A Twickenham musician who once served as an Army drummer has transformed his life after reaching his heaviest weight of nearly 19 stone. John Park, now 58, found himself struggling with constant exhaustion and pain at 18st 12lb.
"I was a mess," he told GB News about that difficult period. "Unhappy with my appearance, constantly tired and in pain."
The self-employed music teacher's weight had crept up steadily since his 30s, despite his previously active military career, where he kept soldiers marching in time.
The extra pounds worsened his shoulder and elbow problems from repetitive strain injuries, making drumming increasingly difficult. His musical work was also impacted, and became less enjoyable as joint pain intensified.
A key part of the problem, according to John, was his hectic schedule, which left little room for healthy eating. Setting up equipment and sound checking at venues meant grabbing whatever was quick and convenient.
His daily diet consisted of Mars bars paired with Lucozade, hefty sandwiches at lunchtime, and evening meals that were heavy on pasta or Chinese takeaways.
And despite attempting to lose weight in the past - with Slimming World helping him drop a few pounds - nothing ever stuck.
Then came lockdown, when John lost approximately 2st 5lb through daily runs and lengthy walks with his cocker spaniels, Roland and Rosie. But after catching Covid, his drive disappeared, and the weight piled back on.
John has long struggled to maintain his weight loss
|GETTY
Everything changed when John's wife mentioned Wegovy following his type 2 diabetes diagnosis. His GP was supportive when he raised the possibility of trying the medication.
"She told me to go for it and would be interested to see how I got on," John recalls of his doctor's encouraging response.
He began the treatment through Numan's weight loss programme in June 2024. The medication has "quite simply changed my life," he said.
While he experienced some initial queasiness that soon passed and occasional digestive issues, John jokes that the biggest side effect has been needing "a completely new wardrobe."
The comprehensive programme provided by Numan gave him the structure and support he'd been missing in previous attempts to lose weight.
John's transformation has been extraordinary, dropping more than four stone since starting treatment, dropping from 18st 12lb to 14st 5lb.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
His waistline has shrunk dramatically from 42 inches to a trim 34 inches, but the health improvements go well beyond the scales.
John's blood sugar readings have fallen from 52 to 30, while both blood pressure and cholesterol have returned to healthy levels.
Most remarkably, his diabetes is now in remission, and the repetitive strain injuries that plagued his drumming have eased considerably as the weight came off.
"To say I'm over the moon with my new life is an understatement," John says. "I'm in my late 50s, and I don't think I've ever felt better about myself."
'I don't think I've ever felt better about myself'
|JOHN PARK
New research shows attitudes towards weight loss medications are shifting dramatically across Britain. Numan's 2025 survey of over 2,000 UK adults found that nearly a quarter have been prescribed GLP-1 medications, while almost half know someone who has used them.
Data suggests the stigma around the treatments appears to be fading. More than two-fifths now strongly reject the idea that using weight management medications counts as "cheating" - a significant jump from just three in 10 who felt this way in 2024.
It appears views on effectiveness have also changed. In 2024, only 15 per cent believed GLP-1 medications worked for managing obesity. Now over half of people think they're effective - more than triple the previous year's figure.
The survey also revealed that 60 per cent of respondents identify as living with overweight or obesity.
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