‘It’s a stint in prison with no chance of parole’: Vanessa Feltz compares turmoil of her weight battle to being stuck in a ‘personal jail’ as she backs new weight loss jab Wegovy
Vanessa Feltz has described being overweight in the past as being stuck in ‘your own personal jail’.
The broadcaster, 61, has battled with her body image in the past, with her weight yo-yoing as as she dieted for 18 month periods but was unable to keep it off.
Radio host Vanessa described the ‘turmoil’ of dieting as soul destroying, admitting she was only able to finally keep her weight off after undergoing a gastric bypass.
On Friday, she spoke to The Sun in favour of the weight-loss jab semaglutide beloved by Hollywood A-listers which has been given the green light to be offered on the NHS to Brits struggling to slim down.
Wishing she’d had something similar to help her when she was first trying to slim down more than 20 years ago, Vanessa said: ‘Sometimes dieting, or barely eating anything for a year, can feel like a punitive stint in prison with no chance of parole.
Struggles: Vanessa Feltz, 61, has described being overweight in the past as being stuck in ‘your own personal jail’ (pictured this week)
Weight battle: The broadcaster has battled with her body image in the past, with her weight yo-yoing as as she dieted for 18 month periods but was unable to keep it off (pictured in 1995)
Difficulties: Radio host Vanessa described the ‘turmoil’ of dieting as soul destroying, admitting she was only able to finally keep her weight off after undergoing a gastric bypass (pictured in 1998)
‘Your only short reprieve would be scoffing cake or crisps, then before you know it you’ve regained all the weight and you’re back in your own personal jail yet again.
‘I know people often think the triumph of having lost weight would be enough to sustain it, but it just doesn’t work like that.
‘I’d muster up all the enthusiasm to lose weight, but it would only last for 18 months.
‘With the best will in the world, the vicious cycle would begin all over again.’
Vanessa first slimmed from a size 22 to a size 10 between 1999 and 2000 but later put the weight back on.
She lost 2st in 2004 but gained it again, and 2007 she dropped 3st but it all returned and she ended up back at a size 22.
In 2010 she had a gastric band fitted which made her stomach smaller and stopped her from overeating but she suffered complications when became embedded in her liver.
Vanessa said she learned to eat in a different way with the gastric band – she was not able to eat large amounts of solid food but she could consume softer substances, such as ice cream.
Positive: On Friday, she spoke to The Sun in favour of the weight-loss jab semaglutide beloved by Hollywood A-listers which has been given the green light to be offered on the NHS to Brits (pictured circa 1997)
The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate said she ate ‘thousands of calories’ and sabotaged the operation she’d paid for.
She later decided 2019 to have a gastric bypass, which saw a small pouch created in the stomach and connected to the small intestine, bypassing the rest of the stomach and meaning she took in less food and felt fuller for longer.
The procedure led to her losing a further 5st and she has kept the weight off since.
She is now a size 12-14 and eats less, finding herself much more able to control her portion sizes.
Vanessa insists a lot her overeating was due to her mental state, adding that once she’d had her surgical procedures she was comparable to late footballer George Best who continued to drink alcohol despite having had a liver transplant.
She said: ‘Looking back, I’d have been spared so much turmoil, stress and upset if only this incredible drug had been available.
‘Occasionally injecting yourself with medication sounds like a walk in the park compared to having two major surgeries.’
The weight loss drug semaglutide is one of a group of drugs known as GLP-1s.
They are a synthetic form of a hormone naturally released by the body when you eat that stimulates the release of insulin, a chemical which helps to control blood sugar levels.
Weight loss: Vanessa first slimmed from a size 22 to a size 10 between 1999 and 2000 but later put the weight back on and eventually had a gastric bypass (pictured last month)
It also slows the speed at which the stomach empties, and tells the brain to increase the sense of how full you feel and reduce your appetite.
Vanessa added: ‘Overweight people struggle for many complex reasons which can take years of therapy to figure out, and even when they do, they still might not be able to stop it.
‘I paid a fortune for weight loss surgery, and it’s the best money I could have spent. It was an investment into my health and longevity…
‘Having this medication more readily available will benefit us all by effectively slashing public spending on healthcare.’
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