I was left with a pouch of loose skin and saggy boobs after losing 70lbs on Ozempic and Mounjaro - but I'm not ashamed of my body: Mother-of-three gets boob lift after dramatic weight loss

A mother left with saggy boobs after losing 70lbs (5st) on slimming jabs claims she is not 'ashamed' to have got a tummy tuck and boob lift. 

Courtney Kleinebreil, from Arkansas, was 'fed up' with weighing over 300lbs and in 2021 vowed to give herself six months to 'get healthy'. 

After switching to a low-carb diet, her doctor recommended the 28-year-old start taking Wegovy to fast track her weight loss and later switched to Mounjaro. 

By June 2023, when she came off the injections, she was left with almost 6lbs (2.7kg) of excess skin on her stomach, which she described as a 'pouch'. 

Last July, Ms Kleinebreil, who has three children, took the plunge and underwent the cosmetic procedure to tighten the stomach muscles. 

Earlier this year, she underwent a breast lift with fat transfer to fix her 'deflated' triple D-breasts, detailing her journey on social media. 

She told her 527,000 TikTok followers they were also 'very low hanging' and 'lopsided' after her dramatic weight loss. 

After her surgery she added she was 'so so happy' and 'already loving' the results. 

Semaglutide (sold as Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) have been hailed as a monumental breakthrough in the war on obesity.

The pens, taken once a day, trick the brain and make the body think it is full, curbing appetite. 

Trials show semaglutide, manufactured by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, helps users lose up to 33lbs (15.3kg) on average in around a year.

Studies of Mounjaro, meanwhile, made by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, suggest the drug could help obese people lose up to 22.5 per cent of their body weight in 72 weeks.

Yet top plastic surgeons are reporting a surge in patients seeking nip-and-tucks after rapidly losing weight with the drugs — and they warn that without these operations many would be left disfigured or even disabled.

Sudden fat loss also leads to a raft of body problems, with middle-aged and older users worst affected.

Increasing numbers of Ozempic users on social media complain of being left with gaunt facial features, sagging 'melted candle' skin, 'empty' breasts and hair loss – which are not thought to be a direct side effect of the medication but a consequence of dramatic slimming.

Analysis suggests the cost of tackling knock-on effects of the jabs on the NHS could run into more than £100million per year.

Ms Kleinebreil told her 527,000 TikTok followers: 'I started taking Wegovy, and it jumpstarted my weight loss again. I had a really good experience on the medication. 

'I didn’t have any bad side effects; I just felt like it was able to help me with cravings and food noise.

'But three months into taking the medication, my husband had a job change and, with it, we had an insurance change. Suddenly, Wegovy was no longer covered by my new insurance plan. That’s when I started taking Mounjaro. 

'Overall, I've lost 130 pounds during my weight loss journey, with about 70 pounds lost when I was on the medications.' 

After her surgery in July, she took to TikTok with before-and-after videos flaunting her incredible transformation. 

She said 'I'll never ever be ashamed of this body with a stomach full of loose skin', adding she was now 'so happy with my body post-tummy tuck'.

Then in April, days after her second surgery, a breast lift, she said it was still 'very swollen' but the pain level was 'super manageable'. 

Speaking to Women's Health, Ms Kleinebreil, who no longer takes the jabs, said: 'I try to focus on putting healthy things into my body, and make sure to get enough protein into my diet. I eat mindfully, but I don’t track everything. 

'I also continue to exercise. I really enjoy taking fitness classes, and I’ve gotten back into playing tennis. I’ve learned to fall in love with moving my body.

'That doesn't mean I was happy to stop taking Mounjaro — it’s hard to get off of something that has been helpful — but I've learned to make the most of my situation.'

Figures suggest roughly a third of patients who are left with redundant skin folds develop infections or other serious skin conditions, such as ulcers. 

A recent study found the cost of treating a non-healing wound – including medication, nursing time and hospital treatment – could be up to £7,886 per patient.

Meanwhile one in ten patients are likely to develop depression or anxiety, with one in 20 severely affected. 

Surgeons estimate the price of treating severe mental illness is almost £5,000 per patient per year.

Latest NHS data shows 26 per cent of adults in England are obese and a further 38 per cent are overweight but not obese.

Experts have pointed to a lack of exercise, and poor diets high in ultra-processed food, as being key drivers in the UK's obesity epidemic.

Wegovy was approved on the NHS last year, specifically for weight loss. 

But eligibility criteria for people wanting the get the drug on the NHS — for the standard prescription rate of £9.90 in England — is strict. 

Mounjaro was given the green light by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for NHS use in September for patients with type 2 diabetes who do not have the condition under control.

It is not yet used by the health service for obesity. 

But in February was made available privately in Britain, with clinics charging around £40 for a week's supply.