Timpson boss reveals 680% surge in belt holes drilled as weight-loss jabs slim down Britain

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026.

James Timpson has revealed his shops are drilling extra holes in customers' belts at a rate 680% higher than before, pointing directly to the explosive growth of weight-loss injections like Mounjaro and Ozempic. Timpson posted the finding on X, saying the belt-hole surge is the most visible sign yet that fat jabs are physically reshaping Britain's waistlines. Around 2.4 million people in the UK are now estimated to be on weight-loss medications, though most pay privately due to NHS access restrictions.

Timpson said in his X post: 'You can tell Ozempic and Mounjaro are popular' — the belt holes are free of charge.

The drugs semaglutide (sold as Wegovy or Ozempic) and Mounjaro have driven the trend, with Wegovy now approved in tablet form.

The figures make Timpson an unlikely real-world barometer of Britain's weight-loss revolution on the high street.