ASHLEY sits frozen in the hospital, trembling with fear.
The past hour replays in relentless fragments: Waking to find her daughter, Sophia, clutching her ribs in pain; hearing her whisper through her tears, “Mum, I think I’m going to die”; the frantic dash to A&E, every second stretching into eternity.
Ashley Hamilton, pictured with daughter Sophia, who went on Wegovy aged 11Credit: the sun
Sophia before, left, and after, right, taking weight loss injectionsCredit: Ashley Hamilton
“Is it her pancreas?” Ashley wonders, a chill of dread running through her. Beside her, 11-year-old Sophia vomits again.
“Could it be her gallbladder?” And then, the worst thought of all: “How could I think that this was OK?”
For weeks, Sophia had been taking the — a decision Ashley had supported. Now, every listed side effect races through her mind as her stomach drops and her blood runs cold. All she can do is wait.
One in three children leaving primary school in t or , with one in five eight to 15-year-olds trying to .
In the US, 15.1 million children aged five to 14 are .
Ashley, a strategic account manager, knows exactly what that feels like. Her own battle with her weight began at 12 and for decades she struggled with both her body and self-image.
Horrible taunts
Thanks to weight-loss jabs, Ashley herself had shed 6st in 11 months. But she made a decision that will shock most parents to the core.
She allowed Sophia, then 11, to , too. Ashley took the drastic decision after her daughter suddenly began to gain weight.
One day in September 2022 Sophia came home from school looking sad. Quiet and withdrawn, she said, “Mum, kids are making fun of me.”
Ashley says: “I felt sick to hear that the words ‘fat’ and ‘fatty’ had been thrown at her.”
Despite previously being built “tall and slim” like her father Tylor, 43, Sophia’s body had been changing.
At 5ft tall she weighed around 9st 6lbs, considered obese by UK standards.
Ashley says: “The horrible taunts from my own schooldays came flooding back.
“History was repeating itself and I felt utterly powerless.”
Despite the fact that Sophia was already active with regular dancing and sports, her weight kept increasing.
Ashley and Tylor, a wastewater treatment operator, encouraged their daughter to take up and they prepared healthier meals, but it was to no avail.
Meanwhile, feeling low about her own 19st 1lb frame, Ashley started taking in May 2023. She was thrilled when she lost 9lb within ten weeks.
“And when I switched to Mounjaro in December, the weight fell off even faster.
“My energy levels rose, my joints stopped hurting and I could play with Sophia without getting out of breath. I felt in control of my body for the first time ever.”
By April 2024, Ashley had lost more than 6st, and this wasn’t lost on Sophia.
“One day, while we were clothes shopping, I walked out of the changing room and saw Sophia’s sad face,” Ashley recalls.
“When I asked what was wrong, she replied: ‘Mum, it’s not fair that you can lose weight and I can’t.’
“It was like seeing a younger version of me, helpless and in pain. I promised myself I’d help her, no matter what.”
She and Tylor agreed that if Sophia wanted to try weight loss medication, they would support her. “But at the same time, I was scared,” says Ashley.
Ashley pictured before, right, and after, left taking Ozempic and, later, MounjaroCredit: ASHLEY HAMILTON
Ashley, Tylor and their daughter Sophia when she was youngerCredit: Ashley Hamilton
I’d lost 6st 5lb and not experienced any side effects, but we knew far less about children taking these drugs.”
A month later, Sophia nervously asked if she could take the medication too.
Ashley says: “I thought about my own horrible weight loss struggle and immediately said yes. It was time to stop the cycle of self-hatred.”
Blood tests revealed that Sophia was both and .
“At last, I had some answers. There was a medical reason why Sophia was gaining weight, and it was something that lifestyle changes alone couldn’t cure,” says Ashley.
“That’s when I knew for sure that medication was the right step.”
She came to my bedroom in the middle of the night, telling me she’d thrown up and felt that she was going to die
Ashley
An endocrinologist — a hormone and metabolism specialist — prescribed six weekly doses of , which is approved in America for children aged 12 to 18 if they have a of over 27.
Mounjaro and are not licensed for use by under-18s in the UK. But other GLP-1 medications, like Wegovy, can be prescribed to over-12s.
‘I was terrified’
In August it was revealed that at least 188 severely obese youngsters are being prescribed the drug at specialist weight clinics.
Despite being under the official age in the US, 11-year-old Sophia was given the green light by medics because of her conditions.
Ashley says: “I knew I’d be judged, that people saw these injections as the ‘easy way out’ and that children shouldn’t take them. But this was a medical problem that needed a medical solution so that wasn’t important to me.”
The mum and daughter duo are both taking fat jabsCredit: Ashley Hamilton Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients’ sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients’ mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
Sophia took her first jab just before the start of the school and lost 4lb in a week. She was thrilled.
“She told me that for the first time in her life she wasn’t always thinking about her next meal,” says Ashley.
Ashley made sure Sophia had enough to keep her gastric system working properly, as well as the right amount of protein to keep her muscles and bones healthy.
But the night after her sixth and final dose, Sophia — who had dropped from 11st 7lb to 10st 3lb — woke up in agony.
“She came to my bedroom in the middle of the night, telling me she’d thrown up and felt that she was going to die,” recalls Ashley.
“I was terrified, As I rushed her to hospital, every nightmare scenario flashed through my mind.
“Hearing the doctors say that it was constipation, a common side effect, and not a problem with Sophia’s gallbladder or pancreas as a result of the Wegovy, was a huge relief.
“And within a few days Sophia made a full recovery.”
Seeing her daughter smile as she dressed for her new term a few weeks later confirmed to Ashley she had done the right thing. “Her confidence as she posed for a photo was all the proof I needed,” she says.
Unfortunately, when Ashley shared their story on , not everyone was supportive.
“I’ve had some really nasty comments online, saying what a bad mum I was, that it was lazy and the easy way out . . . but I stand 100 per cent behind my decision,” Ashley says.
I’d be a really terrible mum if I did nothing and Sophia became fully diabetic
Ashley
“The fact is, I’d be a really terrible mum if I did nothing and Sophia became fully . Then she’d need to take insulin every day, instead of this injection once a week.”
After maintaining her weight at 10st 5lbs for nine months without Wegovy, between March and June Sophia suddenly gained 18lb.
“We’re still not sure why this was,, so we’re looking into possible medical reasons,” says Ashley. “In August, at 12st 9lb she asked me if she could restart Wegovy. I immediately agreed.”
Sophia has just taken her sixth dose of the drug, has lost 7lb and Ashley says she is doing great, adding: “We will keep monitoring Sophia’s progress and will decide what is best for her at every turn.
“If that means her taking this forever, then I support her 100 per cent. I’m so grateful this medication exists.”
SOPHIA SAYS: “My goal in taking weight loss medication is to be healthy, and thanks to my mum and doctors I was prepared for what it was like.
“To other parents whose children are asking to start, they need to be open-minded, and get tests done to make sure that it is the right path for them.
“But most importantly, don’t define yourself by the number on the scale.”
- You can follow Ashley on TikTok now @unapologeticallyashley23
Ashley says her top priority is Sophia’s health and happinessCredit: Deborah Hardee
The pair have made headlines around the world over their weight loss decisionCredit: Youtube/Tamron Hall Show 
