Short-term solution OR MIRACLE CURE?

With obesity rates at an all-time high in the UK, we ask whether weight-loss injections are a cheat's way out or a life-saving necessity

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You've just read how skinny jabs are taking over Tinseltown, with the rich and famous clamouring to get their hands on the easy fix, but they are becoming more popular among us mere mortals too.

The latest research found that 500,000 people in the UK are using weight-loss injections, which can help them lose 15-20% of their weight in a matter of months. In fact, experts estimate that so many people are now using skinny jabs to reverse their obesity that we may even see obesity figures declining for the first time in decades.

Around 95 per cent of patients are buying the medication privately, at an average cost of £150 a month. But there are concerns that the injections are being issued by non-medics to those who are not obese, and tighter regulations are now being implemented. Some also question whether relying on injections to stay slim is a sustainable solution. So are these jabs just a cheater's way of getting in shape? We speak to two women with different opinions.

'PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO PUT IN ANY EFFORT'

Tej Patel, 42, is a personal trainer from Harrow.

When I was overweight in my teens and 20s, and wanting to lose weight fast, I would have grabbed skinny jabs with both hands. But since embracing healthy eating and exercise in my 30s and dropping four dress sizes, from a size 16 to a size 8, steadily and safely, before becoming a personal trainer in 2017, I'm against quick-fix slimming solutions.

Worryingly, now the jabs are mainstream, new clients are coming to me desperate for help after suffering jab-related health issues including muscle loss and hair loss, as well as psychological problems including depression, anxiety and even a fear of food.