'Jaffa cakes started speaking to me, then I began eating myself to death'

A woman says her food addiction became so crippling that Jaffa Cakesused to 'speak to her' while she was eating herself "to death".

Beverley Cuddy, 63, became "fed up" after losing out on doing the things she loved - like judging dog shows and taking long baths - all because of her weight.

And when her chronic health issues left her in the hospitalwith frequent chest infections and collapsed lungs, she knew something urgently needed to change.

She explained: "I was costing the NHS a wedge as I just kept getting ill. I couldn't get in the bath anymore because my legs were so swollen that they couldn't bend. At one point, I even had to buy extenders to make my shoes fit.

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"If we went on holiday, I wouldn't fit properly in the seat on the plane in economy. It was embarrassing. I'd even got stuck in some chairs in a restaurant. The world just isn't built for bigger people. I was truly miserable, and the sadder I got, the more I comfort ate."

Beverley was in a cycle she couldn't break, and feared that comfort eating was "ultimately killing" her. Then she found Mounjaro.

Earlier this month, prices for the popular weight loss jab increased by up to 170%, meaning that, per month, it now costs £330 instead of £122 for the highest dose.

Beverley currently spends £229 monthly on the injections, but she credits them for saving her life and says she will be tightening her belt in other ways to be able to keep affording them.

"It's never been the cheapest – they're like the M&S or Waitrose of weight loss," the dog welfare campaigner, from Worcestershire, said. "I fear some people facing shortages may turn to unsafe sources. You shouldn't gamble with your health. It's madness.

"I'd rather pay more for a reputable company than go for a slightly cheaper version of the jab. The drug probably still costs less than what most people spend on lunch and a coffee each day. And certainly less than what many spend on Botox and fillers.

"Imagine investing that money instead to extend your life in quality and quantity. That's the difference between price and value. If you can regain the health you used to have when weighing much less, that, to me, is priceless."

Beverley has gone from weighing 19st at her heaviest to 11st 4lbs, dropping from a UK dress size 22 to a size 12.

She first came across an advert on her Facebook for the weight loss jab, and in April 2024, she signed up to receive Mounjaro, costing £130 initially per month, through an online pharmacy.

"I didn't know anyone else doing GLP jabs, though I was completely open about it on my social media," Beverley said. "Partly to help me stick to it, having tried and failed many diets before.

"This was very different, though. I found it incredibly easy to stick to because all the food noise in my head vanished. Jaffa Cakes were no longer talking to me.

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"I could, for the first time in my life, think like what I imagine a naturally thin person does. Food was no longer an emotional crutch; it was simply fuel."

Beverley now wakes up each day thinking about her future – something which didn't seem likely a year ago.

"I have all the energy now that I used to in my 20s. Mounjaro has given me back my energy and optimism," she said. "The 'eat less, move more' brigade may think it's simple, but they have no idea what food noise is like.

"There's so much negativity around so-called 'skinny jabs', but they're literally a lifesaver for many of us. I feel liberated at last after years of yo-yo dieting.

"These injections might have become more expensive, but the change they've brought to my future is priceless. When you're on the drug, you're spending less at the supermarket, on takeaways and dining out – so it balances out really. In the long run, these jabs will save taxpayers a fortune."

If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, you can talk in confidence to Beat by calling its adult helpline on 0808 801 0677 or youth helpline on 0808 801 0711 .