It was the little warning on the purple packaging that caught Vrinda Guha’s eye.
Taking the delivery for her neighbour Molly who was away on the holiday, the fact that the contents needed to be refrigerated – and the familiar bright packaging – was an instant giveaway to those in the know.
Like Vrinda, 33, it was clear her neighbour was also taking Wegovy, in a bid to lose weight.
‘As the medication had to be refrigerated, I knew I would have to open the package and put it in the fridge,’ Vrinda, who lives in North London, tells Metro. ‘I felt a little awkward, but I texted her straight away and had to be open about the situation.’
But rather than feel embarrassed about weight battles or taking the controversial semaglutide drug – which was first patented as Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes and later as Wegovy for weight loss specifically – it brought the women closer together.
‘Molly came back from her break and knocked on my door to pick up the meds and we ended up having a chat about the whole thing,’ remembers Vrinda.
‘I was actually surprised she was on Wegovy, as I had always thought she looked amazing, but she said she felt she needed a helping hand – she had tried everything, but this was the only thing that had really worked for her.’
Her story felt very familiar to Vrinda, who had spent 12 years trying countless diets to no avail. While weight loss injections have been slammed as a ‘quick-fix’ approach to obesity, with those taking it often viewed as lazy or vain, for people like Vrinda, they’ve been life-changing.
‘Over the years, I went through phases of feeling motivated to lose weight, and then feeling so deflated when I was working so hard and not losing anything,’ she explains.
‘It got to the point where my health was starting to worry me. Especially as I am on a fair bit of medication for migraines and hormonal problems, which makes it much harder for me to lose weight naturally.’
What is semaglutide, and what’s the difference between Ozempic and Wegovy?
Put simply, Ozempic and Wegovy are both brand names – but they’re both variations of a weight loss drug called semaglutide.
Ozempic is patented to treat type 2 diabetes, improving blood sugar to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular incidents. The Ozempic guidelines outline that the drug – which is injected – ‘may help you to lose some weight’ but specifies that it is ‘not for weight loss.’ The same rules apply in the US.
While Ozempic is used to treat type 2 diabetes, Wegovy – another form of the ingredient semaglutide, under a different name – it is also used to treat ‘adults with obesity or excess weight who also have weight-related medical problems’, its website reads.
Knowing that her BMI was slightly under what the NHS needed for her to qualify for Wegovy, in February 2024, Vrinda decided to look into accessing semaglutide privately, and discovered a weight loss company called Voy, which offers Wegovy injections as part of their £225 a month programme.
Within days, she felt instant results from the drug – which works by making patients feel fuller for longer – and ended up losing 15kg within five months.
‘By the day after I took my first dose, my craving for heavy, carby, fried foods had decreased, and I gravitated towards lighter meals that included mainly vegetables, and less carbs,’ Vrinda remembers.
Seven months on, she feels ‘much lighter’ and ‘more motivated to be active’ – but her journey hasn’t just brought her renewed body confidence, it’s also brought a new, supportive friend into her life, in the shape of neighbour Molly.
Ever since the pair realised they were both taking the jabs, they’ve been able to open up to each other and offer some much-needed support. Though Vrinda never felt any element of shame around taking the drug – in fact, her mum was the one who encouraged her to go for it initially – Molly had been a little more secretive.
Vrinda adds: ‘I’ve never really been ashamed of taking it, as I’ve struggled for so long and I was over the moon with the results. Molly, on the other hand, was fine talking to me about it, but has kept it secret from her family as she felt she would be judged, especially by her parents.’
Now, the friends check in on their progress, which Vrinda describes as ‘a confidence boost.’
‘We already had a good neighbourly relationship, but since taking in the package, we’ve had more to talk about, so our relationship [has] naturally progressed,’ she explains.
‘It’s led to us making plans to meet to socialise, rather than just discussing neighbour stuff like bringing in bins when we’re on holiday.’
The neighbours realised that they share a love of food, and since Molly’s partner makes ‘the most amazing’ pistachio tiramisu, she often takes it next door to share with Vrinda, who returns the favour by baking cupcakes.
‘We both love dogs, and she loves my gorgeous pup, Ponyo, so she always makes it a point to give her cuddles whenever she sees her. And her boys are always over playing with Ponyo in the garden, especially in summer,’ Vrinda says.
Discovering a sense of community rather than shame after taking the weight loss jabs, is an experience shared by Amanda Strowbridge, 55.
Amanda struggled with her body image after she started going through the menopause in 2019, when she says she put ‘more and more’ weight on.
‘The more exercise I did the more hungry I got, plus I was fighting against my changing hormones,’ Amanda, a wellness coach from Bournemouth, tells Metro.
It was after she decided to get a blood test, which her GP told her was ‘creeping towards the wrong end of normal’ on some markers including cholesterol, that Amanda decided to look for other ways to lose weight.
After considering her options, in November 2023 she decided to put herself forward for Wegovy. Filling out the consultation form through Boots Pharmacy, she quickly received her first prescription.
