Weight loss with GLP-1 drugs changes life

A North Carolina woman sheds 23 stone with GLP-1 injections but faces ongoing costs and excess skin.

GLP-1 weight loss delivers dramatic change and new skin challenges

Joanna Higgenbottom, 60, from Columbia North Carolina, shed 23 stone after starting GLP-1 injections in 2023 following a long battle with diets and daily takeouts. She previously spent about 600 to 800 pounds a month on meals out, a habit that changed after treatment and new routines like long walks and weight training. At her heaviest she weighed 35 stone and wore a US size 32, but now she is 11 stone 10 pounds and fits a US size 12. She has stopped using food delivery apps and follows a high protein vegetarian plan along with regular walking and weights.

The excess skin left after the rapid weight loss required surgery in July 2025 to remove about 8.5 pounds of skin. The cost of GLP-1 injections, roughly 500 dollars a month, remains a factor in her ongoing routine. Joanna is a type 2 diabetic, and her story shows how medical advances can transform lives but come with new demands and trade offs.

GLP-1 based weight loss drugs can produce dramatic changes for people who have struggled for years. Yet affordability and long term needs matter as much as the initial result. The presence of excess skin shows that successful weight loss is not a finish line but a transition that may require surgery and long term care. The case raises questions about access equity and who bears the cost when treatment depends on a patient income.

Beyond the body there is a social dimension. Support networks mental health and lifestyle changes matter for lasting results. As doctors consider GLP-1 therapy policymakers and insurers will weigh value against price especially when public programs look to extend obesity treatment to more people.

Highlights

Weight loss is a journey that keeps teaching the body and the psyche