To think weight-loss injections should be prescribed in person only. The scale of abuse must be shocking.

[Thisisdrugabuse]

Hear me out here. I have had 5 friends in their 30s and 40s tell me they're using weight-loss injections from online sources. Fine. Except one is a size 8 and another a size 10. Oh, it's so easy to get, just upload a photo of a day you looked chubbier a few years ago and change your height/ weight a bit. Out of my friends that recently told me they're taking it, the size 8 is on the highest dose. She looks ill. Only 1 is over a size 14 I'd say.

Am I being unreasonable

No-to think these medicines are not licensed for normal sized people. They might be at risk of osteoporosis, liver problems and who knows what else. It all seems dangerous and completely unregulated.

Yes- jog on op. These are important medicines helping lots of people and if people lie, that's their issue.

They are cracking down, I think that so many people have abused it and had problems, so to remain on treatment they're tightening up.
The pharmacy I use, wants a blood test before you start, a video call, your ID, obviously your start weight- but you have to prove this on a video call.
Then weekly, you weigh in, via video call.
If you lose more than 3kg in a month they won't up your dose.
I'm not sure how much room there is to get around this type of check in so regularly.

I think a lot of people are getting from black market type places. I see people selling them on FB, I think there is potential for a lot of dangerous affects as people could be having all sorts.

It has been tested. The conclusion was that side effects may outweigh benefits for those in the overweight range. Many people find they have very few side effects though.

Page 4 and I've just worked out what WLI means (and i put it in the title).

We live in a society where a persons worth is judged on their weight so it's not really a surprise that some are taking risks.

Okay. I didn't know it had been tested on those with low bmi, I thought higher bmis. Thanks for this as it makes me feel less worried about my 50kg friend taking it.

I had to live-call video myself stepping on the scales. Ok I could have lied about my height but that’s not really an issue - for example, if I was just under the BMI required I could shave half an inch off my height to bring me into it. There’s no “tweaking” to height that can take a size 8 into the obese category (assuming they are being videotaped stepping on the scales).

The issue I have with making it all face to face is that it will inevitably put the cost up. Remote assessment and prescribing is more cost effective and offers consumers a wider choice of supplier.

I would not qualify on the NHS but have lost a stone in 2 months with another 2 to lose to bring me into the normal BMI for my height. I feel so much better already and am able to exercise more as I feel more confident and am actually craving getting back in shape and eating better.

At the end of the day, people who want to be mega skinny (as opposed to us overweight folks who just want a normal weight) will find away to do it either through starving themselves, over exercising, taking laxatives/stimulants etc. Or getting MJ from a dishonest seller.

I don’t think it’s fair to make it more difficult/costly for the majority of genuine MJ users because a tiny minority might abuse it. People gotta take responsibility for their own actions!

As a formerly obese person I'm surprised you don't know this - you've damaged your body through becoming obese. You need the medication to maintain a healthy weight. A size 8 person doesn't.

The reality is that people who are using WLI injections can read these threads and very easily recognise those that are posted as a genuine discussion, without bias, and those that aren’t.

This thread stinks to high heavens and I suspect some of the posters are at the stage where they just think to hell with it when replying.

I couldn’t care less what anyone thinks of my use of WLI but I do care about people like the OP thinking I’m stupid enough to not see right through her ( and other who’ve joined the thread because it’s their chosen sport).

My BMI/weight is high enough that my Dr wouldn't prescribe my usual contraceptive pill as there was increased risk of blood clots. She did mention the injections but since my weight isn't actually affecting my health or joints, I wouldn't be able to have them.

I don't want them anyway! I think they are too new and who knows what the long terms side effects could be. I'd rather be a bit fat that potentially ruin my long term health with that stuff.

Completely agree, I'm actually really bored of hearing about 'skinny jabs' but especially from those that are sizes 8/10/12. What's most irritating is how they are then constantly boasting about their weight loss as though they have put effort into it 🙄

It's really not perfectly normal for any woman. To get to a TDEE of 1000 calories I had to tweak the stats to a woman age 72, 5 feet tall weighing 6 stone 6. That's not an average menopausal woman.

babycatface

are you aware of how critical that sounds? Did you read my post where I said my calorie intake needs to be 1000 calories every day for 40 years to be 8 stone (bmi 23).

could you do that? Every day for 40 years as a young active woman?

