So if your friend lost 5 stone in 6 months .. would you wonder how ?

@Gladicalled perhaps you could not misquote me. I never said I starve myself for 4 days a month.

There are studies which show fasting to be beneficial. There are others showing the opposite. You tried it and found it didn’t help you, it does help me. You are no more right than I am.

In general terms, there isn’t huge diversity in the human genome that would cause some people to put on weight eating 600 cals and others to maintain on 6000.

People drop dead exercising. Some from lifestyle choices. We don’t yet know what injectables do for non-diabetics, and I think opting for a route that involves injecting them for life is sub-optimal.

It’s nothing to do with the money. You physically cannot overeat! It’s absolutely stops you. If you’ve never had food problems it difficult to understand. I feel for the first time in my life that I have a normal relationship with food.

Whilst I agree with some of your points. You are being disingenuous. Or rather coming across as disingenuous.

You are concerned that ASA rules are broken by threads like these and that could be harmful for vulnerable people. But have no problem with a poster who has clearly mislead and outright lied, who claims starving yourself for almost 4 days is a proven way to improve health. Both are damaging to vulnerable people. It’s not only damaging if it breaks ASA rules. And at this point, whilst I suspect it, there’s no proof this was meant to be advertising. And many people who do take MJ called out the suspiciousness of the thread early on. But as of yet, we have no idea who the Op is or their motivation.

But you aren’t concerned about other equally damaging things are posted on this thread. Or elsewhere.

You keep going on about one poster who says they eat 600cals a day. But keep ignoring the fact that other posters keep claiming losing weight can be done by just XYZ which includes starving yourself for days and saying it’s scientifically backed up, when it’s not. Even when one poster blatantly misled people.

You get shot down when talking about the risks, not because no one believes it. But because several posters have made claims that aren’t actually true and can’t back them up. And the people claiming they know all about the risks clearly haven’t read the research. Unlike a lot of the people who are actually taking it who have read it and keep up to date on new findings.

People post of low carb, intermittent fasting, fasting, competitive under eating and all sorts of things. Even to the point of lying. But the concern is that this thread might break ASA rules? The concern is that something that’s helping obese people might be being misused. That it might be helping obese people, but we should prioritise other people instead.

There’s been nasty and rude comments like ‘come one tell me how you got fat eating apples’. That’s really damaging to people already struggling. But that’s not a concern?

If someone vulnerable with an eating disorder reads this thread, what are they more likely to do? Go on line and pay a load of money out to try and obtain a prescription drug illegally. Or decide they could starve themselves for almost 4 days a month for free. Cause a woman here claimed she did and claimed it was backed up by science.

You briefly mention people buying knock off stuff. That’s where vulnerable people are more likely to get it. That’s more likely to lead to complications and hospital admission. But that’s just a small concern.

Your concern is disingenuous because you only have problem with people who think using MJ was the right decision for themselves. When people have pointed out the horrific misinformation from people is disapprove of people using Mj you have ignored it. Your concern is not for vulnerable people. It’s not for people who might have an eating disorder and try and use it anyway.

If your concern was genuine you would equally appalled at what has been written here as ‘facts’ regarding diet. By posters who have been purposely misleading people to convince them fat loss is easy for everyone.

You could be talking utter shit. “My grandma ate lard sandwiches and had 25 sugars in her tea and she lived to 187. She died breaking the world record for an ultra marathon.”

“My husband eats 10 million calories a day and is less than 8 stone 2 but is an Olympic champion weightlifter. On my side of the family if we even think about eating a vegetable, we gain 4 stone.”

Whatevs.

I managed to lose the quote, but @Island2513 my reaponse above.

I don't think I can explain any more clearly than I already have done in my earlier posts.

I am definitely not judgemental on the issue of weight or how anyone loses or gains it. I am a bit skeptical about big pharma and all those middle-men who stand to profit where there is lots of sm hype, some of which I wonder is entirely genuine. Perhaps I am entirely wrong to be so risk adverse.

I wish you well on you weight loss journey and I hope you achieve happiness and long term health. It is in everyone's best interests that these drugs work and are benign - fingers crossed they are, in which case, wonderful.

I'm really interested in the tone of these posts. I lost weight on LCHF. It reduces food noise exactly like the injections do. But for some reason I deserve praise and people on the injections deserve ire. We both found a way to reduce food noise and eat less, we're both losing weight, we both struggle without it.