Amanda’s dose started at 0.25ml, which she stayed on for two months before it increased to 0.75ml, also for a two-month period, and then up to 1ml. After her weight plateaued, Amanda then switched to the lowest dose of Monjouro in August 2024, another weight loss injection (also used to treat type 2 diabetes).
Since then, she has lost 35lbs since her first jab.
Wanting to find like-minded people, Amanda turned to social media for support – but instead found groups that seemed to give ‘a lot of misinformation and even people posting links to dodgy suppliers,’ she remembers.
So, Amanda decided to start her own Instagram account to document her own journey. It was here that she soon connected with other people on a similar pathway.
‘It was just for research and nosiness to begin with and then it became more about supporting others on their journeys,’ Amanda explains, noting that, as time went on, she also felt held ‘accountable.’
‘Because of the algorithm, other people on weight-loss drugs started coming up on my feed,’ Amanda explains.
‘As this is a fairly new thing, most of us are starting at the same time with a few being on it for a couple of years at most. There are so many nuances, twists and turns along the way and it seems that people who are ahead of others are ‘paying forward’ their experiences to help others.’
With stories of ‘Ozempic face,’ ‘Ozempic fingers’ and even ‘Wegovy butt’ circulating, Amanda says having her online community has helped everyone realise that different people have different side effects. ‘And some have none at all,’ she is keen to point out.
What are the negative side effects of weight loss drugs?
The negative side effects of weight loss drugs can’t be ignored. Gareth Nye, senior lecturer of endocrinology tells Metro.co.uk, that there are ‘links between the use of Ozempic and developing thyroid cancer’, information that is ‘now included in the drug safety information.’
‘There are also strong associations with developing pancreatitis through abnormal actions in the pancreas, and in diabetic patients, we are seeing increased rates of complications related to diabetic retinopathy,’ Gareth shares.
And, citing a study released earlier this year, Gareth says: ‘males taking semaglutide who are not diabetic saw erectile dysfunction in 1.42% of people compared with 0.14% in normal population. They also saw an increase of over double in rates of hypogonadism which is a reduction in the release of hormones from the testicles.’
What’s more, he advises that it can also pose ‘a danger for a developing foetus,’ and that it ‘should not be used at least 2 months before conceiving as it can lead to growth abnormalities, ‘something he says is ‘terrifying considering the reported fertility boom while using the drug.’
Amanda also says there is a wonderful sense of ‘camaraderie’ among her friends, which makes a change from the feelings of shame people often feel when using weight loss jabs, or are trolled for being ’lazy.’
’As a community, I think we rise above any of these comments as we’re too busy looking after our health,’ she explains. ‘Once people who have been trying to lose weight for years finally find something that works and is helping them, they feel empowered and don’t really care what others think.’
As well as the online group sharing their personal remedies for side effects – including ginger capsules for nausea, and stool softener for constipation – they also offer general nutrition tips on getting enough protein and fibre in, as well as exercises that work well with the drug, such as running, walking and weight training.
Weight loss aside, for Amanda the undying friendship and support she’s gathered through her semaglutide journey has been a stand-out factor.
‘The people in my life who love and care about me are really happy for me. They can see me getting back to my old self again,’ she says.
And although Amanda is yet to meet any of the friends she’s made online, she’s hoping to organise a retreat soon.
‘People in this community are really into improving their health and well-being without the sometimes unobtainable goals that are being set by other fitness influencers,’ Amanda says. ‘Used properly this is an amazing thing for the obesity epidemic that we find ourselves in, but there is also room for abuse, corruption and scams.
‘I would say to anyone who is thinking of taking this, do your research, find a support group or coach and be prepared to do the work that goes with it.
More from Metro
‘It’s a long-term solution, not a quick fix.’
How are weight loss injections prescribed in the UK?
Ian Budd, pharmacist for Chemist4U tells Metro.co.uk, there are a few methods online prescribers might use to vet patients for weight loss injections – including asking patients to provide their weight and height to determine their BMI.
‘Asking the patient for a recent photograph and a copy of their ID can help ensure that the information provided is accurate. Speaking to a patient on a video call can also reduce the risk of error.
‘Patient records can reveal whether someone has a history of mental health issues, whether they have tried weight management treatments before, or whether they have other medical conditions that may restrict the types of treatments available to them.’
As Ian explains, prescribers who see patients in person will be able to check patients’ BMIs themselves, as well as monitor ‘whether the treatment is working during follow-up consultations.’
Elsewhere, Superdrug also uses extensive vetting procedures – the first of which is an online questionnaire on BMI and medical history.
‘Patients are also required to validate their BMI by submitting two photographs of themselves for our doctors to review. One image must show the patient standing with their feet on weighing scales and taking a clear image of their weight and another depicting their overall physique,’ a spokesperson for Superdrug tells Metro.co.uk.
It also conducts a background identification check and asks that the patient provide their GP’s details – which are then used to notify them of every prescription.
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