Labour should invest in weight loss medications immediately

[HowToSaveTheNHS]

AIBU to think the Labour government should seriously consider rolling out weight loss drugs to the obese population, to tackle obesity, diabetes and cut NHS waiting lists? Traditional public health measures to tackle obesity are not working.

We spend so much money treating disease associated with obesity and it’s only going to get worse as increasing numbers of people are living for decades with multiple health conditions associated with obesity. Even dementia’s leading cause is Type 2 diabetes.

Looking at the Mounjaro thread on here, huge numbers of Mumsnetters are successfully losing weight and improving their health. But people on lower incomes won’t have access because the drugs are expensive.

A course of drugs for a year will surely be money well spent if we can reduce heart disease/ diabetes/ dementia/ cancer etc… even hypertension.

@CollyBobble not an outside gym near me for 20 miles or more, another assumption as you have some in your area. Those that are out to work 8-6 then have young family no support maybe cannot get out so easily to walk, again you do not know everyones story or situation, people comfort eat sometimes for many reasons mh being one of them. Those who do sports cost the nhs, should they be charged in a&e, where do you draw the line. I an slightly overweight since menopause , i go to the drs once every couple years . I cost the nhs very little. Perfect blood pressure etc My friend is very skinny , eating disorders throughout her life, caused in part by some peoples comments, has multiple health issues and on medication due to poor diet. People really need to think and look at the bigger picture rather than just accuse people of being greedy and therefore not deserved of treatment. Anyone deserves help and treatment no matter what the cause of their ailment , just basic human right.

You can’t get anymore help in learning to cook than right now. My daughter taught herself from YouTube. I think there’s way too many excuses for weight gain when you don’t need to buy expensive food to lose. Less fishfingers, a swap to a jacket spud and a plate full of veg is filling.

@MultiplaLight have you ever been on a diet? Do you onow hoe hard it can be? Imagine being someone that needs to eat 1300 calories all the time just to maintain? When most can eat more than that. Do you think people who are suffer from eating disorders is a choice?

@Zanatdy why did your daughter need to use you tube and you hadn’t shown her, as you know its so easy ?

I literally eat 1200 to maintain a bmi of 25 so not exactly a skinny mini with no experience.

Eating disorders should be treated separately. Not under the umbrella of every obese person has a disorder, they don't.

I walk up and down my living room to get my steps in. There are ways in which people can help weight loss, you don’t need a gym or expensive equipment. Plenty of YouTube videos you can do when kids in bed. If people are too tired I get that. But there are ways people can burn off more calories without even leaving their living room. Doing my indoor steps burns a few hundred calories for me and is the reason I lose. I do walk outdoors too but often do a few thousand steps indoors watching TV or browsing the web. You can also get those small treadmills that pop under the sofa, there’s even people on Tiktok 3 times a day so you can do 20 mins a day with them from your living room. So many options, if people choose not to take them that’s different to being no options,

Taxing people more will make the problem worse as poverty is linked with obesity in the UK. Unless you mean taxing upfs? I still think any money is better spend subsidising healthy food.

Because she chose to learn from YouTube. I taught my son to cook before Uni, my daughter has already learnt before I needed to teach her. Her choice to use YouTube, it was for food I don’t tend to cook. It’s called choice

@Zanatdy so your few steps indoors burn couple hundred calories , thats good going as an hour in the gym yesterday and I only burnt just over 200 calories.
so much more complex for many people than just some you tube videos. People in poverty are much more likely to be obese and simple you tube video won’t fix that. The shear lack of understanding on here is compounding , just because its easy for you , other people have differebr barriers

@MultiplaLight but many do or at least an unhealthy relationshio with food and a whole mindset change is needed. I have been to enough sw & ww classes over the years to learn why many people turn to food or are overweight and there are a huge amount of reasons and very few just about gluttony.

TBH yes, I believe lots of obese people know how to improve their health and well being but don’t want to make the effort.

Don't think I've said it is gluttony.

Weight loss drugs aren't the answer imo.

The reasons people over eat need sorting, not the end result.

Wow! This is amazing. Thank you for sharing

Who said few? I do 5k indoors before I start work, and more in the evening. Walking 15k steps a days burns me a good few hundred more calories than no exercise. There are ways to lose weight no matter what, if people don’t use them that’s a different matter. There’s a lot of education out there now with the internet, plenty of videos on social media to explain weight loss. People have more knowledge at their finger tips than ever before

The main reason people overeat is because their body is driving them to do so- the drugs are the solution as they affect the hunger hormones and reduce food seeking urges. If you’re not obese you don’t have these incredible urges. Only when you’re obese and your hormones disregulated does it get to this stage. I’m sorry but you do not understand the struggle obese people experience- there is plenty research published on these hormone effects. It’s why these drugs have been developed for obesity.

Read through a lot of these replies, I would say that most people are about 20 + years out of date when it comes to obesity research. The ignorance around obesity which is a recognised medical condition is astounding!

You don’t naturally feel less hungry if you have leptin resistance. You feel constant hunger. You can eat a meal and an hour later you feel hungry. Your brain is not responding to the “ hunger off” signal that your fat stores are sending.

You're absolutely right. Obesity is the only visible 'failing' that I can think of. Almost every other 'failing' that involves lifestyle choices/issues regarding mental health/diseases/disorders/conditions etc, etc, is invisible. Hence why obesity gets all the judgement. But some on this thread are just not educated/intelligent/open minded enough to use their critical thinking skills.

I put 'failing' in inverted commas for obvious reasons

From this thread one can learn that:

1. weight gain has nothing to do with food intake
2. but we live in an obesogenic society and government should ban upf and make healthy food cheaper
3. yet weight gain has nothing to do with food intake
4. around perimenopause and menopause extra weight appears by magic

No, weight loss drugs are all a gimmick, a scam. They don't work. The less weight loss drugs are pushed, the better.

YABU and I'm fat and on a low income. It's my responsibility to lose weight, not anyone else's.

You must have an enormous house! 😂

I live in a 2 bed flat!

Yes, menopause can cause weight gain, so you have learnt something valuable there that will hopefully help you.

The amount of calories you need to maintain weight reduces dramatically. Unless you know that then you might continue eating the same and exercising the same as before, which may lead to weight gain that is very hard to shift.

I suggest you tell that to NICE as the appear to have been taken in by a bunch of scammers and are recommending that they can be prescribed for weight loss. — bloody experts what do they know.
Here is on example of their advice to the NHS, I suggest you contact them immediately with your peer reviewed research and point out the error of their ways.
https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/nice-recommends-new-drug-for-people-living-with-obesity