What do we REALLY think about the weight loss jabs?

You’re right! If I had the money and I could take a tiny dose for life that would give me my holy grail of the “I’m full” signal I most certainly would. Without a doubt!

I do however think that you cannot deny that it is easier- I mean if it wasn’t, why would you? Especially as most yo yo dieters know how hard it is to maintain. That it’s just fact surely to say it is easier, but say so factually without judgement (which I agree is usually there).

edit for typos

I had just under 2 stone to lose and I was prescribed the tablet by Voy. I answered all questions truthfully and had an online appointment to check my height and weight before being prescribed. I opted for this as no matter what I was doing, weight was increasing. I can’t exercise anymore than I do due to an accident. I was calorie counting (yes, every grain of rice) via team RH. Having arguments with my husband about weighing boiled eggs. Menopause has not helped with the weight and neither has my thyroid medication.

I have lost a stone in 8 weeks which I am thrilled about. I am now at the stage where I am not sure my weight was fat related. I am going to look into bloating and water retention but at least I am getting results.

Gall bladder issues and pancreatic emergencies are a thing with fat jabs. But equally they do work. Overall its a good thing for the morbidly obese. It shouldn't be used by people who are just chubby and too lazy to change lifestyle though.

I am very happy to have a "lazy" and "less healthy option" that's enabled me to go from a BMI of 50 to a BMI of 25, after a lifetime of obesity that began in childhood.

I'd love to know why that's less healthy than trying to lose weight for the umpteenth time as in the past, eventually failing and regaining the weight plus a bit more for good measure as has been the case every other time I've lost weight without medication?

We know that very very few people manage to move from obese to a healthy weight and stay there long term. All the evidence shows this. It doesn't mean that everyone who is obese is lazy. In fact there are hoards of "lazy" obese women dealing with daily life, working, caring for children or other people, volunteering, running clubs etc etc. None of that is lazy. It is great that there is an effective tool that they can use to lose weight and get healthier.

@CoffeeAndACroissant

”Also, it grates on me a bit when I hear people say that they still had to work hard to lose the weight. If that's true then why take the medication in the first place? As someone who has battled with the same stone over and over again, I think it's disingenuous to suggest that having something suppress your appetite isn't most of the battle.”

100% this! I am the same. I wish I could suppress my appetite as that’s the only thing that is now controlling me and tries to sabotage my efforts constantly 🥲

What alarms me most is people who are either not overweight or only slightly overweight using them to lose a stone or half a stone that could have been done with small diet and exercise changes. To me, the risk doesn’t outweigh the benefit at all in these circumstances and I find it all rather sad (not in a judgemental way, just sad that’s what has become acceptable in society).

For someone who is very obese and it is impacting their life, I can of course see the benefits but I don’t think the jabs should be done in isolation of therapy/counselling to understand why they have reached that point in the first place. Extreme ends of the spectrum, be it thinness or obesity, are rarely just because someone is “greedy” or otherwise, there are often deeper psychological reasons that need to be acknowledged and explored for true healing.

I think most people get them in the post - it doesn’t mean you don’t have to have a consultation with a doctor to get them. Plus (and I have used a few providers, jumping around for the best price) they alll write to your GP with details, dosage changes etc. I’ve never told my GP myself, but I had a chat with him about it last time I was there for something else. It was all there on my NHS record.

I think they are a fantastic tool for people who have previously struggled to lose weight and are obese. I think it will probably save the NHS a lot of money in the long run as obesity leads to all sorts of health complications.

However, it's pretty clear from reading posts on here that there are not enough checks and balances. People are lying about their weight to obtain them via online pharmacies. That needs to be cracked down on, in the same way we would for any medication being falsely obtained.

Also, it grates on me a bit when I hear people say that they still had to work hard to lose the weight. If that's true then why take the medication in the first place? As someone who has battled with the same stone over and over again, I think it's disingenuous to suggest that having something suppress your appetite isn't most of the battle.

I didn’t say anything about you. I’m explaining why I don’t want it. That’s my reasoning. Obviously your weight was quite bad to begin with so your situation is very different to mine. Congratulations on your journey.

I think they are absolutely life-changing. Worth every single penny and every hour of overtime I've done to pay for MJ.

My BMI has dropped from 63.1 to 23.4 over two years. I have had zero side effects beyond a bit of constipation. I no longer think about food constantly. No food noise has meant I've been able to do the psychological work around binge eating disorder without the urge to binge constantly buzzing away in my head.

I feel amazing, I can walk for miles, I can run, I am no longer breathless at the slightest exertion and having to plan how I get around a room past obstacles like tables and chairs.

If people think I'm cheating I don't really care. I've struggled with my weight, with emotional and binge eating disorder all of my life, right from childhood. I've tried every diet going, every fad, everything - I lost weight, I put it all and more back on multiple times.

WLI have enabled me to lose the weight, properly and put the work in to stop me piling it back on when I eventually come off them. They are a miracle.

😀😀😀😀

Conspiracy nonsense aside, and excluding those whose these drugs to manage diabetes, it’s obvious why WLIs are attractive to a culture that wants everything now and doesn’t want to work for it. We work in more sedentary jobs, drive more, exercise less and eat more UPF. This is difficult to change without a lot of effort and most people don’t want to commit to that effort. I don’t blame any individual for that but it’s the lazy and less healthy option for sure.
No doubt pharma has been trying to get these licensed for wider use for a long time, and now they have, it’s no big secret.

