A British dad has described an unexpected consequence of taking Mounjaro after he was almost turned away from an airplane following his use of the weight-loss drug.
Mark Spurr, from West Yorkshire in England, initially sought to quality for weight loss injections on the UK's NHS program when he reached a weight of around 420lbs (30 stone), with a body-mass index (BMI) of 57.
Mark struggled to walk as much as the distance from the car park to his job as a security officer, and he even found his career in danger when he realized he could no longer fit into his required stab-proof vest.
He described being in 'so much pain', but he was told by NHS staff he did not meet the criteria for weight loss injections, which includes having a BMI over 35 and at least one weight-related illness.
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Though Mark did have Type-2 diabetes, his overall condition was not severe enough to qualify.
Recalling the moment he found out, Mark said: “I was basically on my hands and knees, crying my eyes out and pleading with my GP to prescribe me something.
“I might as well have been smashing my head against a brick wall as I was told I didn’t fit the criteria, but they recommended that I take it privately.”
Mark decided to take this advice and has so far spent around $4,597 (£3,500) on Mounjaro. Since investing in the treatment 17 months ago, he's successfully dropped 182lbs and trimmed 18 inches from his waist.
While weight loss is an expected outcome of Mounjaro, Mark's transformation has been so staggering that he realized he no longer looked like his passport photo, leading to an issue when he tried to board a flight to Spain.
He recalled: "Mounjaro has given me my life back in so many ways. I have reversed my Type 2 diabetes, saved my job and am spending more time with the family – 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’t look like me and nearly didn’t let me board the flight."
Though Mark admitted the money he's spent on Mounjaro 'sounds like a lot', he noted that he's 'saved thousands' in comparison to the amount he would have spent on junk food and takeaways over the same time period.
Mark is now supporting thousands of others in their own weight loss journeys on his TikTok and YouTube channels, @markonmounjaro, though he's stressed the injection is 'not a magic jab'.
The father has swapped his unhealthy meals for high protein options like chicken with rice and egg salad, saying: “It gets more difficult to remain focused as time goes on and if you’re not prepared to change, you will be throwing money down the drain.
“You’ve still got to be prepared to quit the junk food and get help with the emotional side of what’s causing you to eat.”
But Mark's determination has so far paid off, as he explained: “I went for a medical review at my GP and the blood test results came back showing that my blood pressure was much lower – with no Type 2 diabetes.
“So I was put into remission with no need for medicine besides the Mounjaro, which helps to control it.”
After losing weight, Mark is now fundraising for a surgery to remove 28lbs of excess skin, which will put him at his goal weight of 210lbs. His GoFundMe page can be found here.
UNILAD has reached out to Mounjaro manufacturer Eli Lilly for comment.
Emily Brown