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.

If that were a requirement I'd never have been allowed it. I couldn't shift more than a couple of lbs here and there without the jabs. I was bmi over 43 with health conditions, some of which were helping to cause the stubborn weight.
I do think there should be a monitoring of how you do whilst taking the drug though. At the moment I'm out on my own and no one to check my health, weight losses or side effects. Having them prescribed even partly on the NHS would give more control and monitoring to the health professionals.

Wow, some very misinformed and really quite old fashioned views being trolled out here.

I do understand the sceptiscm. The diet industry has been promising quick fixes and miracle solutions to weight loss for ever, and we are all just part of that hamster wheel. The idea that there is something that can disrupt that is actually quite subversive.

These "new" drugs are not that new. They have been around and used for 18 years in different ways.

They are NOT a quick fix. People still need to watch what they eat and exercise for them to be effective (contrast with the ridiculous amphetamine type ones of the 70s)

They seem to work by quieting that part of the brain that leads to impulsive eating. Unless you have experienced what is often referred to as "food noise" you will find this hard to relate to. It is a very separate feeling to normal hunger - and almost physiologically hard to resist.

This "food noise" can be triggered by different things - undiagnosed ADHD (sensory and dopamine seeking), adverse childhood experiences, traumatic life events etc)

Once you become "fat" it is almost impossible to lose the weight again. (Post weight loss your daily calorie needs drop by about 20% lower than someone who has never dieted), combine that with the "food noise" and you end up with yo-yo weight.

There is some emerging evidence to show that those who use these semaglutides and able to maintain weight loss - suggesting that they are also helping to reset the bodies set points and metabolism.

But there is also an argument that these will become a long term treatment for some people (not unlike statins or the use of steroid inhalers for asthma)

They are truly going to revolutionise weight loss for many people - and with that the burden on the NHS in terms of future health problems.

We need to see obesity as a medical problem, not a moral failing, and treat accordingly.

So it is, at the end of the day, about food intake.

In the real world animals also eat to excess, humans have been using this mechanism to fatten livestock for centuries, by restricting movement and providing excess feed at the same time. There’s obesity epidemic among pets as well. So it seems that missing or ignoring the satiety signals is the default response, not an anomaly.

Gosh why hasn't someone thought of this???! Its just so easy

@CortieTat I would it’s about the ability to regulate food intake. Once you have gained weight there is an increasing risk you will lose the ability to naturally regulate your food intake and activity levels to ensure you are at a healthy weight.

These new drugs don’t give you a free pass to eat whatever you want but they damp down the disregulation to a point where you can make better choices. There is some evidence to suggest they may help with addictive behaviours like alcoholism and early indications are that they also improve cardiovascular health.

@HowIrresponsible

Wow you're nice.

I do admit, my DC have done less cooking classes than I did at school.

This is exactly what I think. The issue is remarkably similar to smoking with the notable difference that you can’t really give up eating. But the smoking rates have significantly been reduced so there really is something to be learned from this.

I left this thread yesterday as it was infuriating to read the judgemental, shortsighted and extraordinary stupidity within the comments. So pleased to return to see that there is a more nuanced discussion going on (which sounds ridiculously patronising, sorry!)

It's funny how many people know someone who can eat what they like and never gain weight and that's put down to 'luck' or 'good genes' or 'fast metabolism'.

But for those of us who have the exact opposite, a body actively working against us to hold on to fat and make it so difficult to lose weight? We're disgusting, lazy and in need of educating about food and health.

If you have never struggled with obesity (I have, my whole teen/adult life) you'll never understand the drive, on a visceral level, to eat, eat, eat. To satisfy hunger that feels physical, mental and emotional.

I liken it to infertility (which I have also experienced). You would never tell a woman who has a compulsive, obsessive need to have a child to 'just stop thinking about it and go about your day'. But that's what it's like for people with obesity (or at least some) - your compulsion to eat drives you to do so and all the motivation and self control in the world isn't going to stop that.

But these drugs (for me, Mounjaro) stop that carnal drive to eat food, think about food, taste food and allow me to eat 'like a normal person'. A chicken salad sandwich is perfectly satisfying for lunch. A beef stir fry nourishes my body and allows me to enjoy the rest of the evening without thinking about my next meal or mourning the dessert I can't eat because I'm on a diet.

But it's pointless trying to explain this to people who have never experienced it. Either because you don't believe me (i can do it, why can't you?) or because you think I'm getting a 'benefit' you don't get by using these drugs and that's not fair to you.

These drugs would definitely improve the health of this society beyond measure and the sooner they are more widely accessible, the sooner we will all feel the benefit.

I thought I was like you. Then I gave up sugar, trans fats, upfs, alcohol and refined carbs, upping fish, fruit and veg. I saved money at the supermarket and lost two and a half stone over seven months. The hunger spikes and visceral need disappeared in a few days. It took a serious health scare to spur me on.

