Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer lifeLive your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletterLive your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletterA Yorkshire father left crying on his knees after failing to qualify for NHS weight loss injections has dramatically transformed his life through private treatment.Mark Spurr, 54, a security officer from Morley, claims he has extended his life and saved his job, which was threatened by his inability to fit into his mandatory stab-proof vest at an immigration centre in Leeds. Since investing in Mounjaro injections last summer, Mr Spurr has shed 13 stone and trimmed 18 inches from his waist. His transformation is so profound he claims that airline crew no longer recognise him and he needs a new passport.He now supports thousands on their own weight loss journeys via his TikTok and YouTube channels, @markonmounjaro.The private treatment has cost him an estimated £3,500, averaging £219 per month over 17 months. However, that pales in comparison to the £12,000 he estimates he would have spent on junk food and takeaways in the same period.open image in galleryMr Spurr at his heaviest while on holiday in SpainThis is based on his previous £25 daily spend – a Greggs sausage sandwich for breakfast; a pasty, bun, sandwich and cake for lunch; an £8 takeaway dinner; followed by £5 on snacks from the garage – which he has swapped for home-cooked meals.Mounjaro’s UK list price significantly increased in September when manufacturer Eli Lilly aligned it with prices in other countries.The weekly weight loss injection, containing tirzepatide, suppresses appetite and enhances fullness to help weight loss alongside a diet and exercise plan.Doses escalate every four weeks unless a lower maintenance level is chosen, with prices now ranging from £179.99 to £309.99 per month, reflecting an increase of up to 170 per cent.But Mr Spurr said that even with the price hikes, he saves hundreds of pounds per month by eating less and leading a healthier lifestyle thanks to the medicine.open image in galleryMr Spurr pictured shortly before taking Mounjaro weight loss injectionsHis next – and final – step in his journey is to address the two stone of excess skin from his dramatic weight loss which will put him at his goal weight of 15 stone.Now he is fundraising for the surgery, which is considered cosmetic and therefore not available through the NHS.“Mounjaro has given me my life back in so many ways,” he said.“I have reversed my Type 2 diabetes, saved my job and am spending more time with the family – doing normal things like going for a walk rather than hiding in a gym where I was too unfit for outdoor exercise.“I even need a new passport. Flying to Spain in June, airline staff said my picture doesn’t look like me and nearly didn’t let me board the flight.“My total spend so far sounds like a lot of money but when you do the maths, I’ve saved thousands, even with the higher prices.”open image in galleryMr Spurr at his heaviest in June 2024Mr Spurr, who was slim during childhood, began to gain weight when he left school at 15 and took a job as a joiner for Leeds City Council.For the past 10 years, he has battled harder with his weight, which he said spiralled out of control when his mum, Susan Spurr, died in her 60s in 2014.“Food was a coping mechanism,” he said.“I joined Slimming World but was yoyo dieting. At one point, I lost six stone but then gained it back and more.”Mr Spurr’s tipping point came when his employer warned him that his job at a Leeds immigration centre was at risk if he could no longer fit into his stab-proof vest.Weighing around 30 stone with a body mass index (BMI) of 57, he struggled to walk from the car park to work.According to the NHS, a healthy BMI score is between 18.5 and 24.9, with a score of 40 or above indicating severe obesity.open image in galleryMr Spurr pictured at his heaviest with his son Josh and granddaughter HaileyAn occupational health report suggested he needed to lose six stone to perform his job safely and he took some time off.Despite these challenges, he was informed he did not meet the NHS criteria for weight loss injections, which includes having a BMI over 35 and at least one weight-related illness.His overall condition, including his diabetes, was not severe enough to qualify.“I was basically on my hands and knees, crying my eyes out and pleading with my GP to prescribe me something. I was in so much pain,” he said.“I might as well have been smashing my head against a brick wall as I was told I didn’t fit the criteria, but they recommended that I take it privately.”Mr Spurr researched private options for taking Mounjaro and began weekly injections on a dose of 2.5mg, costing £100 per month – which now costs £179.99 under the new price structure.open image in galleryMr Spurr, his son Josh (right) and granddaughter Hailey (centre) recreated a family photo now he has nearly reached his goal weightAfter one week, he had lost nine pounds and was leading a healthier lifestyle, eating high protein meals like chicken with rice and egg salad.This progressed to a steady two to three pound weekly weight loss which enabled him to return to mountain biking with his son Joshua, 29, and family outings with his granddaughter Hailey, six.Mr Spurr’s weight loss has now hit 13 stone, and his waist has reduced from 60 inches to 40 – and it would be lower still without his excess skin.But he says while many people want to attribute his success entirely to Mounjaro, “it’s not a magic jab”.“It gets more difficult to remain focused as time goes on and if you’re not prepared to change, you will be throwing money down the drain,” he added.“You’ve still got to be prepared to quit the junk food and get help with the emotional side of what’s causing you to eat.”open image in galleryMr Spurr after his dramatic weight lossMr Spurr plans to reduce his Mounjaro dose and maintain his weight for the next 12 months and is determined to have skin removal surgery next year to improve his mobility and reduce soreness.However, he has a long way to go in funding the private procedure, so far having raised just £135 of his £20,000 target on GoFundMe.“To get this far is a real personal achievement,” he said.“This is the last thing now holding me back.”Mr Spurr’s GoFundMe page can be found here: https://gofund.me/8290976b1
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Dad loses so much weight on Mounjaro that he needs a new passport
