All posts tagged: weight

The Weight of Angels by John Boyne

The Weight of Angels by John Boyne

Published by Jenni Sidey

February 1895, the Albemarle Club. Three friends have told Oscar Wilde to sue the Marquess of Queensberry, his solicitor has privately advised him not to, and Lord Alfred Douglas is screaming at him across the table to destroy his father in open court. Wilde tears the offending calling card into four pieces, balls the scraps up, and flicks them into the melting ice of a champagne bucket. He will not sue. Bosie tells him their friendship is finished and walks out. The Weight of Angels by John Boyne runs five hundred and seventy pages on from that flick of a thumb, and Wilde lives to be ninety-eight. Where The Weight of Angels Sits Three shelves claim it at once, and that is the first thing worth knowing. It is biographical fiction, catalogued by the Library of Congress under Wilde and under contemporaries of Wilde, which is accurate: the book is as interested in who was in the room as in who was speaking. It is alternate history, formally, with a single clean branch point in …

How to avoid weight regain after GLP-1s, according to a dietitian

How to avoid weight regain after GLP-1s, according to a dietitian

Published by Jenni Sidey

GLP-1 medications may have revolutionized the way people lose weight, but maintaining that change in body composition still presents challenges. When people come off anti-obesity drugs, “weight regain happens to the majority”, explains Dr Linia Patel, women’s health dietitian and performance nutritionist. “If we’re looking at obesity as a chronic condition, these medications are designed to be used for life and you’re not actually meant to come off them,” the author of new book Life After Weight-Loss Medication, tells Fit&Well. Latest Videos FromFit&Well “The challenge is that around 50% of people don’t stay on them because they are self-funded. The drugs become too expensive, or they reach their goal weight and think they don’t need them anymore. Also, people tend not to like staying on medication long-term.” Patel urges people who regain weight after stopping GLP-1s to show themselves compassion, because it’s not a failure—it’s a “physiological response”. But she also encourages people to “get in the driver’s seat” and work with their biology to keep the weight off. You may like I asked Patel …

Foundayo: New once-daily weight loss pill now available in pharmacies across UK

Foundayo: New once-daily weight loss pill now available in pharmacies across UK

Published by Daniella Wilson

A new daily pill to manage diabetes and assist with weight loss will be available at pharmacies across the UK from Monday. Pharmacists said that the rollout is “particularly significant” for patients who are unable to use weight loss jabs. The drug is called orforglipron and is sold under the brand name Foundayo. It was manufactured by American pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and was authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) earlier this month. It is the second GLP-1 pill for weight loss to be made available through UK pharmacies, after Wegovy in July. The UK is the first country in Europe to approve the pill. Eli Lilly said that it is working with the NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, on its assessment of Foundayo for a potential rollout on the health service in England. The new once-daily weight loss pill called Foundayo is now available in the UK (Lilly Medicine) The medication is licensed for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or …

When Weight Loss Meds Flatten More Than Appetite

When Weight Loss Meds Flatten More Than Appetite

Published by Jenni Sidey

One of my favorite movies of all time is Annie Hall, starring the late, great Diane Keaton. However, the original name of Woody Allen’s classic was “Anhedonia.” The studios didn’t think that title was marketable because it means the inability to feel pleasure. Probably not the best choice for a rom-com. Since the explosion in GLP-1 prescribing, I am hearing from more of my patients who take this class of drugs that they feel “Meh.” They are clear to point out that they are not depressed and do not feel sad or hopeless. Instead, they tell me they’d rather sit on the couch and watch Netflix than go to the gym or do any previously pleasurable activities. It’s not quite depression. It’s not exactly fatigue. Instead, it’s a feeling of emotional flatness—a sense that life has lost some of its “color.” The foods they once loved no longer excite them. Shopping feels unnecessary. Hobbies become less engaging. Even celebrations can seem muted. Patients often describe themselves as emotionally “neutral,” “disconnected,” or simply “blah.” Sometimes referred …

This Morning star Alison Hammond says weight loss was inspired by mother’s comment

This Morning star Alison Hammond says weight loss was inspired by mother’s comment

Published by Daniella Wilson

Alison Hammond has said she kicked her 11-stone weight loss journey into action after her mother commented on her size for the first time in her life. In recent years, the This Morning presenter, 51, has undertaken a health and fitness regime – and she has now opened up about what motivated her to start it up in an episode of the ITV daytime series. During a segment about weight, she told co-host Dermot O’Leary and guest Janet Street-Porter: “I’ll never forget when my mum was really ill in hospital. She looked at me – she’s never commented on my weight my whole life – she said ‘Alison, don’t end up like me; try and sort out your weight.’” Alison Hammond opened up about her weight-loss journey on ‘This Morning’ (ITV) Hammond has focused on consistency, support and mindset rather than quick results, and paid tribute to the trainers who helped her along the way in January. ”Massive thank you to the incredible @ellisgatfield who started my whole fitness journey… You made my life so …

New Girl’s Jake Johnson: ‘They were right to ask me to lose weight – I came in tubby!’