Every arthritic ache has subsided and my eczema has cleared up.

@RosesAndHellebores I have tried Keto, low carb, paleo, no alcohol etc etc and while I lost weight (this was 2020 and I lost 18kg in 3 months) once I came out of my lockdown bubble and started living my real life again, I couldn't sustain that way of living and I re-gained the weight. I also lost a lot of my hair and it's not yet grown back.

Genuinely, that's great for you if you can live like that for the rest of your life (I AM bring genuine!!) but it's unrealistic for me and probably for most people.

And these drugs give me an alternative to taking those quite extreme measures which are proving very effective and are allowing me to still socialise and share meals prepared by other people without having to impose my restrictions on them or have them cater for my needs.

What's going to happen when I reach a healthy BMI and I can't access this medication anymore, I don't yet know. My private provider has indicated in general terms that they will support a maintenance plan and my NHS GP (I don't get the meds through the NHS) knows I'm taking them and is totally supportive of me doing so.

I hope when the benefits are more widely recognised (and all the myths surrounding these drugs are debunked) the UK will adopt the mindset of the US (and the actual manufacturer of these drugs) that taking them long term is safe and effective when used as part of a healthy lifestyle.

And frankly, I WANT to live a healthy lifestyle. I wish people didn't just assume that all fat or obese people just want to ram McDonalds and donuts down their throats and then take a 'magic pill' to make themselves thin. Do some people want that and want to use the medication to allow them to do so? Sure. Both fat and thin people probably. But speaking for myself and the many, many obese people who have shared their stories about using this medication ( here on MN as well as on other social media platforms and even on Oprah!) we just want to eat healthily and have our bodies react normally to a healthy intake of food and regular exercise.

@YouAreEffluentKim

Spot on 100%

Congratulations on the weight-loss and for the impact on other health conditions.

How long have you maintained that weight-loss? Have you found it straightforward to sustain this way of eating? Is the impact on your health a strong motivation now that you've experienced it?

Is that the same requirement for smoking cessation support and patches?

Agree. Never have I seen so many unpleasant remarks aimed at people who are overweight.

They treat you with dignity to your face…

I work in oncology. We have patients who have developed lung cancer due to smoking; skin cancer due to not using sunscreen; pancreatic cancer or liver cancer due to alcohol abuse; other cancers due to obesity; bowel cancer which is linked to eating too much processed food.

By the time they come to us, all of the lung cancers and all of the pancreatic cancers are too advanced to do anything other than make the patient comfortable and arrange for a bed in the local hospice.

Even if we were cuntish enough to judge these patients with anything less than empathy and dignity, we wouldn't because the people I work with in the NHS understand that shit happens and people aren't the perfect specimens of flowing health and virtuousness that some of you think you are.

These jabs, particularly Wygovy are showing clinical results beyond weight and diabetes (which they were originally licenced for). They are helping with all addictions including smoking, gambling and even nail biting. This is the breakthrough drug of the last 100 years. It helps with Parkinsons and now, they think dementia. We need to invest heavily in this as it it seems to be a magic bullet for so many things. Of course OP is right, obesity and associated problems are also things that need to be addressed and if sorted out would mean a huge cost saving to the NHS. This needs to be on the NICE list and advocated as much as possible.

No. People should take responsibility for their own health

This isn’t true. Helping type-2 diabetics control blood glucose levels is what the manufacturer states the drug is for in the US and it is a primary medication for the disease there. And there have been supply issues with it. Supply issue can be solved, though. It’s a reason for not rushing into a massive roll out, not a reason to avoid using the drug for this purpose forever.

I don’t disagree with the idea of weight loss drugs being easily accessed via the NHS in principle, but there are still some questions about logistics and long term effects that need considering by people who actually know what they’d talking about rather a bunch of MNers.

No. Just eat less and move more.

What's unrealistic or extreme about healthy eating? That's all avoiding things like upfs, added sugar, and trans fats is, just eating normal, natural foods. Having to share unhealthy foods socially isn't going to be a frequent issue for most, at restaurants there are usually healthy choices available.

12 months. The health issue was a huge motivation. Looking better is huge. I know I can't go back!

I'm using Wegovy and paying myself for it - my doctor recommended me to join the waitlist but it was 8 months away.
I take real issue with people's blank statement reasoning why people shouldnt use this medication - I have managed weight over the years but whilst waiting for knee replacement caused by Osteoarthritis I started gaining and couldn't exercise - I am now not needing to have knee replacement as my mobility and pain has been reduced so much from the weightloss. I am using the meds in conjunction with healthy choices - it's not an easy fix - please don't judge everyone as people looking for weightloss fast for that alone

I agree, and making the descision to use weight loss medications to aid with weight loss is a way of taking responsibility for ones own health.

I agree, and weight loss medications are a good way to help people to change their eating patterns.