The rise of the trend of GLP-1 and the pressure it brings?

[PiriPiriMenopause]

First of all I just want to say I have nothing against the choice people make for the injections at all, I think they’re great and they obviously work for people who need them! I totally get why someone would want to take it, and it really is transforming lives.

But I worry about the pressure this is bringing so the it. I’m a size 14 and pretty normal. At the moment I don’t have trouble buying clothes or getting stuff to fit. My BMI is about 26 which yes is higher than the recommended but not massively so.

So many people I know are on this drug! Honestly, in my normal every day life, I know of at least 15 people who are taking it. It’s working brilliantly and the results are fantastic they’re happy and it’s great, I love seeing how their confidence has turned on a sixpence. Some of the women were larger than me some were not that much larger than me or the same size.

I’m not sure if my experience is a reflection of what’s going on country wide or not. But AIBU to worry about the knock on effect this will have moving forward. I worry that a size 14 will soon become almost obsolete in the shops because people are no longer requiring larger sizes, I worry about the knock on pressure this will bring to those of us who can’t afford to take it or simply don’t want to or can’t take it. I worry about it becoming a culture for people of my daughter’s age and what it means for their confidence in future.

I’m just interested to see if I’m just being paranoid or if this is something other people worry about. There’s always been a massive pressure on women in particular with their size and appearance but this is the first time I’ve ever really felt it so extreme!

Look at the thread of posts I was responding to.

Ah, but then the debate segues to the fact that, in some cases, morbidly obese can be healthy – when it comes to athletes like rugby players who have high BMIs because they're solid muscle. And that some people can be skinny fat.

It's why lots of doctors now consider BMI an outdated measurement of health.

hsph.harvard.edu/news/bmi-a-poor-metric-for-measuring-peoples-health-say-experts/

Completely ignoring my point 😂

I wouldn't be surprised if this is how these medications evolve. The drugs target a deficiency that some people have, that deficiency doesn't disappear when they are at a 'healthy' weight therefore the root cause will continue to need to be treated in some people. Much like many other deficiencies different people will have differing levels of deficiency and therefore will need different approaches at different times. Think of an iron deficiency, some people need diet changes, some people need injections some people need a blood transfusion.

I'm not against WLI usage for prevention on principle, afaik a lot of the reason it's not available is lack of evidence.

But in answer to your question, formerly obese bodies want to become obese again. A 23 BMI who used to be 33 has a greater risk of becoming obese in the future than someone who's only ever been a 23.

Also, no longer think what is worth mooting? Keeping a food diary is a way of monitoring how people are eating - which HELPS with weight loss. No?

You've completely ignored that you did in fact advocate for something that would've prevented people getting the medication, just like I said. Monitoring was your proposal and it's a terrible one.

Also, I did address the part of your point that you didn't then pretend you hadn't said. If you want food diaries and obligatory clicking of online info, fine. I don't care much about people's Bright Ideas as long as they're not actively harmful. There's no evidence that your proposal would be any use either, but have at it if you want.

Your proposal for monitoring.

I was a size 18-20 at 5’5” 8 months ago.
I am now a size 8 UK. I’ve changed my eating habits and intend never to go back to how I was. I am incredibly happy, and despite coming right down in dose, continue to lose weight albeit at a slow rate. I weighed this morning at 8 stone 9lb. I’ve been extremely fortunate not to be saddled with masses of loose skin. I have a little tiny bit on my tummy, but it’s hidden under bikini bottoms. Mounjaro has been an absolute miracle for me.

Oh come on. I’m not taking about elite athletes who would be considered high BMI because of their size and muscle mass. I’m taking about the obviously morbidly obese influencers. There’s other ways to determine obesity these days and those people I'm taking about wouldn’t be healthy by those perimeters either.
Be happy in the body you’re in, if you’re happy. But let’s not pretend being overweight is anything but unhealthy.

