‘I wish we could get rid of that word diet’: Gemma Collins admits she regrets promoting controversial weight loss jabs as she embarks on a ‘massive health drive’
Gemma Collins admits she regrets promoting controversial weight loss injections while attempting to slim down and believes the word ‘diet’ should be banned.
The TV personality joined media figures including former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona in endorsing the ‘quick fix’ weight loss treatment SkinnyJabs after admitting she was keen to lose six stone by using the £250 injections.
However her paid promotional work has since been dismissed as ‘irresponsible’ amid claims the product itself has potential ‘life-affecting’ side-effects, and Gemma, 40, says she now admits getting involved.
Second thoughts: Gemma Collins admits she regrets promoting controversial weight loss injections while attempting to slim down and believes the word ‘diet’ should be banned
Speaking on her BBC Sounds podcast, she said: ‘I have said that I’m not promoting any diet injections or anything like that.
‘I kind of regret doing it, but I feel like sometimes you’re in such a desperate place and you want to lose weight, but actually I’ve come away from this diet promotion now.’
She added: ‘I wish we could get rid of that word diet, people think, oh my God diet, it’s a bad thing. It’s basically just what works for you.’
Old times: The TV personality joined media figures including former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona in endorsing the ‘quick fix’ weight loss treatment SkinnyJabs (pictured at a SkinnyJabs launch in 2019)
As recently as 2020 Gemma posted promotional pictures for the brand on Instagram, where she boasts 2.1 million followers, alongside the caption: ‘A lot of people have been saying to me, “Gemma, you look amazing, how are you doing it?” SkinnyJab has helped me the whole way through.’
The caption also featured the disclaimer ‘#AD’, which celebrities must use when a post is paid for.
Paradoxically, Gemma has also been paid to advertise takeaway service Deliveroo, and previously posted a video in which she ate Kentucky Fried Chicken.
The self-administered jabs have sparked concern because they contain the drug Liraglutide, with users incurring the risk of developing cancers, low blood pressure, skin rashes and swelling of the lips, face and tongue.
Other negative side-effects include dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, constipation and respiratory problems.
It is commonly approved for two types of patients: people with a BMI above 27 and a weight-related health issue such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, and obese patients with a BMI above 30 and no underlying conditions.
Liraglutide is not routinely prescribed on the NHS for weight loss. According to trials, users lose roughly eight per cent of their body weight after a year of treatment. But beyond two years, there is a lack of evidence showing patients keep the weight off.
Speaking in 2019, Gemma admitted she was keen on having more of the injections ahead of a potential boob reduction.
She told The Sun: ‘I’d be really happy if I lost six stone as that would bring me down to 12 stone and a size 16. My boobs are so big and I want to get them reduced in January, but I have to lose three stone before they can operate.’
To lose the weight, Gemma said she would undergo the injections again, explaining: ‘Last time I had them, I didn’t eat for four days. Literally nothing. I just didn’t have an appetite.
‘You just don’t think about food or being hungry. It’s fantastic and really works for me.’
The TV personality has since embarked on a new health regime and regularly updates fans on her progress across social media.
She told podcast listeners: ‘Since turning 40 I have become so much more aware of my health and I’m kind of regretting maybe not taking my health as seriously as I should have done.
‘In our twenties and thirties we don’t think about it, and I am just trying to be so fit and healthy at the minute. I’m on a massive health drive.’