To think all these weight loss jabs are a bad move?

[Pineconecollector]

I’ve seen so many people recently saying they’re on Mounjaro - someone wrote on Facebook that they were struggling to eat anything at all, hadn't eaten for over 48 hours. Just zero desire to eat anything. Surely that can’t be healthy?

I also know of someone who has lied to an only e pharmacy to get the jab, because her BMI would be considered too low to be prescribed it. She’s wanting to get down to a size 6.

Yes, sure for you that's fair enough, but there will be a lot of younger people taking it too!

exactly this, but as long as people realise there is a risk. If you have a family history of thyroid disease then its something to weigh up with a doctor and discuss which risk is greater

Funnily enough, when I look at other threads, the many women advocating for hrt, never see anyone saying don’t take it, suffer, because it is proven to increase the risk of breast,womb and cervical cancer. Nope. Apparently that’s all ok. What about propanalol and the multitude of other drugs commonly used which increase the risk. That’s ok. Because hey bad menopause symptoms and anxiety is worth th4 risk.

it’s just us fatties who should live with the number one cause of cancer just in case.

Hmm I'm a bit "anti" but only because I don't think it should be available without a face to face assessment and follow ups. It's too open to abuse otherwise. I'm absolutely not "anti" because I don't want other people's weight loss journey (if they actually NEED to lose a significant amount) to be easier.

Can you imagine the cost and logistics of doing that for tens of thousands and ultimately millions of people? To offset a small percentage of people who abuse it.

if people abuse it that’s on them, not for the rest of us to pay for.

@0hshutupshirley would and do you say the same about the myriad of other prescription medication that you can get prescribed from online pharmacies? Or is it something specifically about these medications that is more of an issue than any other?

I'm currently having my BP medication reviewed and altered by the pharmacist at my GP surgery. They have only called me and taken my self reported BP measurements on trust. That's the NHS though, so is that ok?

Au contraire, @DareDevil223 , almost everyone loves reading success stories like yours. I would love reading all that, especially about the weight training (which is my personal bag).

Yeah really anything that's likely to be abused. So HRT - maybe not - weight loss drugs / oxycontin deffo.
And yeah it might cost a lot but I bet it'd still save money because of the cost of obesity on society.

Very well summed up. I agree

Fair enough. I guess paracetamol should be in that category, given the number of deaths each year as a result of paracetamol abuse.

I don't get the argument really. Just because lots of people are obese and would benefit doesn't mean we should just throw the people with eating disorders like anorexia / bulimia to the wolves by allowing them to abuse these drugs. If you're going to take the view that they should just be able to control their issues with food then how come you don't have that view of obesity?

So where is the billions for this new infrastructure coming from in this fantasy world. And how many years do you think It will take to create all rhe buildings required, have the staff in place so millions of people every single week can go and do this face to face, ten? Where will the money come from. Shall we take it from education? Maybe reduce cancer services?

and how will it save the nhs money, when you’d spend more on just doing it.

No one is allowing them to abuse weight loss medications. They would need to commit concerted and involved fraud to access a prescription from a legitimate supplier.

I'm always confused when people say it will cost too much to have face-to-face appointments.

I have to see my GP at least once a year, sometimes more often if I order too many prescriptions, to continue getting my inhalers. If I miss my required check-ups they refuse to prescribe a medication that literally keeps me alive, not just lowers the risk of me maybe dying, like anti-obesity drugs, without them I would die.

They have far fewer side effects than the jabs and are almost impossible to OD on but I have to see my GP for checkups and tests regularly or I am not allowed the medication. It's the same for many other life-saving medications such as epilepsy and heart medication but weight loss jabs should be fine to prescribe online without ever seeing the patient in person? I don't get it.

I mean we are allowing it, surely, if they aren't seen. That's why you can't just order controlled drugs like morphine online. Because of the potential for abuse.
Why don't we just trust people not to commit fraud and order their pain meds online too?

@0hshutupshirley I am not sure what the effect is going to be on people with eating disorders, the reason I say that is because it seems obvious they are going to be abused by some, but interestingly, most eating disorders have a very compulsive component and are more common with other psychiatric conditions and neurodiversity (a lot of autistic people in ED clinics)- and these GLP-1 appear to have some beneficial effects for those with addictions or out of control eating or alcohol use, they also appear to disrupt thinking patterns in ADHD and then potentially OCD.

