Following an upsetting flight to Italy last year Jessica Philips became determined to change her life.
A primary school teacher who weighed 24 stone and was terrified of fitting on a plane said jabs which helped her lose weight have given her her “life back”. When Jessica Philips stepped aboard a flight to Italy last year, it wasn’t turbulence and take-off she was worried about.
Instead she was fretting about the embarrassment of needing to ask for a seatbelt extender from cabin crew. She was also aware that lowering the tray table would be impossible due to her size.
The 30-year-old, from Sittingbourne, Kent, had grown used to physical discomfort because of her weight, but hadn’t anticipated the stares or the overwhelming sense of not fitting in. “Everyone was staring at me the whole time,” she said.
“It was like I was a walking spectacle. I came home feeling broken.”
That trip to Sorrento in Italy marked a pivotal moment for Jess. Today, barely more than a year later, she’s dropped an incredible 9.6 stone, is wearing clothes she never imagined fitting into, and is finally embracing the existence she’d always envisioned.
“I don’t feel like I’m shrinking myself anymore,” she explained. “I feel seen, and for the right reasons.”
Jess recalled how she had always been the “larger one”. By age 11 she was already fitting into size 12 women’s clothes, distinguishing her from classmates and sparking endless teasing.
“I was called every name under the sun,” she said. “Fatty, whale… I learned quickly that kids, and even adults, would use my size as ammunition.”
While the bullying subsided during secondary school, its impact remained. “Even when people stopped saying it out loud, I’d hear comments behind my back,” she said. “Or someone would say, ‘I’d hate to be that fat’ – and they were talking about someone half my size.”
Her weight didn’t just affect her self-esteem, but also limited her options. She steered clear of PE classes, amusement parks, getaways with mates, or anything that might draw attention to her size or cause embarrassment.
Jess said: “At one point, I convinced myself I didn’t like theme parks anymore. The truth was I didn’t fit in the seats.
“Flying was a nightmare. I needed a seatbelt extender and couldn’t use the tray tables. I’d spend the entire flight trying to shrink myself.”
At work, the situation wasn’t any better. “I had children ask me if there was a baby in my tummy,” she said.
“I’d laugh it off, but it hurt. I lost confidence in myself as a teacher.”
Following years of unsuccessful dieting attempts and comfort eating, Jess started exploring other options. She briefly looked into surgery but was worried she might reverse the outcomes.
That’s when she came across Mounjaro, an injection initially created for type 2 diabetes which has become used by many as a weight loss aid. “I honestly felt like this was my last shot,” she admits.
“I’d spent years obsessed with food, it felt like my brain was constantly screaming at me to eat. But the injections quieted that noise. For the first time in my life, I felt in control.”
However, Jess didn’t solely depend on the injections. She made sustainable changes, such as tracking her calorie intake, increasing her protein and fibre consumption, and incorporating physical activity into her daily routine.
“I didn’t want a quick fix,” she states. “I wanted to rebuild a healthy relationship with food.”
Her weight loss journey has been accompanied with many emotional moments for Jess, including trying on a bridesmaid dress for her sister’s wedding. “I started in a size 28 and walked down the aisle in a size 18,” Jess said. “For once, I wasn’t hiding. I was present, happy, and proud.”
The response from others has been remarkable. She said: “Strangers speak to me more. I feel invisible, but in a nice way. I’m not a target anymore.”
Her TikTok account has amassed thousands of followers, attracted by her candid updates, emotional milestones, and daily meals. “I wanted to show the real side of medicated weight loss, especially for people like me, who started at a higher weight,” Jess explained.
“There’s this idea that you’ll never change. But I’m proof that you can.”
While a handful of critics have branded injections the “easy way out”, Jess disputes this. “This isn’t easy,” she said. “It’s not just about the injections, it’s about changing your life, your habits, your mindset. They’re a tool. But I did the work.”
Weight loss jabs
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Mounjaro, which is the brand name for tirzepatid, for the management of obesity for certain patients. While it is not classed as a weight loss drug, it works by making you feel fuller for longer and therefore less hungry.
It comes in the form of an injection which patients inject themselves, once a week. NHS England has said that you may be prescribed Mounjaro to manage your weight “only if it is prescribed by a specialist weight management service”, where a healthcare professional feels it is the right treatment for you.
If you are concerned about your weight, you should speak to your GP.