That’s your choice though. Not all overweight/obese people feel the same.

And it’s not “that stuff” - it’s a licensed medication. Do you still think of it “that stuff” when it’s used to control blood sugar in diabetics?

Also - can you see the irony in your post? you are taking synthetic hormones to prevent pregnancy which your doctor has raised concerns about with regards to blood clots - do you not worry about putting “that stuff” into your body?

Presumably the avoidance of pregnancy is more important to you than the risks from oral contraceptives. It’s the same for obese people - the risks of obesity outweigh the risks of MJ.

I started with an online pharmacy then moved to a real life one. I am massively overweight. Not gaming the system here. And the online pharmacy rejected my photos over and over again because I wasn’t wearing tight enough clothes. I don’t own tight clothes - because overweight. I managed in the end but could easily have uploaded eg my sister’s passport and photos to get it. I don’t really understand how they knew I am me. They also didn’t ask for proof of my weight.

Moved to an in person pharmacy so they can keep an eye on me and check my blood pressure and such. It’s only £5 more expensive than online.

I do think many people are using it recklessly, but the benefits outweigh the risks to so so many other people.

I know a handful of young people in their 30’s on them, again not all that much weight to lose.

myumberseal

4foot 10. 8 stone. BMI 23. 54 years old. Normal for me.

For some reason you're an outlier with your TDEE. You must know it's not normal for it to be so low and therefore doesn't apply to the average woman?!

I really don't understand why my post stinks to high heaven. Truly, ca I not be concerned my friends are taking a drug they don't need? Would you reply the same if they were addicted to heroin/ painkillers, sedatives or heart medications? Im worried there's a new category of drugs being abused by those that the drug wasn't intended for. That's all. Interesting people think i have an agenda. This is my final post as I'm going to work now. I suggest you think about why you're so angered as to why I'm worried about people having a medicine they don't need. I have no problem whatsoever with people who need it, taking it.

Woman at work buys it from the same person that does her lip filler.

Unfortunately being ‘a bit fat’ ie. 30+ BMI and obese is almost certainly already ruining your long-term health.

There's always a level of cognitive dissonance where people are worried about the side-effects of WLIs when being obese has massively increased risks of all sorts of health issues, including various types of cancer. Way more risks than the jabs in fact. Being obese is damaging to your health every day, whether you feel like it or not. That’s the unfortunate truth.

It takes loads of effort to maintain health even with the injections. It took me over a year to lose 3 stone, not quite a pound a week at eating 800-900 calories.

i had to choose protein first every day, i had to choose intermittent fasting (eating only 7 hours a day). Luckily the injections manage to help my ghrelin so I could not drink alcohol or eat too many sweet foods.

it still took a lot of work but was only possible because of the injections.

I think this whole thing is very sad as well as extremely worrying. So much emphasis on size. A PP said that they were size 14 when they started - size 14 never used to be classed as big! It doesn’t help when some clothing sites label a 14 as XL! I have lost 4 & a half stone completely naturally & although I am still overweight for my height (11.5 stone, 5ft 2”) & seem to be stuck at that weight, I wouldn’t even consider MJ or anything like it.

i have been on MJ for just over a year and have dropped from 105kg to 82kg. I am now just in the normal BMI range. did a body composition analysis and over half my weight loss was muscle, despite doing lots of exercise. So now I think I need a PT so that I look a bit more like Popeye and a bit less like Olive Oyl. So assuming I can add back on the muscle, I am then back in overweight category.
Anyway everyone says I look too thin now, but I’m guessing that was because I was chubby before. It’s hard to find the right balance. I get my stuff online and fudge the numbers a little. But I think these drugs will be like statins in a few years and everyone will be on them

Actually, that's unlikely to be the case. I had my gallbladder out last year. My consultant said that they take years to develop so if I was looking at a cause, I should look way back.
Losing weight quickly can cause them (I put mine down to a vlcd diet I did 10 years ago) but so can being female and over 40 (not something I had much control over).
There's no evidence that WLI cause gallstones anymore than losing weight through other methods.