I think the jury will be out on these. There is the potential some might use it to attain thinness, but it also might make other aspects of the disorders less compulsive and less out of control. I suspect trials are needed of this with those patient groups.

Sure I agree actually that research is showing it may well help other compulsions like alcohol abuse so maybe it would help them too.
But until that has been shown I really don't see why so many people are happy to sacrifice THOSE people just to make things easier for another group - no I'm not saying it shouldn't be available to ANYONE who needs it. Just that it should be ONLY available to them.

@0hshutupshirley I also think that there is huge potential to help people with binge-eating disorder and bulimia, because the out of control bingeing is simply not possible on these drugs. I can't even explain how it works, but you just eat a smaller portion and none of the compulsive need to keep going, the sugar hit, the carb binge, it's just not only pointless, it makes you feel a bit ill. Most very obese people will have a binge-eating disorder and these people seem to do very much better on this drug, possibly better than surgery which limits the stomach but not the desire to eat. Possibly not, again, trials will tell.

No because there's a range of options in between not seeing someone and not making any checks on the information they're supplying, and seeing someone face to face. Reputable suppliers will ask for dates photos of your body shape and of your weight, check your id, and notify your GP. To get around that requires concerted effort to fake the photos and to avoid any cross checking by the GP.

I think that you're suggesting that online prescribers need to do additional checks like video consults, not that it should only be supplied by the NHS by GPs?

I got the loading dose injections, very small dose compared to the end doses. Start on 2.5mg weekly, go up to 15mg weekly. The pharmacy emailed my GP, the letter is on my online nhs account, asking if there is any reasons i had not given why i was not suitable for the injection. There wasnt, i have gone on to be able to order the higher, more functional doses. Again, this was sent to my GP and is on my online portal. Face to face is impossible, however, reputable respectable pharmacies are doing what they can to ensure this medication is prescribed ethically. There is nothing wrong with that system. If people lie, then they are taking chances with their own health, and ultimately, responsible for any consequences. Same with all kinds of medications people take irresponsibly. The bigger problem lies with backstreet hairdressers and gyms selling lord knows what in vials. The fault lies directly with those people, not the medication, or legitimate providers.

@0hshutupshirley most people with anorexia won't in a million year meet the criteria to be prescribed these, even online. It would take basically a pack of lies, similar to going to buy illegal drugs online to get them. There will be some that are motivated to do that, though, just as people are motivated to buy illegal drugs. Saxenda (although the side-effects are horrid) has been around a while and I'm not aware of extreme use in the Ana community beyond any of the other crazy things people do when they are obsessed by doing something.

I know of anorexics who have obtained them and tried them. Mostly it is atypical anorexics who continue using them, the ones who cycle extreme restriction with extreme binging. They use them to prolong their restrictive periods. It is worrying that these people can get hold of them and use them so unhealthily.

The underweight anorexics who people are saying wouldn't qualify aren't especially interested in them because their disorder already means that they can restrict. They don't need a drug to assist them. They prefer stimulants (generally, not all of them, obviously)

People with AN are not being 'thrown to the wolves'

These fantastic drugs are a treatment for patients with a different condition

The equivalent argument would be to ban all processed foods from society because some (obese people) suffer ill effects. Though those accessing WLI inappropriately are committing fraud by obtaining prescription medication illegally.

We DEFINITELY do not deny treatment for a serious and widespread condition because of fraud by some.

Lots of people are addicts too. Should we stop prescribing oral morphine, fentanyl patches, and vials of anticipatory EOL medications to people with chronic pain conditions, cancer patients, palliative patients too? Diazepam is open to abuse. Codeine is highly addictive and given out like sweets. Those who regularly OD due to MH conditions know the best medication to take, and its a commonly prescribed tablet thousands of people are on and its not a pain killer - do we stop prescribing that life saving drug to people to protect those with MH problems?

Why are WLD's that target?

Absolutely. I’m stunned at the continuation of this

how can anyone be confused as to the sheer cost and scale of having people do face to face consults. Ultimately there will be hundreds of thousands on these drugs, if not millions.

secondly these posters are playing in the extremes, what about the atypical anorexics? Seriously? As a society we should pay billions for a small minority atypical anorexics who might abuse it?

the checks and balances are in place. Photos. Weight, bmi. Doctors notified. Doctors doing checks to ensure those who shouldn’t be on it aren’t.

a hugely efficient system. And not one which costs society billions.