Sky News discussion about weight loss pills this morning

I agree that they look upsetting, but I grew up in the early 2000s and pretty much all female celebrities looked this way then. So it was a thing before WLI, and I don’t imagine the methods they were using to get to that weight at that time were particularly healthy either.

The prescribing guidance is for obesity (bmi over 30) or bmi over 27 with certain weight related conditions. The benefits outweigh the risks long before morbid obesity at bmi 40+. That's the evidence based decision of an expert panel. I'm not sure why you think you know more than them

And there are significant side effects from long term use (over 2 years) including to the kidneys, my friend’s husband is on dialysis now due to this, he took it for diabetes long term

WLIs are not the only way to lose weight though.
I suffer from mh problems. When I’ve been unwell, I have gained a lot of weight but once I’m well I have lost it again. I’m currently losing weight at a steady pace.
My partner is on ozempic and has lost weight but I’m concerned about him. He has no appetite at all and he also seems very flat in his whole mood and outlook. It’s like he’s lost his appetite for absolutely everything and not just food.
He can’t eat out anymore or enjoy food. We can’t go for meals in restaurants or anything as a celebration or something nice to do.
He doesn’t eat with us as a family anymore. He eats something standing up or says he’s still too full from lunch.
My mum is the same. The weight has absolutely dropped off her. It’s actually frightening. She is not like she used to be in her personality either. Also very flat and has little interest in stuff she used to enjoy. It’s like they’re depressed.
I’ve been on medication in the past that inhibited dopamine and it was horrible, so my concern is not really what the long term effects or general side effects might be. What worries me is what it’s doing in the brain.

If you have lost over 10 stone you are exactly the type of person who should be benefiting from these drugs. The issue is that they are being abused, not a day goes by without threads regarding getting hold of them with lower bmis. We also don’t have data about long term use by younger people because they were principally used for type 2 diabetes which affects mostly older people, often with comorbidities.

it’s right to be cautious, but also to use where weight issues are significant because the definite harm of morbid obesity outweighs the potential harm of dependency on a drug with unknown long term consequences

The email confirmation wont do that, why would it.

Have you never bought prescription drugs online? I have to when the chemist and the doctor seem determined to use their incompetence to make my prescription late for various meds Im on and I have to source private online purchases so I dont run out, so my steroid nasal spray, sumatriptan, primadone etc, I order these online, the medication comes with its usual instruction/side effect leaflet. Like any medication you buy even paracetamol in the supermarket.

What would or should be different with this medication?

Again, we agree.

They won’t do that because the food industry is too powerful, capitalism always wins. People also aren’t willing to pay what real food costs.

Yeah fair enough, can’t argue with that!

I sort of think that’s why we have to embrace that non obese people are using them, like some providers are doing enabling people with BMIs of 25-27 off label, because as has been said people are getting their hands on them either way, at least through a legitimate supplier there is some monitoring, it’s the proper product, not something from your Botox lady as I’ve seen on here 😬

Like every drug, they are being abused. I think they should be for the morbidly obese category but it's becoming more common for women who just want to lose a stone for their holiday to lie and get hold of them.

I think we should be looking at the root cause of obesity in our society, rather than putting a sticking plaster over it. A third of uk is obese, but only 5% in japan, 10% France. We shouldn’t be using medication as a way to fix this.

I have not for one second suggested they should be stopped or banned. I congratulated OP on her success with them.
All I’ve said is that it’s legit to make sure people are aware that whilst they’re fantastic for the right people and purpose, if abused they can be dangerous. The message being Do Not Abuse Them.

Well, that’s it. We agree!

Right so some people may abuse them, but that’s not inevitable for everyone? I went from a BMI of 25 to 21, over a 6 month period, with strength training to preserve muscle as far as possible. I’m not severely underweight nor will I be. I know loads of people on them, no one is severely underweight. You can’t stop selling drugs because some people abuse them, of course your regulate how they’re obtained, but you’re making it sound like everyone is abusing them. Would you stop selling paracetamol because a very small fraction of people using them overdose?

Also when you get on the blower to all the global health authorities. Could you screech they are dangerous like you are on here. Then co\me back and let us know how that went for you.😂

Again, sure, who is disputing this.

Being a little bit underweight is much more dangerous than being a little bit overweight.

Being very overweight or obese (not even morbidly) dramatically raises risks of multiple cancers and other serious complications such as diabetes.

If they start at a normal, healthy weight, they can very quickly become severely underweight.

Blimey you best get right on the blower to the global health authorities and tell me they fucked up,😂

Of course, who is disputing this, the reality is clearly the vast majority of people using them are not severely underweight.

Being severely underweight is as, if not more, dangerous as being obese.

There are definite double standards in evidence.

I think it's fine to take the position that the existing evidence isn't enough for you. But consistency then requires application of that standard to whatever else you've come up with as an alternative. Which is where people often fall down.

In what way are they dangerous for “normal size” people?

The OP didn’t differentiate between black market and prescribed. She talked generically about the drugs and said how marvellous they are and how people shouldn’t bang on about the dangers.

These drugs are EVERYWHERE, and they’re not safe for everyone; indeed they’re dangerous for normal sized people. The media has an obligation to talk about that.

OP is doing well on them, and I’m delighted for her. But that doesn’t negate the fact there are dangers there for some people.

Gosh some of this is not just inane it’s illogical.

the drugs are approved for maintenance. Down to a bmi 19 in many cases. The who recommends them as a long term usage. They all know the safety profile. Again not one death globally due to correct usage of the legitimate drugs.

its like some folks are desperate for it to cause issues, utterly desperate, despite all evidence to the contrary and decades of usage.