Kate Ferdinand thinks women want to use weight-loss jabs ‘because everyone is’
By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter
TV personality Kate Ferdinand has said she thinks women feel “pressure” to use weight-loss jabs “because everyone else is”, adding she wants to be a “healthy role model” for her children.
The 34-year-old former The Only Way Is Essex star previously spoke out about her long-term battle with anxiety, body dysmorphia, and low self-esteem.
The Women’s Health UK cover star told the publication about her feelings towards weight-loss injections, such as Mounjaro and Ozempic, and said: “I think it’s become this thing where the woman who doesn’t want to jab feels pressure to do so because everyone else is.
“It can feel harder [for them] to do things in the natural way – to exercise and eat well – as it takes so much longer, and the results aren’t as immediate.”
In the interview, Ferdinand added that she “refuses” to put too many boundaries in place that stop her enjoying her life, and said: “I don’t want to live forever – I want to enjoy my life. I want to eat chocolate and have a cocktail.”
She continued: “I read that you should do five things in the morning to help you have a better day. So, one might be grounding, one might be getting fresh air or sunlight, breathwork, having a cold shower, hydrating yourself.
“But I also have young children, so I do what I can – and I try not to put too much pressure on myself.”
The TV personality tied the knot with former footballer Rio Ferdinand in 2019, and became stepmother to his three children – Lorenz, Tate and Tia – from his first marriage to Rebecca Ellison, who died of breast cancer in 2015 at the age of 34.
The couple are also parents to son Cree, five, and two-year-old daughter Shae – and last year the family relocated to Dubai, a move which Ferdinand admits she has struggled with.
Earlier this month, she took to her Blended podcast and tearfully revealed how she misses her life in England, but said she is “not unhappy” and is “adjusting”.
In the interview, Ferdinand spoke about how she has learned to look after her mental wellbeing, and said: “I want to look good and I’m happier when I look good, I have to be honest.
“But I would always choose to exercise because I work out for my mental health, too. I also want to be a healthy role model for my children: they see me working hard in the gym and that makes a difference.
“I’m quite aware of how I feel and what I need to do in order to make myself feel better. If I need help, I’ll have therapy. If I’m struggling, I’ll go outside and go for a walk, I’ll talk to people.”
While Kate fronted the latest edition of Women’s Health UK, her husband Rio appeared on the cover of Men’s Health UK.
Speaking to the publication, the 47-year-old former England and Manchester United captain said he views the recent move as an “adventure”, and said: “My life has been governed by the fixture list while playing football and then, post-career, being a pundit.
“There aren’t many opportunities in life where you get time to make a big change, have an adventure, step out of your comfort zone and explore something new.
“So this is it. This is what we wanted to do.”
The move came after Ferdinand stepped down from his role as a pundit on TNT Sports last May. He said: “I like being tested. I like pressure.
“It’s time for something new. I saw the new world is that linear TV.
“Live football is always going to be there, but there’s also another world outside the 90 minutes that intrigues me, which I look at like a fan.”
Now, the footballer-turned-pundit fronts his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents, which has more than 1.5 million subscribers and focuses on current affairs in the sport.
The full interview with Rio Ferdinand can be read in the March issue of Men’s Health UK, and the full interview with Kate Ferdinand can be read in the March issue of Women’s Health UK, both on sale from February 10.