A Labour parliamentarian has shed more than eight stone through weight-loss medication after enduring vicious online harassment targeting her physical appearance.
Carolyn Harris began using Mounjaro injections last October when she weighed 19 stone and wore size 24 clothing.
The 64-year-old MP for Neath & Swansea East revealed that cruel comments from internet trolls drove her decision to start the treatment.
"The abuse I was receiving online was horrendous, and I made the decision to try Mounjaro," Harris told The Times.
Harris has given away 47 bags of oversized clothing to charity since the transformation
|FLICKR / INSTAGRAM / @CAROLYNHARRISMP
She admitted making the choice "for all the wrong reasons", believing that altering her appearance might stop the harassment.
Nearly twelve months later, the former barmaid and dinner lady has dropped down to 11 stone and wears size 10 clothes. She takes the maximum 15mg weekly dose of the medication, which can help patients shed 20 per cent of their body weight.
Harris has given away 47 bags of oversized clothing to charitable organisations.
"Friends don't recognise me when they walk past me," she explained, adding that she feels "healthier than I have ever been and fully in control of my weight for the first time in my life".
The MP has never paid more than £150 monthly for her private prescription and says she has "a little bit further to go" before achieving her target weight.
Harris recently received notification from her physician that the monthly cost for her 15mg dosage will surge to £429.
The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced the price hike last month, representing an increase of up to 170 per cent.
The manufacturer's decision followed criticism from President Trump regarding the medication's expense in America.
Although the company later pledged to collaborate with pharmacies to moderate costs for consumers, the increase poses significant challenges.
Harris counts herself among the 90 per cent of UK Mounjaro users who fund their treatment privately. While she acknowledges her ability to continue affording the medication, she expressed deep concern for those facing financial hardship.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The MP says she has not yet reached her target weight
|UK PARLIAMENT
Harris has contacted Health Secretary Wes Streeting to request urgent action on behalf of the estimated 750,000 UK users of the medication.
In her correspondence, she described the cost increase as being of "huge concern" and urged ministers to collaborate with manufacturers to maintain prices "at, or near, the current level".
The MP characterised Mounjaro as a "potentially life-saving treatment" that could generate substantial NHS savings.
She warned: "Even at its current prices, private prescriptions are beyond the reach of many. Any significant increase will make it unaffordable to the vast majority."
Harris has requested a meeting with Streeting to address the pricing crisis directly.