The main issue is that people don’t view obesity as a health problem. They view it as a moral failing. Fat, to them, equals lazy, ill-disciplined, lacking self-respect. People who are thin aren’t just viewed as healthier (which they are), they’re viewed as morally superior; essentially they’re better people.

The problem for people who hold that view is that the playfield has been somewhat levelled. People can now lose weight more easily so the line of attack has changed - now the use of the drugs is itself is viewed a personal failing. Thin itself has no value in their eyes unless it’s a result of hard work and sacrifice.

This is SUCH a weird take. It’s not a competition. The drugs are another route to health for people who need them. I gained 3st after medical menopause and absolutely battled (unsuccessfully) to get back to a healthy weight for years after. The drugs are helping me regain my health. Why would you see that as ‘unfair’? So so strange.

I really could do with losing another stone, I am menopausal and it’s impossible. So I am tempted but the thought of hair loss puts me off.
Someone I know has been on them lately, she has so much excess skin, especially on her arms. She used to be incredibly fit and she’s only in her early 40s, I don’t think it’s the right way for her. She should have tried exercise again first at least, she won’t be able to afford to get the arm skin removed.

I do have a good friend who is waiting for a knee operation. She’s always been overweight, it’s worse now with her knee. She’s not allowed to exercise and the weight makes it worse. I don’t understand why the hospital hasn’t put her on them. It would improve her knee and would be better not to be so big for the operation/recovery. I don’t think she could afford it herself buy really it’s the kind of thing it should be used for.

I think the issues around obesity both for the individual and for society are so far reaching that even if there are some side effects, it's worth it overall for the majority of people.
People are free to choose to take them if they feel it improves their life quality. I applaud the fact that they are doing something positive for themselves.
That's all I think about it.

All medication has side effects. They seem to be minor as so many of are taking them.
I don’t need them. I have the opposite problem that I don’t feel hungry, eating for energy not pleasure.

I think WLI are brilliant. They have given a lot of people back their life. They could be cheaper and accessible to more people. Weight loss isn’t about a smaller waistline, it gives users the confidence to exercise and get out more.

They’re not an easy fix but a great crutch. Take the tinfoil hat off.

They changed my life. Best thing ever as far as I'm concerned. Wish they'd been around years ago.

The thing is, that if people were suddenly able to en masse lose the weight without needing GLP1s we would still see a potential uptick in gall bladder issues. Because it's the losing weight that's the issue, not some effect that the GLP1s are have by somehow causing gallstones. And as a nation we want people to lose weight and reduce obesity rates, which will then reduce a whole host of other serious long term health conditions. So what do people who are obese need to do - somehow lose the weight without risking gall bladder issues? That's not possible.

I wonder what "proper medical supervision" is meant to be?

Not sure the OP is coming back but nonetheless I’m pleased this thread is on aibu.

I cannot afford WLIs and would not qualify on the NHS. I have lost over 3 stone over 18 months by calorie counting and focussing on mainly whole foods, protein and eating for satiety, while eating things that taste good. All good you might say.

But I do not have a full signal. I’ve tried to find it but I can’t. I have to weigh everything and religiously track to maintain my weight which is still overweight (size 12 or even 14 I will likely never be) but out of obese. I honestly believe that those of us who are never properly satisfied cannot help it. Listen to Dr Yeo. For me, I will likely never really be able to eat when hungry only, not clear a plate, not take more if offered but I have no choice. Well I do actually- keep as I am, or relax and eat because I think I’m hungry and regain the weight. Back to obese.

I can be insanely jealous of those who use WLI. I know it’s wrong as what others do or are is none of my business. I am genuinely pleased for those I know in my life who are so much healthier as a result. But I envy that off switch they have. They tell me this is the thing it gives them which is the biggest wonder of all. Like they now can eat “normally” and actually feel full on a normal adult portion.

I am I think quite an intelligent person who is knowledgeable about nutrition, balance, foods, and dare I say it, a pretty fab home cook! So I know what to do and I know where I struggle.

One of my closest friends has done really well on WLI and I am happy to see her happy as a result. The one thing though that still gets me despite me berating myself for it, is when we meet and go for lunch or whatever, she seems to make a point of telling me she’s full. I feel like she’s stabbing her fork in me. I eat my food, enjoy it, finish my plate as I always do, and am quietly screaming shut the fuck up about being so full. Because that is the one thing despite all I’ve done I cannot find.

So yes - probably I’m in acceptance mode, but my god I wish that amazing off switch could be mine too.

Are these real people? That you actually know?

Why would they be focusing the sneaky Covid vaccines only on fat people?

Who are these people though, that you "hear"? Real people that you know, or people chatting shit on the internet? Or imaginary people that you imagine having those conversations?

I took covid vaccinations, I was happy that I knew what was in them and that they were sufficiently tested. I take Mounjaro, because, guess what? I know what's in it and I am happy it's been sufficiently tested.

I think they're great for a lot of people.

I personally won't take them, I'm too worried about side effects. I won't have laser eye surgery for the same reason.

I think GLP1s are overprescribed.