Why are many severely overweight people not using GLP-1 treatments?

[Donteatmychips]

Just a pondering when I was on a day out yesterday. I know of course that there is an economic cost to GLP1s, but is there really really any excuse to such widespread obesity these days? I was walking around a seaside town and a National Trust property, and I would say a good half of those around were still large. I understand they are not that easily prescribed on the NHS, but I believe you can shop around and find deals from various online pharmacies. Is it just more that people don’t want to?

For full disclosure, I am on a GLP1 that I acquired elsewhere by walking into a pharmacy and just asking for it. Yes, it cost a lot of money and I know I am lucky to be in a position to have done that. I fought being on one for a long time and it’s not a magic bullet, but it does help and I’m grateful for that.

I know that modern versions of obesity are skewed, but I am talking really about people maybe 250lbs or over now, not just a stone to lose.

Wow.
I had no idea.
I thought this stuff basically cancels appetite
(like anxiety or so).
Sorry you had such awful experience.

I applied online to a UK pharmacy. You can apply online to a lot of UK online pharmacies. You just have to tick a few boxes and upload a photo of your weight on a weighing scales.

A lot of people fake their weight photo to get approved. i didn't fake my weight.

But there are lots of stories of people that do. These people's weights are not checked face to face.

People lie to get all kinds of medications they don't need. I know people who lie to the doctor to get anti-anxiety medications and painkillers, for example.

The fact that people lie to obtain drugs is on them.

Exactly, it's an odd 'gotcha'. Medication prescribed to treat a condition stops working when it's no longer taken?

As I said I regained in excess of 7 stone v quickly - no WLI involved. I think I would absolutely regain the weight if I stopped these jabs, so I have no real intention of doing so, it's working for me and if I have to remain on a maintenance dose, so be it. I anticipate it getting cheaper in years to come, but if it didn't, it would still be worth it (for me)

@curlywurly1111 , yes me too. I still had to go through a comprehensive medical questionnaire online. I completed it honestly and read all the guidance. The injections are issued with a booklet of side effect warnings as well, which I took the time to read. People lie about all sorts! I'm not sure what your point is there.

When I was thinking about taking it, someone I know actually did try to warn me about taking it. She said that she had become severely ill on it. I thought that her experience was probably a one off.

I was sucked in by all the miracle drug marketing. Its only after I took it myself and became sick that I did a bit more research.

If the drug is only meant to be for people over a certain weight, why does a pharmacist not check that person's weight face to face, before prescribing?

Online, people will obviouslt lie about their weight

@curlywurly1111 beat you to it. Of course people will lie. Although I've never had to 'just' send a photo of a weight on a scale. I've had to send full body photos holding a piece of paper with the date. Appreciate not all pharmacies will be so scrupulous.

True, but other methods don't involve costly medications with potentially severe side effects being taken for life.

What are you failing to understand about people lying being their own fault?

That doesn't make the drug good/bad.

Morphine is incredibly useful when needed. Not when obtained via deception.

I can order pretty much any drug I want to, legal or illegal, in a few clicks, should I wish to do so, so I'm not sure how this is any kind of argument, really.

If people want to lie and risk their health, it doesn't mean the medication is bad or that it shouldn't be prescribed, and actually, making it as simple as possible for people to get (if they qualify) is only a good thing for them and the NHS.

Could not agree more.

I thought that it’s available on the NHS for those that qualify (and therefore costs the same as a prescription c. £9)?

I have a friend who's getting Mounjaro on the NHS, but he's part of a trial group.

He'd already lost a great deal of weight but was stuck, which was why he agreed to the trial. He and the rest of the group go to regular meetings where diet and exercise are discussed, but he had already taken all that on board.

He tells me that he's a bit frustrated, however, that his GP wants him to increase his dose (presumably in keeping with the trial protocol). He's not keen - he's very happy with the rate at which he's losing and he's no longer diabetic. Plus any time he's increased the dose he's had gastric symptoms (which eventually resolved).

He tells me that he'd rather keep on the dose that he's on and then stop once he's down to his goal weight.

I'm wondering whether the fact that this trial exists means that the NHS is considering making it available to more people.

Indeed. And those other methods are consequently less effective than a prescription medication approach. So it's a benefits versus risk decision as with any decision to take a prescription medication.

Potentially severe side effects are rare, despite the alarmist comments that you often see posted on threads like these. The potentially severe side effects of obesity, particularly significant or morbid obesity, are many and much more common. There is no neutral position for people who are already obese.

I really don't want to mess around with another drug that already people are saying you need to take forever to maintain the effect. I'm already taking HRT, I started on antidepressants 12 years ago and I have never been able to stop them due to the side effects when I stop (and the complete uninterest from the medical profession about that). The weight increase after stopping GLP-1 sounds even faster than with normal diets for many, I would not be surprised if they find out in a few years that it does change your metabolism even after you stop them. And I don't think that changing my BMI from 32 to 25 would change my life, it didn't seem much different last time I was at 25, as I'm quite tall I was still bigger than all the tiny people, and I think I was at my lightest when I needed the antidepressants.

Because the side effects are not worth it.

Any medication that you can get off the internet needs a certain level of intelligence - yes.

Anyone will lower intelligence should have it explained in person by a doctor and for them to fully grasp what they’re putting into their bodies before being prescribed it.

Surely that is just common sense?
It’s concerning that anyone would think otherwise.

Has it occurred to you, op, that some people you saw could be using a weight loss drug but still have some weight to lose? Its not an overnight miracle cure

In any event, its not your business

@Tacohill who do you propose should determine intelligence levels and how?

"those that qualify" is a very small number of people at the moment. The first tranche of people need a BMI of 40 or higher, plus 4 out of 5 specific serious weight related health conditions (T2 diabetes, high BP, obstructive sleep apnoea, high cholesterol, heart disease). That's very few people in reality.

You honestly think everyone gets every medication explained to them in detail by their doctor? Because I've never had more than "take X per day" and then been sent on my way TBH.

Most providers send out emails and leaflets explaining it all to you in detail, and many offer coaching or talk you through it all on a video call, too.

I'm sure you'll come on here talking about people who can't read or some such, but then they would hardly be able to order online either, right?

I agree, but that doesn't mean that lifelong commitment and the potential side effects are not valid reasons for people not wanting to take them.

If you want to take them, and you find the side effects manageable, cool. I'm happy for you.

It still doesn't mean every obese person can take them (prior medical conditions can exclude people), or should have to take them to avoid judgment from people like OP, despite the side effects and financial commitment.

Even out? They are £300. I don’t spend that on one persons share of food, toiletries AND cleaning supplies in a month.
do you really think most people have a spare £300 a month.
also you are assuming that all these obese people you see aren’t already on them, how do you know?

I’m not sure tbh.

But there is a reason why these injections are becoming increasingly more difficult to get because people like OP and some other posters are taking them and not realising that there is a chance of side effects.

That’s a very scary notion that there are people putting things in their body that they know very little about and are unable to know what side effects are normal and which ones need medical attention.

This is because people like OP fat shame and make people believe that it is better to take a medication that they have done no research on or don’t have the cognitive ability to understand the facts but they still believe that is a better option then being overweight.