![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_mounjarom.jpg\")
Mark Spurr at his heaviest on holiday in Spain (Collect\/PA Real Life)(Image: Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\nHe’s lost 13-stone – and saved his jobMark Spurr at his heaviest on holiday in Spain (Collect\/PA Real Life)(Image: Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
A dad who was left crying on his knees after failing to qualify for weight loss injections on the NHS has hit his goal weight and claims he has reversed diabetes by opting for private treatment. Mark Spurr, 54, feels he has extended his life, saved his job, and now needs a new passport because airline crew no longer recognise him since he started taking Mounjaro weight loss injections.<\/p>\n
The security officer has dropped 13 stone and trimmed 18 inches from his waist since investing in the treatment last summer. He now supports thousands of others in their own weight loss journeys on his Tiktok and Youtube channels @markonmounjaro.<\/p>\n
After pleading with his GP for NHS treatment without success, Mark resorted to private care to improve his health and avoid being fired from his job at an immigration centre as he could no longer fit into his required stab-proof vest.<\/p>\n
Mark estimates he has so far spent \u00a33,500 on Mounjaro, averaging \u00a3219 per month, which pales in comparison to the \u00a312,000 he would have spent on junk food and takeaways over the same time period, since he began using Mounjaro 17 months ago. This is based on his previous \u00a325 daily spend \u2013 a Greggs sausage sandwich for breakfast; a pasty, bun, sandwich and cake for lunch; an \u00a38 takeaway dinner; followed by \u00a35 on snacks from the garage \u2013 which he has swapped for home-cooked meals.<\/p>\n
Mounjaro\u2019s UK list price significantly increased in September when manufacturer Eli Lilly aligned it with prices in other countries.<\/p>\n
The weekly weight loss injection, containing tirzepatide, suppresses appetite and enhances fullness to help weight loss alongside a diet and exercise plan. Doses escalate every four weeks unless a lower maintenance level is chosen, with prices now ranging from \u00a3179.99 to \u00a3309.99 per month, reflecting an increase of up to 170%. But Mark says that even with the price hikes, he saves hundreds of pounds per month by eating less and leading a healthier lifestyle thanks to the medicine.<\/p>\n
His next \u2013 and final \u2013 step in his journey is to address the two stone of excess skin from his dramatic weight loss which will put him at his goal weight of 15 stone. Now he is fundraising for the surgery, which is considered cosmetic and therefore not available through the NHS.<\/p>\n
\u201cMounjaro has given me my life back in so many ways,\u201d Mark told PA Real Life. \u201cI have reversed my Type 2 diabetes, saved my job and am spending more time with the family \u2013 doing normal things like going for a walk rather than hiding in a gym where I was too unfit for outdoor exercise. I even need a new passport. Flying to Spain in June, airline staff said my picture doesn\u2019t look like me and nearly didn\u2019t let me board the flight. My total spend so far sounds like a lot of money but when you do the maths, I\u2019ve saved thousands, even with the higher prices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark, who was slim during childhood, began to gain weight when he left school at 15 and took a job as a council joiner. For the past 10 years, he has battled harder with his weight, which he said spiralled out of control when his mum, Susan Spurr, died in her 60s in 2014.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood was a coping mechanism,\u201d Mark said. \u201cI joined Slimming World but was yoyo dieting. At one point, I lost six stone but then gained it back and more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark\u2019s tipping point came when his employer warned him that his job at an immigration centre was at risk if he could no longer fit into his stab-proof vest. Weighing around 30 stone with a body-mass index (BMI) of 57, he struggled to walk from the car park to work.<\/p>\n
According to the NHS, a healthy BMI score is between 18.5 and 24.9, with a score of 40 or above indicating severe obesity.<\/p>\n
An occupational health report suggested he needed to lose six stone to perform his job safely and he took some time off. Despite these challenges, Mark was informed he did not meet the NHS criteria for weight loss injections, which includes having a BMI over 35 and at least one weight-related illness. His overall condition, including his diabetes, was not severe enough to qualify.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was basically on my hands and knees, crying my eyes out and pleading with my GP to prescribe me something. I was in so much pain,\u201d Mark said. \u201cI might as well have been smashing my head against a brick wall as I was told I didn\u2019t fit the criteria, but they recommended that I take it privately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark researched private options for taking Mounjaro and began weekly injections on a dose of 2.5mg, costing \u00a3100 per month \u2013 which now costs \u00a3179.99 under the new price structure.<\/p>\n
After one week, he had lost nine pounds and was leading a healthier lifestyle, eating high protein meals like chicken with rice and egg salad. This progressed to a steady two to three pound weekly weight loss which enabled him to return to mountain biking with his son Joshua, 29, and family outings with his granddaughter Hailey, six. Other benefits include securing his job and reversing his Type 2 diabetes, Mark said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went for a medical review at my GP and the blood test results came back showing that my blood pressure was much lower \u2013 with no Type 2 diabetes. \u201cSo I was put into remission with no need for medicine besides the Mounjaro, which helps to control it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mounjaro was originally designed to treat Type 2 diabetes by managing blood sugar levels. However, its effect on weight loss in clinical trials led to a separate approval for weight management under another brand name.<\/p>\n
Mark\u2019s weight loss has now hit 13 stone, and his waist has reduced from 60 inches to 40 \u2013 and it would be lower still without his excess skin. But he says while many people want to attribute his success entirely to Mounjaro, \u201cit\u2019s not a magic jab\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gets more difficult to remain focused as time goes on and if you\u2019re not prepared to change, you will be throwing money down the drain,\u201d he added. \u201cYou\u2019ve still got to be prepared to quit the junk food and get help with the emotional side of what\u2019s causing you to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark plans to reduce his Mounjaro dose and maintain his weight for the next 12 months and is determined to have skin removal surgery next year to improve his mobility and reduce soreness. However, he has a long way to go in funding the private procedure, so far having raised just \u00a3135 of his \u00a320,000 target on GoFundMe.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo get this far is a real personal achievement,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the last thing now holding me back.\u201d<\/p>\n