Slimmers on weight jabs flocking to have additional holes punched in shrinking belts
Timpson boss James Timpson says the high street chain has recorded a whopping 680% rise in the free service this year, which enables people to have extra holes put in their belts
Growing numbers of people are using weight loss drugs(Image: Getty Images)
Slimmers on weight-loss jabs are flocking to Timpson to have extra holes punched in their shrinking belts. Boss James Timpson says the high street chain has recorded a whopping 680% rise in the free service this year.
He reckons the boom in the drugs is behind the huge increase as customers shed the pounds. Mr Timpson said: “You can tell Ozempic and Mounjaro are popular.
“In our Timpson shops we have seen a 680% increase in the number of free holes in customers belts we’ve been doing this year.” Ozempic is a prescription injection approved to treat type two diabetes that can cause weight loss as a side effect.
James Timpson(Image: Humphrey Nemar/staff Photographer.)
His observation on social media prompted plenty of cheeky responses online. One wag joked: “You’ve really been giving it your awl.”
Another suggested: “Time to start charging.” And one asked whether Timpson would “fill the holes back in when they come off the jabs?”
The trend comes amid a huge boom in drugs that help people lose weight by reducing their appetite and making them feel fuller for longer.
He said it’s a trend seen in shops(Image: Getty Images)
They have become a celebrity slimming favourite, with stars including Gemma Collins, Robbie Williams and Boy George all speaking openly about using the drugs.
Former Towie star Gemma credited Mounjaro with helping her shed two stone, while Boy George has revealed he switched to Mounjaro to help control his appetite.
But soaring demand has also sparked warnings over potentially dangerous fakes being flogged online. Around 5,000 bogus pharmacy websites were accessed by UK consumers in 2025, according to cybersecurity firm Avast. Medicines watchdog the MHRA also disrupted more than 1,500 websites illegally selling medicines to the public last year.
Kathie Cashell, chief executive of the General Pharmaceutical Council, previously warned: “Because these pharmacies are not regulated in any way, it could be completely fake. It could be dangerous substances.
“It might be that they’re just taking your money and not sending you anything.”