New Girl’s Jake Johnson: ‘They were right to ask me to lose weight – I came in tubby!’

Published by Daniella Wilson

There tend to be two paths available to an actor who faces the end of a long-running and star-making sitcom. The first is performing a vanishing act, never to be heard of again except for a single TMZ article, decades later, attesting to just how “unrecognisable” they’ve become. The second is super stardom, by way of tentpole franchises and often, but not always, comic-book adaptations. When leaving New Girl after seven years as its lovable couch potato Nick Miller, Jake Johnson gave the latter a go. He dipped his feet into the world of blockbusters with films like Jurassic World and Tom Cruise’s The Mummy, but found the waters tepid. Toxic, even. “Have you ever seen a salmon that’s been pulled out of the river for too long?” Johnson says now, his face contorting into a grimace. “It’s not a happy ending. Keep that salmon in the stream.” This salmon’s particular stream, though, is drying up. “Mid-level budget movies…” sighs the actor, sounding nostalgic way past his 48 years. “Right now there’s two types of …

Russell Crowe shows off ripped physique at 62 after losing weight gained for role

Russell Crowe shows off ripped physique at 62 after losing weight gained for role

Published by Daniella Wilson

Russell Crowe is showing off his physical transformation after shedding the 57 pounds he gained for a recent role. The 62-year-old Kiwi actor intentionally bulked up to 278 pounds for his role as the late Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in the 2019 miniseries The Loudest Voice. He maintained the physique for his portrayal of Nazi leader Hermann Göring in the 2025 historical drama Nuremberg. Following production on the latter, Crowe immediately hit the gym, debuting his slimmed-down figure last year at the Zurich Film Festival, where he was honored with the Golden Eye Award for Lifetime Achievement. On Monday, the Oscar-winning Gladiator star shared another glimpse of his ripped physique in photos posted to X in celebration of his youngest son’s 20th birthday. “20 years ago today, at 7 minutes to 7am, this amazing young man arrived in our lives. Happy Birthday Tenny,” Crowe wrote, alongside a series of photos, including one of him and his son flexing their arms. Russell Crowe lost nearly 60 pounds following his role in ‘Nuremberg’ (russellcrowe/ X) Crowe’s …

The Weight of Poverty Fell on Small Shoulders

The Weight of Poverty Fell on Small Shoulders

Published by Sam Flores

In the narrow lanes of Rawalpindi’s settlements, the constant hum of factory machines often replaces the sound of classroom bells. Children—some as young as seven or eight—spend their days gluing sandals for less than a dollar a day, trapped in a cycle where poverty pushes them into labor. This is not only a personal tragedy but also a systemic crisis shaped by policy gaps and the persistent pressure of economic hardship. Before fleeing to Pakistan, I was a high school student in Kabul with aspirations of becoming a pharmacist. I witnessed a relatively stable life—families like mine had access to food, shelter and a sense of everyday normalcy, along with the freedom to move without constant fear. However, everything changed after August 2021, when the Taliban took over. My father lost his job, and the economic stability that supported our household quickly disappeared. In the absence of that stability, our living conditions deteriorated, ultimately forcing us to leave Afghanistan and begin life in Pakistan as refugees. This experience is not isolated. Across Pakistan, many Afghan …

Renée Zellweger Criticises 'Fixation' With Bridget Jones' Weight

Renée Zellweger Criticises 'Fixation' With Bridget Jones' Weight

Published by Sam Flores

Bridget Jones actor Renée Zellweger has called out the mass “fixation” on the titular character’s weight on the 25th anniversary of the film’s release. Bridget, who was originally written as a character in Helen Fielding’s Pride and Prejudice-inspired novel, references her weight often on page and screen.  This is a part of the character’s broader self-scrutiny. She also bulk-buys self-help books and practices “oozing charisma” at parties, which makes D’Arcy’s line – “I like you just the way you are” – so touching.  But while some took the character’s weight comments as a sign of how far diet culture can push us, coverage of Renée was less nuanced. One publication mentioned how the actor “packed on pounds” for the 2004 sequel, for instance.  In a recent Q&A held at the Tribeca Film Festival, a journalist asked the star: “Why the hell were we so stupid to think that Bridget Jones was plus-size?” Per USA Today Entertainment, Renée agreed, replying: “What you said is so true.” She added: “The fixation goes back to what [director Sharon Maguire] said earlier: Most romantic …