People who think weight loss injections are cheating

[AuntieDote]

I've seen this viewpoint over multiple threads recently, and I'm just really curious to understand it a bit more because it makes no sense to me whatsoever.

What do you think people using the injections are cheating at?

As in - what's the competition and who are they gaining an unfair advantage over? What do you think the rules of being allowed to lose weight are/ should be?

Is it more important to you that overweight people/ those struggling with obesity lose the weight, become healthier, reduce the burden on the NHS, stop taking up more than their allocated amount of space in the world, or just stop doing whatever it is that upsets people so much about the existence of fat people -- or is it more important that they struggle and suffer whilst doing so?

Or would you secretly prefer them to remain fat so you can feel superior?

Is it that you feel you've worked really hard to either lose weight, keep it off or never put it on in the first place, so nobody else should be allowed to achieve this without the same amount of struggle?

What do you think the weight loss injections actually do, and do you not recognise that those on them are also doing all the usual things people who are trying to lose weight e.g. modify their eating, exercise etc? Does it not count that they're doing these things because it's made easier in some ways by the drug?

What types of weight loss support or tools are not 'cheating'? e.g. I used hypnosis once and it worked for a bit, to the point that I felt pretty much the same way I do with the injections i.e. reduction in food noise and compulsion to snack etc. It didn't last anything like as long, but it worked for a time - was that cheating?

Would it still be cheating if they weren't as effective as they are?

FWIW, I really couldn't care less if people think I'm cheating - who cares? Who does it impact only me and my bank balance? If someone said here, press this button and you'll be a healthy BMI overnight and stay there forever I'd press it with both hands and not give a shit about how anyone felt about it.

But it's just the logic of it that baffles me - I've never seen it as a competition and have never felt like getting to or being a healthy weight only counts if it's done in a certain way - I suppose I'm not much interested in what size anyone else is or what they do to get that way, so I can't imagine for a second ever thinking another person was 'cheating' - only ever being happy for them if they're happy and hopefully healthy too.

I would assume the ‘cheating’ is that it’s expensive and not everyone can afford it. So it’s an unfair advantage.

it might be unfair but it’s not “cheating”. Having good health isn’t a competitive sport.

Isn't that life though?

Not everyone can afford a gym membership, a personal trainer, exercise classes, weight watchers, etc.

And yet nobody complains that it's "unfair" when people lose weight with the help of these things.

Going to the gym is difficult for me as a single working parent as I'm usually either working or looking after my kids. I don't complain that my friends who have a partner can go to the gym or complain that it's unfair. That's just the way it is

Unfair to who? It's not a competition.

Unfair to your sliding doors unhealthier self?

The only person in this race is the individual taking it

As an aside, many people like me find it is neutral on cost. I spend so little on food now. Mounjaro costs about £25 per week ( using 5 doses from each own). I was spending more than that, between crap from petrol station shops, takeaway or meal out, occasionally takeaway drinks from Costa...

That money has been diverted to pay to Mounjaro. If anything, I am saving money

That's definitely not how most people mean it, and it's a weird angle to take. Is private health care 'cheating'? People with money have a lot of advantages over those who don't, but it's odd to single out the jabs as cheating - would anyone say someone going on holiday is cheating, is having a big house cheating, is it cheating to be able to afford a new car or designer clothes? Is private education cheating? I can see there are always moral discussions to be had about inequality, but I don't know why anyone would have an issue with someone paying for jabs over anything else they can pay for. And as pointed out by others, plenty of diets, slimming programmes and gyms cost money too. Is it cheating to hire a personal trainer? I'm pretty sure no one would say that.

Unfair advantage over who, you? Do you feel being a healthy weight is a competition you have with other women? You must do?

My anxiety shows itself as a hollow hunger in my stomach. I guess it's the dopamine hit that switches that off.

Mounjaro hasn't completely fixed it. But it's improved it and given me, I'm, permission to ignore it.

Is it though? Are you actually concerned about future side effects that might, possibly come to light?

These bave been used for 20 years already, this isn't something new to market. Extensive clinical trials were happening prior to 20 years ago.

To be fair it must be very stressful to be so worried about advancements in medical science.