If it weren't for BIWI and the other wonderful people on here helping, I wouldn't have lost the weight. I have ADHD, poor impulse control, addictions in the family and an under active thyroid (yes, diagnosed by a doctor). Genetically, I have much more chance of being fat (or alcoholic, so thank goodness I missed that trauma). I'm not lazy or stupid. I wasn't then and I'm not now.

And the UPF evangelists, I don't do that either, never did. No ready meals or chicken nuggets here. Jar pasta sauce is my nemesis. I can gain weight quite happily eating fresh, healthy food because I ate too much of it.

if you can afford to help her, and want to do so because of the change you see in her, then that's up to you. maybe offer to pay half or something. I'm sure it would mean a lot to her, or even if you just say you will help her pay for it for a certain length of time, during which she can make other lifestyle changes to maintain the loss.

They are shot down, because

1. nobody asked for their opinion on risks
2. Their opinion comes with a judgemental and ignorant tone about ‘quick fixes’ or it’s simple, eat less move more
3. They never back up their claims even when asked multiple times anyway.

But why do you and others feel the need to ‘help achieve the advertising small print’ anyway?

@ItTook9Years oh she was eating far more than that. It was ridiculous what she put away. And no, no weight gained. It wasn't just 3 years she ate shite for, she ate badly her whole life. You do realise that fatty, bad choices have existed for longer than 'takeaways' have? And yes, it was full family sized trifles and whole cakes, not slices. So yes, you're assuming wrongly, just as you have assumed wrongly throughout this whole thread where you've proven you talk shit and think you're special.

No word on why my DP can eat thousands of calories a day and stay healthier than the amazing superwoman that is you? No, didn't think so. And why he is also 'immune to Covid' when he eats none of the things you think gave you this supposed superpower? Maybe it's time you pipe down and stop telling everyone else that they're wrong when you have nothing intelligent or of any scientific use to say. You've posted repeatedly on here talking shit and trying to rile people up, have you nothing better to do?

I was responding to 'Even people talking about on social media talk a lot about the possible side effects. Both long and short term'. And my point in return was, I'm one of those people who has talked about the long term consequences, but relying on a random poster to raise the issue of risk is not sufficient in advertising standard terms - All marketing communications should be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and society and should reflect the spirit, not merely the letter, of the Code.

Plus, anyone on this particular thread who has raised the issue of risk has been well and truly shot down, so I don't imagine they will be rushing to engage on any of the other threads to help them achieve the advertising small print.

I was responding to this part of your post, which suggests you like offering unsolicited advice on the risks? To the point you want to give up posting because you get shot down. I agree with your points about the knock off stuff but your post suggests it’s about MJ overall, not just the knock off stuff.

I guess I'm not just talking about the side effected, but also the risks. Maybe that's one and the same. And definitely the risks of knock off versions are insane, I agree. But only a few posters call out the risks. What if we didn't post? Anyone who posts and naively suggests an alternative is shot down in flames because it is such a personal and emotive subject. I'll probably not bother after this thread.

@Island2513 are you sure when you quoted my post, you were quoting the right post?

Have you actually read any of my posts?

I would never, ever think (never mind use) the terminology you have just attributed to me.

I struggle with my weight, both up and down. I know how intractable eating disorders are. I appreciate people have different metabolisms and a whole range of things going on with their health and their life. I have clearly stated there is a place for these medications. My issue with it is how it is advertised, sold, monitored etc.

The Advertising Standards Authority exists for a reason. Social Media allows it to be bypassed. This is my point.

Bully for you.

Not everyone can do that.
If they could, half the population wouldn't be obese.

There’s a tone of moral superiority from posters who are able to maintain/achieve a healthy weight relatively easily, as if they have some greater ability for self-discipline and will power than ‘fat, lazy, greedy’ people. But there is plenty of research out there that shows it is not a level playing field. GLP-1 medications help level that playing field. And funnily enough, we are seeing many people go on to be able to achieve what the naturally slim people do.

https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/slim-people-have-a-genetic-advantage-when-it-comes-to-maintaining-their-weight

www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/magazine/issue-100/this-idea-must-die-“obesity-is-caused-by-lack-of-willpower”#:~:text=Professor%20Sadaf%20Farooqi%20says%20being,a%20demonstration%20of%20moral%20superiority.&text=The%20myth%20that%20obesity%20is,but%20it%20is%20incredibly%20pervasive.

Don’t be obtuse. Your comments are designed to shame people and not be helpful. Just because someone is overeating calories does not mean they are only ever eating crap food whilst sat on the sofa and never exercising.

