pay tax on this. But others may have to pay around £91 in tax over the 2027-28 financial year.
4 min read
4 min read
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
Gratitude
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Caption: Two adult brothers enjoy a warm embrace in a sunny park. They stand beside a decorative fence surrounded by lush greenery, showcasing a strong bond and happiness in the moment.
Photographer: Beatriz Herrera
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: beatrizherreragonzalez@gmail.com
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Journal
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Caucasian mid adult patient writing a diary while recovering in the hospital ward – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
‘One question is how to achieve such a longevity hack when most of us have relationships that unsettle us,’ says Dr Amir Levine (Photo: Oliver Rossi/Getty)
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
Exercise with people you love (Photographer: Morsa Images/Getty/Digital Vision/Abel Mitj? Varela)
Caption: Group of Happy Asian senior women friends shopping and having lunch at restaurant on summer holiday vacation. Healthy elderly woman enjoy outdoor lifestyle meeting and eating food together.
Photographer: CandyRetriever
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Leon Poultney, a writer who specialises in cars, gives his EV recommendations, and the ones that should be avoided.
Renault 5 E-Tech
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
4 min read
Mercedes-Benz CLA
A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
2 min read
Porsche Macan GTS
It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
Kia EV 9
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
MG IM6
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
BYD Dolphin Surf
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
Leapmotor T03
It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
2 min read
The kitchen gadgets and products a food editor swears by, all under £25
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Caption: best kitchen gadgets
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
5 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book Attached, explains why we behave the way we do in love.
Caption: Happy woman walking with male partner in vineyard during sunset. Elderly couple are touring in field against sky. They are enjoying during weekend.
Photographer: Morsa Images
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Digital Vision
Golden rules for happy relationships
Start with your own behaviours
The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.
Side view of affectionate happy couple sitting in the cozy cafe. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Son’t assume your partner knows how you think (Photo: ljubaphoto/Getty/E+)
Express your needs
People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
Unhappy married couple facing away from each other in a quiet home, concept of emotional distance, loneliness in relationship and family problems – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule
If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.
Lean on community
You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong.
Caption: Happy couples talking while walking embraced during spring day in a meadow.
Photographer: skynesher
Provider: Getty Images
Source: E+
Candid shot happiness and togetherness Asian mother supporting daughter try to standing and walking first time and positive emotion – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Stop blaming childhood
Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.
Caption: Financial problems. Worried middle-aged woman holding utility bills, managing monthly household budget, sitting on bed feeling anxious. Cost of living concept
Photographer: MementoJpeg
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Reach for a
secure script
When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one.
If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’
Loneliness elsewhere
When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.
Frustrated lonely shy guy sitting apart of others teenagers – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
What to do
Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle.
Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
No more orange juice. (Photo via pixaby)
It’s estimated ultra processed foods make up at least half of the average UK diet (Photo: Getty)
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Caption: Gail’s croissant
Image taken from https://gails.com/collections/breakfast/products/croissant
Croissants
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
It is mostly carbohydrate and without protein or fibre, it is digested quickly, leaving you feeling hungry.
Caption: Toasted bread and white background
Photographer: Daniel Tamas Mehes
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: Minden jog fenntartva!
Yakitori’s on the menu at the Japanese restaurant – but what exactly is it? (Photo: Reuters)
Sushi
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Sarawak laksa is one of many varieties of this noodle soup (Photo: Tham Kee Chuan/Getty)
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Pizza
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Best pizza in Britain named – and owner reveals the secret to its success (Photo: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
The Government has announced that the sugar tax will be extended to milkshakes (Photo: Scott Suchman)
Smoothies
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
‘Aged 14, I started what I considered to be my own little business selling confectionary,’ writes Beauty Dhlamini (Photo: Getty)
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
Which yoghurts are the best options? (Unsplash)
Caption: BANGKOK, THAILAND – OCTOBER 17: A “KT Herbalist”, a Kratom cocktail made from Kratom, coffee and siamese herbs is seen at Teens of Thailand, a bar in Bangkok’s Chinatown on October 17, 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand. In April 2021, the start of Thailand’s third and most deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thai government banned the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars, crippling the already suffering food and beverage industry. With a lack of government aid and support, some bars have shuttered their doors in hopes of reopening post-lockdown, while others shuttered their doors for good. But six months into Thailand’s most recent lockdown, Niks Anuman-Rajadhon, owner of Teens of Thailand, a gin bar located in a renovated shophouse in Bangkok’s Chinatown, decided that instead of waiting for the government to allow the sale of alcohol again, they would take advantage of Thailand’s recent legalization of Kratom. Kratom is a locally grown herbal drug with mild opioid and stimulant effects and was reclassified from a type-5 narcotic to a legal-to-grow herb in August 2021. While Thailand prepares for a tentative reopening on November 1st, the alcohol ban and curfew are set to continue, leaving business owners questioning if the country can revive its suffering tourism industry. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
Photographer: Lauren DeCicca
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
Alcohol
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
Senior woman on sofa feeling and suffering from back pain. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
4 min read
How to age without pain
Many will worry about not saving enough for retirement (Photo: Alex Tihonov/Getty/Moment RF)
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Sleep
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Naps before 1pm can lead to better cognitive performance in the following hours (Photo: Lord Henri Voton/Getty Images)
Caption: Maribel Ezcurra, 77, a retired milling machine mechanic, practices tai chi with fellow seniors in a park in the Playa neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Photographer: Ramon Espinosa
Provider: AP
Source: AP
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
Caption: This is a photo of a senior man helping his wife lift weights. See PA Feature HEALTH Physio. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA feature HEALTH Physio. PA Photo.Picture credit should read: Alamy/PA.
NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature HEALTH Physio.
Photographer: Alamy
Provider: Alamy/PA
Source: PA
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Fit more walking into your day (Photo: andreswd/Getty/E+)
Sleep can affect your heart health (Photo: Flashpop/Getty/Digital Vision)
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
It can increase the decline of muscle mass and bone density, which needs to be avoided.
Calorie counting every day can be a pain (Photo: Getty)
How to age without pain
(Photo: Inga Erhan/ Gingagi/ Getty).
Protein
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
Menstrual pain, woman with stomachache suffering from pms at home, endometriosis, cystitis and other diseases of the urinary system – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Caption: Close-up view of female jogger tying laces of her sport shoes before running exercise routine. Motivation, healthy lifestyle and fitness concept.
Photographer: Xavier Lorenzo
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Recovery
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
I didn’t plan on keeping this information a secret, I just wanted a bit of space and privacy to see how I got on before inviting in an audience. It is May 2026, and this is my second time on GLP-1s (I’d previously tried in 2025 and had a spectacularly bad experience that resulted in a mental health crash). I wrote about this in an article and swore off them completely.
But after 10 months of trying to lose weight the old-school way — eat less, exercise more — which brought with it many positive changes in my health markers but precisely zero weight loss. I was exhausted and ready to try the drugs again.
Yet, I felt anxious about public opinion. More than anything else I was frankly terrified of being called a hypocrite. And so I kept my inner circle small.
Since the last attempt quite a lot had changed; my kids were a bit older, I was no longer in the postnatal period, I had had some very good therapy that better equipped me to deal with any anxious feelings that might come up and I wanted to confront my fear of taking them.
I was also so tired of living in a body that made it hard to feel comfortable. Not because of how people viewed or judged my size — I let go of that concern a long time ago — but because I was the heaviest I’d ever been and it was having an impact on my wellbeing. I had less energy, my joints hurt, I had a back injury that wasn’t getting better and also yes, I wanted my clothes to fit better.
My first and second start couldn’t have been more different. The first time, I was trying to figure it all out on my own, panicking at every side effect and unsure how to respond to my reduced appetite (and so eating nothing at all). The second time I felt empowered, confident and well-resourced, and more importantly, I started to see the results I had been pulverising myself to try to achieve for months on end with no joy.
I knew it was time to be honest about taking them to my friends and wider audience, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d be letting some people down — those who may have found my social media account in the heyday of body positivity through my writing in support of fat people.
I never set out to be a ‘fat positive writer’ or even a ‘body positive’ one — it was mostly a case of time and circumstance. In the late 2010s, in the boom of the Body Positivity era, there was huge demand from editors for writing from the perspective of women living in bigger bodies.
‘Being labelled a body-positivity writer brought a responsibility to perform a level of self-acceptance that in truth I had not reached and wasn’t sure could ever exist for me,’ writes Rose (Photo: Gavin Crilly Photography)
As someone who had been obese, lost a lot of weight and was adept at writing about the nuance of the conversation around weight, health and bodies, I was soon receiving regular commissions from national papers and magazines.
Ironically, at the time, I was the lightest I’d been for most of my adult life, although still a UK size 18 — so still not thin by many people’s standards. I’ve often wondered since then whether being smaller than I am now made me a more palatable voice for this message.
I was happy to write on this topic, fighting the pervasive narrative that only thin could mean beautiful and challenging the idea that being overweight was synonymous with unhealthy.
At no point did I reject the science of metabolic health, nor suggest loving yourself was an easy or even possible task. I came of age in the late 90s and had acquired the requisite self-hatred expected of women so knew that a few ad campaigns telling us to celebrate our differences, or the presence of bigger clothes in the shops, weren’t enough to update an internal operating system programmed to loathe itself.
Having previously described myself as a women’s health journalist, at some point I was assigned a new label: a body-positivity writer. It is a label I have wrestled with over the years, because it reclassifies my science-based journalism as advocacy. And also because at times it brought with it a responsibility to perform a level of self-acceptance that in truth I had not reached and wasn’t sure could ever reach.
It also made the notion of trying to lose weight feel more difficult to consider. The watered-down pop-culture version of body positivity painted hypocrites of anyone who wanted to change their size — including me, despite my never having advocated for people to stay heavy or vilified weight loss.
The about turn that none of us saw coming? The arrivals of GLP-1s on the mass market and the extreme pivot back to glorifying thinness. This great social shrinking handed body positivity critics the ‘gotcha’ moment they had been craving. And so, many people, who, like me, had been associated with it were carefully monitored for any whiff of hypocrisy.
Instead of achieving what we’d hoped — for our bodies to be less scrutinised and for fat people to be treated with a baseline level of respect — we were now painted as defectors for losing any weight at all.
I reject that notion outright; wanting people who struggle with their weight to be treated better doesn’t mean that I have to stay trapped within a body that makes me feel uncomfortable. And I don’t think that there is any hypocrisy in wanting to improve my own personal health outcomes while still believing that losing weight isn’t the panacea for ill health it is often painted as.
After five months back on the drugs I am finally closing in on my weight loss goal, something that didn’t look possible at the start of the year. I am certain my more positive experience this time is the result of time moving on and hormones settling, but also because there is so much more advice available now on how to take these drugs well.
I feel more positive than I have in a long time that I can find a healthier way to manage my weight that works for me in the long term and costs me less emotional space. More time and more attention to enjoy my children while they’re young feels like a gift, and one I wont squander.
A Matter of Fat launches on September 15 on all platforms