50 new drugs a year licensed on average, which means since the poster is worrying about something originating 20 years ago, that’s a thousand drugs they are stressed about.

maybe the answer is to educate themselves on how drug introductions work, how the authorities ensure they have no concerns, save them some angst.

or maybe they are just another faux concern person. It’s a conundrum,

I tried Ozempic microdosing, the secret way the rich lose weight

https://www.thetimes.com/article/a6e0f8c4-a407-4fc7-a781-d6966cba9a3a?shareToken=5672758a44bbb7e316366909ddd2faff

5ft 8 & 10 stone 6lbs & wants to lose stubborn half a stone. This isn’t that uncommon in pockets of wealthy UK I think.

The fact that the comments have been turned off would indicate that the contents of this article, and the dubious clinical practices of a minority of private physicians, are deemed to be controversial. Wonder whether this was what Lottie Moss was trialling?

Will reserve judgment and wait to see what comes out in the research … and hope that this doesn’t undermine the case for making these medications more readily available for those with a clinical need for them.

It's helped me stop drinking as well which is a bonus.

https://news.sky.com/story/weight-loss-drugs-could-help-people-with-alcohol-addiction-study-suggests-13234965

Me too, before I would have approx 2 bottles wine per week, now thats all gone, I've had a drink when I was out but not a whole bottle, just can't be bothered, great bonus for me

@CautiousLurker01 as others have said time will
tell but I am very optimistic. There are many who ARE on this drug with a healthy BMI currently. The once obese. The positive implications re: inflammation etc all worth noting.

@fairycakes1234 & @Orangesandlemons77 I’ve seen this too amongst all I know on the jabs. It’s another huge positive.

Am being quietly optimistic, too @User14March I think the possible benefits for ADHD and Parkinson’s/Alzheimers look game changing so finding a safe way to use this family of drugs with people who have normal/healthy weights has to be clinical imperative… I’d just rather they were testing the micro-dosing in a controlled trial setting rather than helping celebs knock of a few pound for a premiere!

However, sometimes these sorts of articles/practices lead to those research projects being done, so maybe Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are already over this but just not ready to publish the results. I know my DS (16yo) is part of a very carefully monitored clinical trial, so he can’t be the only one helping these companies collate data?

@CautiousLurker01
the drugs are currently in stage 3 for mild alzheimers. The earlier trials show promise in reducing the disease progression so very promising.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/255214/weight-loss-drug-slow-alzheimers-decline/

The drug companies will publish this data as soon as they have it. The main reason being if they can get approval for a new disease it will allow them to extend the lisence to sell more of the drug.

Phase 2 of the parkinsons trials are showing similar results and the stage 3 trials are currently underway.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2312323

In terms of the disease prevention they show promising results in terms of number of patient with t2 diabetes developing alzheimers in the existing clinical trials. Promising but not proof that it definetly stops the progression but definitely a positive indicator it may impact its progression.

I can't find any data on the adhd or depression examination at clinical trial level but the preclinical stuff looks quite interesting.

This is really interesting. I have a copy of the APOE4 gene which increases my risk of dementia.

Really interesting - my beloved FiL was diagnosed with Parkinson’s last year so watching the vibrant, witty, loving man struggle (magnificently) with this disease makes me hopeful for medications that might help. It might be too late for him, but I truly hope not 🤞

I dont think that was an odd question, quite relevant actually

I don't think it's cheating, but I assume others think this way because it makes losing weight and staying slim "easy" - it doesn't take much effort and you just pay a fee and the weight comes off easily.

I wonder if it's similar to how people feel about people who pay for housekeepers, cleaners, nannies, professional house movers, botox, liposuction, fake nails, ride an electric bike, work from home etc. Compared to people who do it the "old fashioned way" (cleaning your own house, growing your own nails etc.), these solutions might be seen as cheating because it doesn't take the same "hard work".

I also thought it was relevant. I never knew people were so worried and suffering from anxiety about other people taking prescribed drugs. I don’t really see lots of threads on any other drugs past these ones, where people are so concerned. 50 new drugs a year approved, and I’ve never seen so many people all apparently anxious suddenly. But interesting to know it’s all advancements in medical science.

No one believes your 'worry'

Do you worry about all medical interventions that you don't need? Do you also worry about surgery you don't need? Do you lie awake at night anxious about all modern medicine?

Perhaps you should just stay living in a cave and avoid any interaction with conventional medicine. Hey it's one less person trying to get a GP appointment!

Hilarious!