It’s always the same with these threads: “Quick, a fat person! Let’s put them in their place and tell them they’re a lazy sod with no willpower who puts no effort in.”

I lost 4 stone back in 2021-2022. I started at 295lbs. I was exercising multiple hours a week, counting calories - you name it. My loss was agonisingly slow. Maintaining some weeks, putting on even though I was absolutely burning off far more than I was putting in. I mentally beat myself up, couldn’t enjoy the weight loss I had managed because I felt I wasn’t doing enough, wasn’t good enough. Summer 2022 someone told me I looked like I’d put on weight. Now, I knew I had maintained as I had weighed that morning. But those words completely shattered me. Every negative feeling just piled on top of me. Couple that with another off hand comment about something else and I just gave up. I had about 50 pounds left to my goal, but I couldn’t get back into it. Slowly slowly I put the weight back on and at the end of August this year I weighed 301lbs. I have a lot of different reasons I put the weight back on, but even when I was eating within my calories at my peak of my journey, I’d look at them and go “well I can still have this chocolate bar or that cake”. And yes, I could, but I didn’t need to have it. But it felt like I did.

I felt so low at the end of August. I saw no way back out of this weight gain. I’d tried to get restarted again and again. Had an unhealthy Pepsi max addiction. Kept seeing so much about Mounjaro and took the plunge. 6 weeks in and I’ve lost 18.3lbs, and that’s not with regular exercise yet apart from the steps. It took me almost 18 weeks to lose that last time with everything I was doing. My Pepsi max addiction has gone and I’ve had none since I started. So no, I’m not cheating. I’m not lazy. I don’t have no willpower. I’m eating up 1800 calories a day, sometimes 1400-1500, and keeping hydrated. I don’t want chocolate any more. My mind is clear. Mentally I do feel a little better. Mounjaro has already helped me significantly and I hope as I begin regular exercise it continues to do so. Stop being judgemental and nasty about people who have resorted to using this drug.

OP, massive well done to you and your friend. You sound like a lovely person and it’s very kind of you to even consider the offer.

Edited to say: I have a very full on and stressful job, I regularly work 60 hours a week at times. I have children and animals to also look after. I don’t just sit on the couch and stuff my face, thanks very much.

The poster that starves themselves for days on a regular basis?

No one objected to the risks being mentioned. But they did counter it. Especially where people were discussing risks and actually incorrect or misleading. Not saying that was you but there’s has been lots of misleading information about the risks on here.

One poster kept mentioning my 600 cals and I agree it’s unhealthy. But as I said, there’s always been regular threads that are competitive under eating for years on MN and no one ever calls that out. Another poster is bragging about how they regularly starve themselves for 84 hours. And how that’s the key to good health. The same poster who has misrepresented ‘facts’ over and over again. This is someone who objects to injections spreading misinformation and trying to convince people that disordered eating is healthy.

What do you mean if you didn’t post? Do you believe anyone gets to point of taking these medications without knowing the risks? Or only learn the risks because a person on MN mentioned there was risks.

Young people are susceptible to having eating disorders. That’s not new or not created by these drugs. Whilst I agree with some of what you say, I don’t quite get why so many people are all of a sudden hugely concerned about the injections and the impact on vulnerable people. When diet culture, celebrity culture, the media, the internet is a far bigger risk. And the knock offs are a far bigger risk to vulnerable people.

All of a sudden, there’s something to help obese people and everyone is so concerned for them. And concerned about people not taking it. But don’t have the same concern for over the counter laxatives as an example and all the other things that are cheaper and more easily available.

Do share on the forum how people become fat otherwise?

Maybe you shoud take responsibility for educating yourself about the causes of obesity, food addiction, etc before you make ridiculous sweeping statements that clearly infer you think all obese people spend their lives sedentary and stuffing their faces with UPFs.

Do you think that if you trained like Usain Bolt you could run as fast as Usain Bolt? Or do you - on some TEENY level - recognise that all bodies are different and therefore if one person does the exact same thing as another, they won't have the exact same outcome?

Well done you. Now apply that same understanding to weight gain and loss, and stop being so judgy.

Why not tell a white lie and say you had a small lottery or premium bond win and you wanted to share some of your good fortune?

I’m trying to decide why people are so aggressively against it, and I don’t buy that it’s genuine concern because of all the judgemental comments that come with it.

The utter contempt for people who are obese is clear to see.

The first thing we agree on!