At 35 years old, Taupō mum-of-three Eva Ngāmotu was looking to make a drastic change.
The Hui first met Ngāmotu last year, shortly before she travelled to Istanbul, Turkey for weight loss surgery.
After forking out $8000 for flights and her operation, she underwent gastric sleeve surgery, which removed 80 percent of her stomach.
It was a major surgery that posed significant risks for the mum-of-three.
In the days following her surgery, she was suffering excruciating pain - and questioning her decision.
"Have I mutilated my body? Why am I here in Turkey... removing 80 percent of my stomach?"
However, she soon started to see the changes she had hoped for.
"I was losing weight in the first week - it was like, 4 to 7kgs. I could physically see a change in my body," she told The Hui.
In the past year, Ngāmotu has lost a total of 52kg, or almost half her body weight.
"I used to look in that mirror and feel really miserable," she said. "And now I just look at myself and I just can't believe what I'm seeing."
Ngāmotu also credits the surgery for her newfound lifestyle, including her dedication to diet and exercise.
She's in the gym every day - running, lifting weights, and putting her body through intense training.
"It is a huge sense of accomplishment," Ngāmotu said. "I'm trying to be a healthier version of myself."
Ngāmotu's seen several health benefits so far: she's no longer pre-diabetic, her thyroid issues have improved, and she no longer snores.
There have also been some not-so-positive side effects, including dumping syndrome - where she vomited her stomach lining - and some hair loss over several months.
However, the biggest transformation has been her relationship with food, she said.
"It wasn't a good relationship. I never thought of food as a good source of fuel," Ngāmotu said. "It was always, 'if you eat that, you're going to get big'."
Ngāmotu has been sharing her weight loss story on social media, with about 30 other people encouraged to undergo surgery after following her journey online.
"Twenty years ago, it might have been a shameful choice to do - but society is evolving," she said.
However, cost is still a major barrier to having weight loss surgery. The price tag for a gastric sleeve in Aotearoa is more than $20,000.
"Even if it was half the price, it might encourage more people to do it here on their own soil," Ngāmotu said.
Dr Ryan Paul is an endocrinologist - a specialist in diabetes healthcare.
"We've had far more hospital admissions, far more deaths from obesity and diabetes yet we're not talking about it," Dr Paul said.
"Over half of our people in hospital now are there with obesity, diabetes or related complications."
He believes looking into public funding for weight loss medications could be a solution to tackling our obesity epidemic.
"We haven't really discussed medications for obesity and diabetes, which will add years to people's lives."
In recent years, Ozempic has hit the headlines overseas.
"Ozempic is a medication for diabetes," Dr Paul explained. "It's registered, but we haven't had any come into Aotearoa yet."
Dr Paul said people may have heard of celebrities like Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey taking these medications for weight loss instead of its primary purpose.
"As far as I'm aware, they don't have diabetes. They're using it for weight loss alone."
There are legal weight loss drugs available in Aotearoa, but they're not publicly funded.
"There are tablets, such as Duromine, Contrave. We've also got injections for weight loss such as Saxenda," Dr Paul said. "You're looking at approximately $480 a month."
Ngāmotu has tried Duromine.
"I was really irritable. I couldn't sleep properly. My anxiety levels would be out the roof," she said. "I gained the weight back pretty quick."
Ngāmotu believes the influence of celebrities is part of the problem.
"Maybe some people have amazing results like the 'Ozempics'. I know it's really hugely popular and it can work, but I don't know for how long."
Dr Paul said he's had patients who have gone overseas to buy medication like Ozempic.
"I know that some people have been accessing mimics of Ozempic online. I can probably at least guarantee 99 percent of that medication is not Ozempic," he warned.
"Potentially [you] may be causing yourself harm and not getting any benefit at all."
Ngāmotu, however, is happy with the path she's taken.
"I still shock myself at the person I am today and how I live my life," she said.
"I only dreamed to be like the person I am today."
