A woman in Manchester, Vicky Lynnson, 41, has shared that she dedicates all her Universal Credit and child benefits towards weight loss injections, stating that it enhances her parenting abilities. Vicky invests £160 monthly in Mounjaro, a weight loss medication, resulting in a significant three-stone weight loss over five months, reducing her from a size 20 to a size 14.
Living in a council home costing £495 per month with her two sons aged eight and three, Vicky’s total Universal Credit, including housing benefits and child support, amounts to over £1,700, with an additional £187 in Child Benefit. Despite the seemingly substantial income, she emphasizes the need to meticulously manage her finances to afford her weight loss treatment.
Anticipating a steep increase of up to 170% in the price of Mounjaro, Vicky decided to accumulate a supply of the medication. She defends her choice by asserting that she prefers investing in her health rather than spending on indulgences like alcohol and cigarettes.
Following her separation from her children’s father, Vicky began receiving Universal Credit. The escalating costs of Mounjaro, with a substantial rise in pharmacy prices, are a significant financial burden for her, amounting to an additional £2,496 annually for her prescribed dose.
Allocating 15% of her Universal Credit towards Mounjaro, Vicky justifies this expenditure as a necessary step in addressing her long-standing struggle with weight issues since her teenage years. To afford the stockpiled medication, she had to utilize her entire Universal Credit in the previous month, even resorting to selling secondhand clothes on Vinted.
Despite the financial strain, Vicky firmly believes that her investment in weight loss treatment has improved her overall well-being and her ability to parent effectively. As the cost of Mounjaro becomes increasingly unaffordable for many, alternative options like Wegovy are being considered by a significant portion of users.
Research by the British Heart Foundation indicates that Mounjaro has resulted in over a 20% reduction in body weight for individuals with obesity, slightly outperforming Wegovy, which achieved nearly a 14% reduction. Jason Murphy, Head of Pharmacy at Chemist4U, highlights the escalating prices of Mounjaro, prompting patients to explore more affordable alternatives like Wegovy, which offer comparable efficacy at a lower cost.