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.

Exactly! It appears that being the perfect size doesn’t make you an empathetic person 🤣

Yes, exactly 💯 this. If only we were all so perfect, could find time to work out 6 days a week, work full time, run a home, use medication without worrying about how it might affect preexisting conditions or the side effects, and after all that, get to size 8 and think it's as easy for everyone else.

Oh wait, hold on. It's not.😐😵‍💫😬

Yes ppl should shit themselves and leave a Cat one hazard everywhere to please people like you I have bowel issues so cant take this stuff.

Being slim doesnt stop people including blokes from treating you like shit either. A read of the Relationships board proves it

I can afford them but I don't like the ide of being on weight control meds for life

Is this a social pressure though? It’s literally just one persons opinion on the internet. The noise from anti WLI people is overwhelming too but I choose to take them becuase I trust my own decision making process, I would say it’s annoying but wouldn’t say it’s pressuring me to change my decision because I don’t know them.

There should be no expectation or pressure to take a prescription medication, nor should anyone feel sad if people choose not to take them. There are rare but serious side effects, and discussed, and each person has to decide for themselves if they are happy with the (very small but not zero) risk of that.

Did I insult you?
It is getting attention because that is what the post is about.

No, I’ve just double checked and I didn’t say you did insult me. I quite clearly said the ‘insults posted earlier’, no mention of you.

I’m not talking about attention on this specific post, I’d have thought that was obvious. But to clarify - the sheer number of posts on WLI in general, on MN and elsewhere. Almost always responded to in large part by people who will openly say they have no interest in taking them, but still want to make the point that people are lazy/stupid/ignorant for wanting to take them. No posts berating or showing concern for the use of identical medications for Diabetes, smoking cessation medication, medication for alcohol withdrawals etc.

And yes, I concede that WLIs are hugely publicised so likely to be discussed more. But I just find it so odd that people who have no interest in using them, are so invested in the side effects.

Why did you change my words. Ie from scared to lazy?

I do feel lucky, I didn’t have any fear, i read up,I spoke to my gp, I knew I could stop and given week, I could afford them. Clearly I’m not talking about people who are contra indicated. But those who can afford and are not contra indicated.

to chose to live with a condition that will kill you. When you can afford the meds, but are too scared to take them, is really sad.

obesity is not benign, it is a fatal disease. The most fatal. It is the number one cause of cancer in non smokers. The second largest cause of cancer in smokers. Smoking being the first. People die from heart attacks, strokes, etc due to it, the impact of obesity is fatality for most. It’s death.

and very few are fat through choice. No one takes the drugs as a first resort. Myself, like all obese people tried everything else first. And failed. Causing utter fucking misery. The drugs have allowed me my health back. My blood test results prove it. I’m off the harsh blood pressure meds, my sleep apnea gone,

so to have a life saving prescription med available to you, ie not contra indicated, to be able to afford it, and to not take it due to utter fear, fear of side effects or long term unknown risks or lumpy boobs, or shitting yourself, is utterly tragic. Because it’s not like anyone chosing not to take them out of fear is likely to become a healthy weight and maintain it. In fact it’s overwhelmingly likely they can’t.

so they are chosing a life limiting disease over a prescription med due to fear. Because that’s what’s being posted. Poster after poster, of these potential risks and so they chose the life limiting disease instead, which is fear preventing them accessing a presciription med that can give them their health back.

@Firesidechatter the thing is though, people have different tolerances for fear and for concern. If their obesity is not yet causing them any obvious health issues, nor affecting their daily life much, then the status quo is going to be more appealing. Even though it’s known that the status quo when obese is not a neutral position. People may yet get to the point where that position changes and they choose to take WLI and I don’t think it’s for anyone else to tell them when they should make that decision, if at all.

I was miserable and basically just constantly really angry at myself for being morbidly obese, and that was the eventual tipping point to make the decision to try Mounjaro, when there was a specific incident in my life that made me even more miserable and angry. People have the right to make those decisions themselves, no one else should expect them to or be disappointed if they don’t.