I didn't pretend anything!!! 😂 Jesus fucking Christ. What's wrong with you? And my point was that it's healthier and better for those needing the weight loss to have health and lifestyle advice, and yes some accountability and monitoring of their intake. Research shows this works. Why do you think weight watchers groups work? Weekly weigh ins. Accountability. Dietary advice. Exercise.
I don't believe medication should be given If the above are not being explored in conjunction, unless there's some kind of medical reason.
There is literally no down side.
If you genuinely believe that medication on its own is better than the whole package - the bigger picture - and being set up to maintain for life - then crack on, see you again once you pile the weight back on needing the jabs again.

I think you must be my relative as all you're going to come back with is some shit about me stopping people getting the jab (it's an opinion, which I am entitled to on a forum - it's not a "proposal"! I don't work for a weight loss company. I'm just a person.

Just to add, I am not against the jabs. if I could have the jabs I would get them. I'm overweight myself. I've tried to diet and exercise and I'm time poor, stressed and pretty much constantly needed by somebody. My time is not my own. But I'd never consider them if I didn't feel like I'd given it a "proper go" yet with the diet and exercise, as I would not be able to develop the habits I would need to keep the weight off, and would end up just paying a fuck ton of money for life.

Maybe the only argument for standalone jabs would be to kick start the loss, to enable people to start building the healthier habits once they are at a smaller weight.

Anyway I feel like whatever I say you will continue to antagonise me, so kindly leave me alone now.

How anyone can look at e.g. Kelly Osborne and Lily Allen and not see that these drugs are majorly exacerbating people's existing body image problems to a worrying degree and causing celebrity 'aspirational' thinness that obviously trickles down harmfully to the rest of socitey is mind boggling to me. Of course these drugs are fantastic for genuinely unwell people, as chemotherapy is necessary for cancer. If you are not medically unwell you take a lot of risks using a drug meant for unwell people.

Posting a load of argumentative shit and then asking to be left alone? Lmao no, it's one or the other.

You posted about monitoring, then got all innocent when the flaws in that were pointed out and pretended like you'd never said it. And in the same post as reiterating it! If you put extra blocks in the way of accessing WLIs, it'll prevent some people from getting them. It just will. That's not even a question.

But leaving that aside, these are some bold claims you're making here. Weight watchers groups don't work, how on earth have you managed to get multiple posts deep without even knowing that? Honestly, the arrogance is off the scale. Actually do some research before making policy proposals!

Well I'm taking my proposal forward! I shall ban it from all those who don't want to live healthily alongside. It's coming into legislation next year.

Probably no more unrealistic than Weight Watchers actually working.

What do you mean ‘unwell’?

If the likes of Weight Watchers worked, they’d not continue making money…

Weight Watchers doesn’t work long term - why do you think they now want to work “along side” all the GLP-1 providers.
Same with Slimming World, lighter Life, Cambridge etc etc.
initially they all tried to rubbish the has and now their marketing is turning.
they are all running scared and know the bottom is about to fall out of their market.

You clearly have no idea how these drugs work if you think we sit around stuffing ourselves with mars bars.

😂

the main agonist in these drugs was first discovered in the 1920s. It is simply a synthetic hormone we produce naturally.
it was then developed in the fifties.

You really are a mine of misinformation.

Off label means prescribed outside the parameters for which it was actually approved.

You are just making noise now.

Actually as more and more people use these drugs and there is more data available, it all seems to point more and more to the beneficial impact of these drugs with the positive effects being discovered far outweighing the negatives.

We know the impact of obesity on the body, we know the impact of high blood sugar. I think as these drugs are developed further to minize side effects and increase efficaicy, it should only get better.

I'd be careful of relying on that statistic of living longer if you're a little overweight. It hasn't been shown to be causal and is impacted by the fact that people who are unwell often lose weight as part of the illness. A lot would also depend where any excess fat is deposited. If you're a bit overweight and your fats around, say, your thighs and hips then you're probably good. If, however, your fat is deposited around your middle, then losing that fat would be very beneficial to your health.

It works for me!