All these weight loss drugs... surely we are heading towards disaster?

[shellswirl]

So as we all know there are various weight loss drugs that have become very popular in recent months.

It seems like the whole of Hollywood is using it.

Even regular people are spending huge amounts of money on it from online pharmacies.

I get that these drugs might be useful for certain people with real medical conditions, but really a lot of people are using it as a quick fix to be thin.

With no consideration to side effects or future health. And without thinking about what happens when you stop it?

Surely the best way to lose weight involves no drugs. No fad diets. But exercising more, moving more, eating a balanced diet. Retraining your brain and finding food and exercise you enjoy.

I say this as an overweight person too! Surely there are other ways.

If every other person is taking these drugs won't there be a huge pool of people to monitor side effects etc?

Aibu to say the whole thing makes me feel very uneasy.

Im abit iffy on it TBH...
On the one hand if someone is clinically obese and at risk of an early death then it does seem like a no brainer to take it.
However I dont think it has alot of long term research in terms of weight loss, all the longer term studies are more diabetes related.
SO I suppose we will know in 10 yrs if its a miracle cure or if there are too many worrying side effects.

I don't think it's hate but I also don't think it makes sense to a lot of people. Not to pick on one particular poster but she said she had been 'on a diet' for 20 years or something like that but now she is taking WLD, eating less and eating healthy, not eating tons of crisps and she is losing weight. It's clear from that that she wasn't on a diet for 20 years. She is now eating a normal diet but what she was doing previously wasn't a normal diet or she would have lost weight over the 20 years she was claiming to being doing that for.

Something is being lost in translation if someone can genuinely think they have spent 20 years dieting but it didn't work and now be eating a normal diet and it is working and for them to really not see that the problem before was that they weren't eating a normal diet?

As with any medication there are risk/benefit assessments to be made and each one is user specific take the covid vaccine in 20 years that might turn out to be a complete disaster but you work with the information you have at the time and make a decision based on what you know.

Well that's odd becuase my Diabetes Consultant is currently assessing me for suitability of Mounjaro to assist in bringing my Blood Sugar down.

Shall I tell him that some random off Mumsnet said it's not suitable?

I have literally just got right thought to the payment page for Saxenda from pharmacyonline - with a bunch of made up responses. No need to consult with GP or upload a photo.

It took about 3 minutes and would be with me in 5-10 working days (shortages).

You can get this through low carb/keto, without having to take drugs.

Why is it okay if a doctor says take it Vs a large person opting to take it?

Surely by your logic OP that's just cheating a bit and cheating a lot?

I think it is very naive to think that young slim girls with weight issues won't be able to get photos somewhere of someone to provide for an online dr or fill out a questionnaire. I really do think there needs to be another link in the chain for example pharmacist weighing you and having to provide photo ID.

I didn't need to upload a photo to pharmacyonline - it suggested I did, that's all.

I have absolutely no idea what drug you refer to BUT to say ‘oh surely exercising more and eating less is the key’ is very patronising!
There are lots of people out there who can’t ‘just’ move more and eat less for various reasons and the key for them is to loose the weight then maintain it with exercise and diet.
I’m now of an age where loosing weight is very slow and is hard work, it’s demoralising stepping on the scales after a week on salad and chicken and walking and swimming and only loosing 1/2 lb or staying the same!
I’d probably take a pill if it sped up my metabolism naturally.

I said diabetics. Why would you think a diabetic would be prescribed this stuff out of interest? Answers right there in your post.

Exactly this. I know people on these drugs at the moment and they still have to work hard with diet and exercise. They aren't eating pizzas every night and losing 1 stone a week. I have a medical condition that affects my weight, I reduce my calories, eat better and move more and my weight barely changes, it's extremely frustrating. I can see why some people would want to try these drugs and its up to them if they are worries about side effects or not.

@PearlKoala that was me I haven’t ever eaten a tonne of crisps but I would like to eat a pack every now and again. I have tried every diet going starting with weight watchers at 15 and I have been on every diet there is since then. Yes I lose the weight but I don’t lose the desire to eat so I put it back on because it’s not sustainable to be deprived for so long. The medication doesn’t allow my body to feel hungry therefore I don’t feel deprived so instead of eating whatever is quick to sate the desire I can make conscious choices which are mainly healthy one (because I’m trying to lose weight). my relationship with food is highly emotional and isn’t as simple as fuel for an engine and as such so is my reaction to no food. Im so sick of yo-yoing and thinking about every thing I eat in terms of good and bad

You don't need to upload a photo... there are no checks.
Personally I am a huge fan of Wegovy. I have lost a stone in 4 months.

Oooh well done @CactusMactus

It’s medication. Obesity related illnesses are killing thousands of people, why not take a safe, tested medication to help prevent that?

Yes, well, let the overweight people knock themselves out.
Surely there are other ways, but hey, even with the risk of death, this is easy and doesn't require self discipline.

I don’t want to be thin I want to be healthy although I don’t have serious health issues because of my weight it does affect my health both physical and mental.

@GingerPirate well at least we won’t be draining the NHS eh. How judgemental you are. I didn’t NEED IVF but I had it even with the risk of death but hey because you don’t approve

People act like there's just one type of fat person. Someone stupid, poor or lazy who either doesn't know what's good for them or who can't be arsed. What about the many many other fat people in the world? Fat doctors, solicitors, ex sports professionals, millionaires? Why can they not lose weight?
They have the education, money, time etc right? If all us poor fatties need to do is learn to read a label, meal plan and move more than what's their excuse?
Hormones! Most research is showing now that move more, eat less is largely bollocks and that it is statistically harder for those who have been significantly overweight for a substantial amount of time to lose weight and keep it off?
Why do we just keep labelling these people as just less motivated than others? Why aren't we using logic?
There are many biological reasons why some put on weight easily, why some people feel hungry more often, why that feeling is more intense to some people, why they can't lose weight easily.
If you look at some of the pacific islands where New Zealand starting dumping excess fatty foods, you can see UNIVERSAL weight gain. There are genetic reasons why we put on weight and find it difficult to lose. It's not being lazy and stupid.

Oh ok so it turns out the needing a gp thing is bollocks. You can just fake stuff online?! Yeah young/wrong people are going to abuse the system. I disagree with it even more now I know you can just get it online that quickly and easily

.

Even so, actual clinical trials have not gone on beyond two years. And even less so for use as a weightloss medication.

@InsomniacA

very interesting post! I wonder whether there may be effects from toxic waste build up? If food is not passing through the digestive tract at a ‘normal’ pace, this might be a possibility , food might also be being processed differently as enzymes have longer to work.

Of course this may not be the case at all, but I am surprised that it doesn’t seem to be discussed ( at least in public). In the 18th century there was a fashion for ‘reducing’ by taking laxatives. That didn’t last very long.

Thank you for the info I wasn’t aware of that. I’m not going to stop using it regardless of what anyone says. Mainly because I’m an adult it’s my body and therefore my choice . Maybe it will work maybe it won’t but it’s not your risk to take it’s mine.