All these people taking weight loss appetite suppressant drugs?!!

[OnHerSolidFoundations]

Is it me or is this a bit sinister?

As with all weight loss programmes the hardest part really starts once you've reached your goal weight. The stats show that the vast majority of people will re-gain the weight. So it'll be a matter of taking a dose of semaglutides for life, or tackling the psychological reasons behind overeating.

These drugs are not a fad or quick fix... You cannot compare them to taking speed in the 70s or the other drugs that make you shit yourself orange oil inside out.

No, you can't compare them. No prior weightloss medication had side-effects like pancreatitis, gastroparesis, bowel obstruction, biliary disease, or death.

the reason i am overweight, yes its predominently food, but i have had 2 back surgeries, need a new hip, have osteoarthritus and a herniated disc in both upper and lower spine... oh and i nearly forgot have MS

so do you mean all that is also my fault? prior to all this was used to do weekly tri-athelons, i would run miles, swim miles, cycle hundreds of miles...

i was physically fit... but i was also obese then... so in your scenario i'm damned if i do and damned if i don't?

The days of seeing any face to face doctor regularly are sadly long gone. Telephone appointments with prescriptions issued by my NHS doctor are pretty routine now. If I want my blood pressure checked, or an anxiety assessment, I use a machine in their waiting room with no contact with a doctor.
Prescribing without seeing someone is championed by the NHS, not the private doctors.

https://people.com/oprah-winfrey-reveals-weight-loss-medication-exclusive-8414552

Interesting article about Oprah. She doesn't take it constantly by the sounds of it but comes on and off it as needed eg taking it before thanksgiving. I don't see the NHS being able to be flexible like that but hopefully the price will come down when generics are available and maybe one day it will be available otc.

@ObsidianTree I hope it works for you! I guess I struggle to understand the yo-yo-ing. If it's about getting disheartened when results aren't apparent quickly then that's an unrealistic attitude to life in general imo. I do the recommended minimum exercise and I don't really notice much effect from it but I do it because it's good for me. But with dieting it's not just lack of effect because people diet and lose weight and then put it all back on. Surely it should work in the reverse? When you start to see the scales creeping up you cut back a little.

There is definitely bias against obesity and being overweight and tbh I don't think I'll ever understand it properly. I love (and will binge on) coca cola, sweets and donuts if I buy them but when I'm in the shops I just don't buy them and that is the end of it.

most rugby players are in the obese category....

they are not.

it's a myth being peddled on weightloss/bmi threads.

most are in the so called healthy bmi range. and even if they are not the extra weight takes a strain on their cardiovascular system and metabolism.

i beg to differ... husband is a rugby player... most of his teams mates are in the obese bracket.

BMI is an outdated and rediculous measuring system but its a system the UK still uses

all boxers are obese.... according to the BMI scale. my 22 year old daughter who is skinny on the BMI scale is obese, because she is exceptionally tall..

BMI is ok for about 80% of the population, but with everything, theres always an exception to the rule

For me, and many others that I know taking these, this medicine gives us the time and space to work out the psychology behind our weight. The reduction in food noise has given me time to really question and understand how I have let myself get so overweight, to examine my diet and work out what a healthy plate looks like and what a healthy lifestyle is.
It is a miracle drug, not because you magically lose weight without dieting, but because it gives you space and time to properly get your head right.

I agree it's sinister if you look at the bigger picture. Food companies with teams of scientists working on how to make ultra processed food as addictive as possible, the properties of which are making us fat and ill. Then along comes a drug company with a solution. Both companies profiting hugely. It's ridiculous

I actually agree with this, but I don't then blame the overweight and obese (the majority of us) seeking a solution to this problem. It is very very hard to eat healthily in this country, we don't have a great record of fresh fruit and veg, it's expensive and even 'clean' eaters will have a hard time finding meat and basic products that aren't artificially grown even if they are not then processed afterwards.

It is ridiculous, but the people taking Ozempic aren't ridiculous, they are trying to deal with the fall out of the food industry.

Amazing progress, well done! And so indicative of the journey so many of us are on - I'm hardly spending £200 a month and then still stuffing myself with crap just in lower quantities! I'm doing the work, exercise, diet, self examination and understanding, and I'm able to do it because the injections give me headroom to.

I think they can be a useful tool for some people. As a last resort and when properly prescribed.

Totally terrifying that huge swathes of people who aren't obese are using them to assist disordered eating / untenable body ideals.

I think if people are using the time with no "food noise" to work out the psychological reasons behind their relationship with food and if they are making lifestyle changes, then it could work out long term and I wish them every success. You seem to fall into this category.

Some people though do seem to see it as the drug has "fixed" them and I don't agree with that. I think it has just masked the problem while they are taking it.

Oh come on 🙄 You think a GLP-1 medication is more dangerous than methamphetamines? Really?
Many commonly used drugs have rare side effects like the ones you listed. And potential side effects should absolutely be a consideration when deciding if you want to take these drugs or not. There are risks with so many things in life. The risks of untreated obesity are higher, hence why many choose the medication.

What are you trying to achieve with this? Move on.

Apparently I upset someone by correcting incorrect information.
I apologise.

I would implore everyone on this thread, whichever side of the coin you sit, to read ’Why we eat (too much)’. It is an extremely well-researched and sound analysis of the causes of obesity.

It’s only £6 on Kindle or free as an Audiobook on Spotify Premium.

I promise you will at least learn something and, hopefully, you might change your view on why a large numbers of people struggle to stay a healthy weight.

“It becomes interesting when we look at the trade offs in not having to fund other obesity related illnesses.”

• *There are no illnesses that only obese people get.

I’m starting Ozempic this week, it’s being privately prescribed by my dr. I’m doing a full medical and the practice dietitian will be monitoring it monthly and prescribing a diet to help avoid stomach upsets and the most common problems. Not everyone is buying it online and doing DIY. I’m mid 50s and menopausal and need to lose 10kg. My dr fully supports it provided it is done sensibly and slowly.

That isn’t what an obesity related illness means.

Obesity raises your risk of a number of conditions, cancer, diabetes, high BP, strokes, pregnancy complications, dvt, heart disease, sleep apnea, gallbladder issues, high cholesterol. If the population as a whole are slimmer there will be less people with those conditions. That’s what it means.

Raises your risk? But doesn’t cause. And even if it it did, there’s no guarantee that weight loss reverses those things.

I have had appetite suppressants in the past through private clinics. I can assure you as soon as you stop taking them the weight comes back on.

It's pretty well established that being overweight and certainly obese (especially if it's abdominal centred) significantly increases your risk of a range of illnesses that come under the metabolic syndrome (e.g. hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes etc) and raises the risks for a number of illnesses such as stroke, heart disease, cancer etc.

Not all obese people have symptoms of metabolic disease but many do, in fact many overweight (below obesity level) do and it is often the first stage of this trajectory.

Certain groups e.g. Asians can be 'slim' but with metabolic syndrome, as they have fat around internal organs but not always evident to see from 'the outside'.
Having an apple shape is worse than being pear shaped for example.