TUCKING into her Chinese takeaway with the family, the then 14-year-old Beckie Bold suddenly drop- ped her knife and fork in shock.
“I’ll give you £50 if you lose weight,”; her aunt told her, eyes full of judgment.
Despite being so stunned, Beckie agreed and within two years had shed 7st.
Fast forward 12 years, Beckie is now 26 and a size 24. She is one of the UK’s most prolific “”;, with more than 50,000 followers on .
“When you’re told from such a pivotal age that you should lose weight, it sticks,”; she says.
“I starved myself to get that £50, and growing up, I suffered with as a result. Now I’m part of the body-positive, plus-size community and I want people to know you can be fat and healthy.
“I know first hand that being skinny doesn’t equal health or happiness.”;
While 5ft 2in Beckie might try to put a positive spin on being bigger, Health Secretary is insisting the NHS “get with the times”;.
He says it should speed up the roll-out of such as and Mounjaro, following research that suggests they could reduce the risk of heart attacks and cancer, and help people live longer.
It could take 12 years toe who are eligible, but Mr Streeting believes the service “can, and should, go faster”;.
But Beckie, of Conwy, is adamant she will not go down that route.
“I would never take Ozempic or any of those fat jabs,”; she says.
“They’re so scary. I’ve seen many people online who have taken these jabs and ended up with nerve damage or other .
“No one seems to know or care about that. Everyone’s so focused on getting skinny.
“There’s no long-term data to show what this can do. People who take this stuff are basically guinea pigs.”;
Despite research showing e in the UK is reaching epidemic levels, with 64.5 per cent of adults in England overweight or living with obesity, Beckie says: “There’s no.
“The Government believes that people who are obese, as calculated on the very outdated , will cost them money and that’s what they care about.”;
Beckie does not believe it should be accelerating the roll- out of fat jabs, either. “I don’t understand why the Government is seeing it as such a big deal,”; she argues.
“Why is it such a priority for people to lose weight when we have got so many bigger things going on in the world?
KEYBOARD WARRIORS
“There’s still this old narrative that everyone who is overweight is automatically un- healthy, that people who are plus-size cost the NHS money.”;
As an influencer, Beckie — who refuses to weigh herself — gets trolled daily.
“Keyboard warriors tell me I shouldn’t exist because of my weight,”; she says.
“One guy told me I’d die of heart failure within two years.
“These trolls don’t think fat people should be on this Earth.
“People tell me I don’t know what a salad looks like and that I should take weight-loss injections.”;
According to the latest figures from the Institute for Global Change, the UK could save £52billion by 2050 if weight-loss medication was given to 15million overweight people.
“I think saving money is a big reason as to why they’re doing it,”; says Beckie. But that’s crap.
“I was the most unhealthy I’ve ever been at my thinnest.
“Everyone believes that if you’re skinny, then you’re fine.”;
Despite multiple studies linking with a catalogue of life-threatening health conditions, from to cancer and , Beckie refuses to accept a connection.
“There’s no correlation between health and weight, but so many people believe that this is the case, that’s why they fear being fat,”; she says.
“And that’s why these quick-fix jabs are so popular.
“But they can eat away at fat and muscle mass and can leave people looking so gaunt. How is that healthy?”;
‘QUICK FIX JABS’
Beckie also believes people who truly need the jab will be overlooked for those who want it for cosmetic reasons.
“I know that some people do get them because they might have diabetes and the jabs may help to reduce that,”; she says.
“But all you hear is, ‘I want to get skinny’. And it’s scary.”;
Beckie is particularly aggrieved because she suffers from , a condition that causes a painful build-up of fat in her arms, legs and body.
Yet she claims she cannot get treated on the NHS.
Beckie says: “Lipoedema surgery is actually classed as cosmetic surgery on the NHS, so despite the fact this is a lifelong, painful condition, they won’t treat it.
“Yet they will give out these weight-loss jabs to pretty much anyone who wants them for cosmetic reasons. It really p***es me off.”;
Another reason Beckie is so down on the jabs is the effect they have on her business.
There’s no correlation between health and weight, but so many people believe that this is the case, that’s why they fear being fat.
As a “”; she regularly posts videos of herself munching on McDonald’s and modelling plus-size outfits, which helps her rake in money through clothing brand deals.
But with weight-loss jabs surging in popularity — in March alone, , according to market intelligence company IQVIA — many of her peers have switched teams, becoming “jabfluencers”;.
She explains: “It’s quite disheartening, because so many of those in the plus-size community, who always promoted body confidence, have started using the jabs.
“They have a huge platform already, based on teaching people to love themselves. But now they’re talking about weight- loss jabs and using their pages for before and after pictures.
“They want to be skinny, no matter the health impacts.
“Because of that, being a plus-size influencer now feels like a constant battle.
“We’re shouting from the rooftops about body acceptance, but since the jabs it feels like more and more people are turning on the body-positive community. And brands are starting to go back on their word about representation.
“Now, you rarely see plus-size people modelling. Half of the ‘fatfluencers’ aren’t fat any more. It’s really sad.”;
Beckie is adamant she will not stop spreading her body-confident message.
She says: “My content is all about larger women having body positivity and eating what they like.
“I am vegan but I’ll eat a McDonald’s McPlant whenever I want. And if I want a Chinese takeaway, I’m getting a Chinese. I’ll happily gobble up veg chow and sweet and sour tofu balls.
“I never calorie count or anything like that, because I think it’s super-toxic.”; And Beckie, who is single, insists she is the proof that larger people can be healthy.
Despite her lipoedema and the chronic pain that comes with it, she claims she is in good health.
“I post videos of me at the gym to prove it,”; she says. “I think every person who is able-bodied should eat well and exercise. It’s a way to feel good about yourself, regardless of size.
“I do have chronic conditions now but that’s not due to my weight. It’s due to my body.
“I really believe ‘overweight’ doesn’t mean unhealthy — and I wish our politicians would see that too.”;
