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.

For me my health conditions have contributed to a massive weight gain over the past two years and I've been left mainly housebound (I will admit my diet hasnt been perfect either). Those same health conditions mean I can't use any weight loss injections either as it would be too dangerous.

I'm beginning to feel a little better after a very rough ride so I'm trying to very slowly gain a better relationship with food and attending a rehabilitation center which will help me gain back some independence. Slow and steady wins the race. Not everyone can just take these injections.

I will fully apologise in that case! I think I saved no more than £50, if that, when I was on them. No where close to the cost of the jabs.

@WallaceinAnderland of course I have. It seems you have not

Really sick of these endless pious GLP evangelists. None so pious as the reformed sinner.
And I am not obese.
People are allowed to make their own decisions.

My friend takes moujarno, I in my slimness have just been prescribed heart meds caused by my genetic disposition. My friends reply was how unfair you have always been such a skinny bitch, thanks mate. So whilst I’m slim I’m not as healthy as I should be due to genetics. I have never been overweight in my life nor smoked and I barely drink alcohol. Really unless you have blood tests and others gets you don’t know what’s going on inside, my tubby mate is probably healthier than me. She pays for her meds and is doing it all as sensibly as possible.

Money, side effects, don't like needles

Just to add, we’ve both lost multiple stones on the lowest dose 2.5mg. Even if we didn’t split doses the cost would be around £180 each, total £360. Food saving £300. So net cost £60 a month for two.

I used them for a few months but stopped because I'm scared of the side effects. I don't want my hair falling out etc.

To all the people saying money, when I was on them it cost me less than all the junk food and snacks I eat cost. You don't get overweight by eating beans on toast

Surely you are aware that there are huge numbers of overweight people who can’t take weight loss jabs?

@Donteatmychips Judgey people, like you are coming across as, really don't help people either. It's absolutely nothing to do with you what people do or don't weigh. Concentrate on your own business!

FWIW, I am against non-prescribed WLIs, always have, been always will be. Nothing will convince me otherwise.
Nobody should be able to access them unless they have been prescribed by their own GP.
I've lost 7 stones by watching what I'm eating, making sensible choices and moving more. I'm still in no way slim, but I'm happier and more mobile than I ever was. And it's still coming off slowly but surely.
It can be done and unless you have serious mobility or health issues and your doctor has approved it, the jabs should be banned.

I’m not fat enough now as I lost weight another way, but when I looked into doing it for the last stone or so I couldn’t as I have gallstones!

Lots of reasons.
Cost. £300 a month at highest dose is an enormous amount of money for the vast majority of people
Fear of side affects, whether due to expected medical reasons or just potential ones. Maybe they're waiting for longer term studies on effects.
Wanting to not 'cheat'. A lot of people still see it as just losing the weight without doing the work (whether this is accurate or not)
There's stigma. Again, a lot of people see the jabs very negatively.
Maybe they tried them and they didn't work. They don't for everyone.
Or of course, maybe they're happy as they are and just don't want to.

We don't spend £200 extra in the food shop on junk food im fat because I have hypothyroidism, im on steroids and antipsychotics. I was skinny my whole life up until a few years ago and I eat less now then I did then. I use to be able to eat what I wanted and never gained weight

Absolutely right. A friend is on a trial of taking weight loss tablets rather than the injections. She wasn’t obese, just a little overweight. The pharmaceutical company approached her because she is diabetic. She has lost a lot of weight and looks dreadful. She seems to be catching every bug going around and constantly has a cold. She checks in once every 3 months, by phone, with the company. I don’t know if she is declaring all the colds etc that she is getting, but to me it looks like her resistance has decreased. Her type 2 diabetes has reversed and my guess is that’s what the company wants to see. She signed up for 5 years for the trial.

The hair falling out is a symptom of malnutrition, not a direct side-effect of the medication. If your hair is falling out, you are not eating enough, and you need to step back on the medication. As well as not prioritising hair growth, your body will also not be prioritising other essential functions such as bone density, heart health etc.

I'm on a higher dose than that and my blood sugar is stable. My Diabetes Nurse hasn't said anything about it being capped.

I imagine it totally depends on your diet and shopping habits, before and after. I ate a healthy, nutritious diet before but just supplemented with far too many cheesecakes and other treats. So cutting these out has saved £££.

I’m overweight and have no desire to be thin or take a drug with side effects to make me thin.

I mean, besides the fact that I have health issues that mean I cannot take them and it would be advised against taking them as my doctors want me at a stable weight. But just wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.

I am not morbidly obese. I live a healthy lifestyle. I don’t drink or smoke. I don’t diet. I like my body. I wouldn’t want to have a BMI of 23. I’m happy at a 27/28 or whatever I am.

Yeah it's obviously financial. It's about £400 a month isn't it? How many average people have that kind of money spare just knocking about. And will do for a consistent and considerable amount of time? Also they think it'll come back as soon as they stop.

Maybe the NHS aren't giving it out enough? Did they tighten the criteria or something? There's a pill coming out which should make it cheaper and more accessible.

If I was overweight I would definitely want to use them. But I'd have to really cut back majorly on just about everything else to the point my life wouldn't be enjoyable to be able to afford it.

Fat people? At a NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTY! Surely they should be screening them out at the entrance gate?!

You literally answered it yourself- cost. So the thread is really pointless. I'm on them and struggling to afford them.

This. Plus a woman at work takes them and now has a very fucked up attitude to food.

For me - money and risk of side effects. I have a load of autoimmune conditions and don’t want to make anything worse

My obesity is linked to having a psychiatric disorder and the medications I’m on to treat it.

I could probably afford WLIs (although I don’t know about for the rest of my life) but

1. I would be too scared to buy something online and inject it into myself.
2. I don’t know how it would interact with my psychiatric meds
3. I just don’t have the motivation. I don’t really want to lose my appetite. I’m very depressed and food is one of the only comforts I have. Plus, I don’t care what I look like or what other people think about how I look. I lost the weight a few years ago and was very disappointed that nothing drastic happened. I looked the same, just sort of deflated.

I do want to lose weight for my health in general and for my joints. I’ve done it before without WLIs so I think I could probably do that again. I’m very slowly coming out of a major depressive episode and have no energy or motivation atm.
My kidneys have already taken a battering from being on psych meds since I was fourteen. If I can do without going onto more medication, I’d rather try that first.

Some of us are just bloody minded and determined to lose the weight on our own, even if that’s a roller coaster of success and set backs.

I’m in my 60s and down from morbidly obese to ‘merely’ obese.

i know losing more weight will be good for my health, but I have an active life with running, swimming, strength training, so I’m not too concerned how long it takes me.

plus I’d rather save my money for cruises 😄