I agree with much of your description, except for me the level of interest shown isn't odd. If anything it makes a lot of sense given the societal context surrounding weight, dieting, food, nutrition, shame and the entire issue. Those factors affect everyone, not just obese people, and WLIs are turning the entire social infrastructure around them upside down. There isn't really an equivalent for any other type of medication. So I can see how a group of people who genuinely don't want to take them but still feel strongly enough to share their opinions have come into being.

Obviously that's not to defend some of the more idiotic, spiteful or doth protest too much contributions, but there's often a form of logic to them when placed in context.

Maybe they don’t want to put into their body something that the long term effects and side effects of are a complete unknown. Well done for being a guinea pig though OP. And 10/10 for goadiness.

@Firesidechatter I changed it from your experience of weight loss, which suited you, which you found easy, to mine, which suited me, which I found easy, to demonstrate that people are all different. I could have used fear, but what fears would people have around running?

What worked for me didn't work for you. What worked for you couldn't work for me because I'm not allowed to use WLI.

The symptoms you find tolerable might not be tolerable to a nurse who works 12-16-hour shifts and can't manage the nausea or risk diarrhea in the middle of her shift.

The fears of long-term implications you find manageable might not be manageable to someone living with the results of long-term effects from other "harmless" medications that were damaging to them.

Do you see where I am going with this?

We are all different. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to health and weight loss.

edited to say I don't think people who do not run/exercise are lazy, btw. I understand that people have time and health constraints, and some people just don't enjoy it, that's fine. No judgment here.

I was just trying to think of a good response to that post but you nailed it.

It doesn’t work for everyone though

Yes this is fair and a valid point.

@Frequency , yes I can see what you’re saying.

I’m not sure I agree with some of the wording in the post you’re replying to. But the premise I agree with, if people keep up the fear mongering, it may prevent people who could’ve successful on WLI from accessing them due to misplaced fear. It’s very different saying “fyi some people have experienced x y z” and “you’re lazy, you’ll shit yourself, you’ll look like Sharon Osborne”

Yes it won’t work for everyone, but largely it does work for people using it correctly (in terms of actually losing weight, not whether or not they experience side effects)

I have been in 15mg Mounjaro and I’m still waiting for my weight to drop so it’s not a magic bullet,

People should be intelligent enough to read up.

Turns out that pumping yourself with it isn’t the miracle for everyone.

Are you just on repeat regardless of what you’re replying to?

im not suggesting people shouldn’t be able to read up, not am I suggesting that’s the case. But your logic doesn’t follow. If you think people should be intelligent enough to read up, what’s the need to keep trying to inform people of the side effects? Let them decide, if it’s going to poison them -what skin is it off your nose?

I’ve also not seen a single user of WLIs here say that it’s a miracle for everyone 🤷‍♂️

I actually agree with you. Weight is a huge topic, particularly for women, and these medications are a huge advancement in medical science, it is the first thing to successfully and safely reverse obesity and to also bring other benefits, ie improved cardio vascular health, curing or reducing kidney and liver disease etc. it’s enormous and I for one don’t know of any drug which has had such a major major impact on the health of all countries with a functioning health care system, as so many are overweight or obese globally and the cost to life and health care systems is eye watering due to it.

think of all tne money we will free up when we reverse obesity rates, all the money we can reduce spending on ,,diabetes, cancer, fatty liver, heart attack stroke, joint replacement, it’s a huge list. And thay money can then be invested elsewhere, be it other health care issues, that need funding to schools or police.

The cost of obesity to the nhs is 6.5 billion annually. Estimated to raise to 11 billion if we don’t start reversing that now. Right now it costs us more than the police fire service and judicial system combined.

the cost to society. Is over 70 billion, in terms of sickness.

reversing obesity and what these drugs will ultimately do is way more than quality of life for the individual, it will save us billions each year we can spend elsewhere, and the USA has already started to see their obesity rates reverse. For the first time in a very long time.

@MoonWoman69 why is curiosity judgy? I believe that they define differently

US starting to curb their obesity rates is such huge news. It's the only case I'm aware of where a country has done that outside of food shortage situations. I hope we can follow soon, once access improves.

You know people exist outside Mumsnet, right?

It is seen as the absolute answer to everything,

I haven’t mentioned side effects. I said it isn’t working for me. I’m not warning them that it will do any harm. Can you see the difference?

Unless you are the thread police, I am entitled to post what I want within the guidelines.