All my historically fat friends have gone thin this year

[donttellscotty]

Okay maybe not ALL of them, but a few friends/acquaintances who have been very big for years and years, tried everything but could never shift the slightest bit of weight, have all had dramatic transformations and shed many stones over the past year. It’s just becoming expected now whenever I see another formerly large acquaintance or relative pop up on my feed with a super slim selfie.

I (rightly or wrongly) suspect it’s got to be WLIs or similar? Although all are adamant it’s a strict diet only. Just to add there is NOTHING wrong with jabs at all, and I’m aware it’s absolutely none of my business, and I sound mean but I wouldn’t actually discuss this in RL. It just got me thinking that being overweight might be obsolete in a few years?

Anyone else noticing this trend with people they know?

Plus the cost of cooking it. Local food banks were asking for food that doesn’t require cooking because people can’t afford that

I think just stop thinking about or concerning yourself with other people's bodies tbh. "But their health" you all cry insincerely. Yet you never hear anyone talking about how much anyone else is drinking or how sad anyone else is or whether they are taking their blood pressure medicine because that is none of your business! Somehow another person's weight and the fluctuations thereof (however caused) are public property. For those afflicted it is like being fucking hunted.

Why would you ask though? What has it got to do with you

I think the point is that the scaremongering poster assumed that with free WLI access, people on limited budgets would eat less of the same poor quality food. Rather than, say, use some of the money freed up when they don't need to fill their bellies as much and buy healthy luxuries like fresh fruit instead. Obviously this is a stupid and patronising assumption.

This is me in a way, I was a BMI 28 when I started WLI, I am 5ft4 and small build, from that weight to BMI 21 is only around 3 stone, 1.5 stone to healthy BMI. Most of my life I have sat between BMI 21-23 but never seem to have that normal relationship with food. Every holiday, day out, occasion revolves around food but before I was 40 (and not injured) I would just put on a few lbs then lose it the next week easily. Food always a reward for things also. For thr 1st time ever I feel normal.

For me I believe it is mental rather than physical, I was bulimic as a teenager. A lot of it stems from my mum I think, she was obsessed (and still is) with people's weight, always on a diet, talking about dieting and losing 0.25lb etc. Without fail would put on half a stone + on holiday or xmas whereas friends who generally eat more all the time just ate normally/slightly more and were fine.

So a very different story to people who have been obese all their life but I imagine very much the same feelings.

I knew I would lose the weight easily on the jabs (as long as they worked even slightly) as thats never neen my issue, its the sustaining the healthy/normal eating.

I have a few friends who are doctors in specialist areas where WLI would improve outcomes for most of their overweight patients but they cannot get it prescribed as the criteria is so strict. They believe it would significantly reduce costs/time for the NHS so they can focus on treating those still waiting as they are not quite as severe. They said if they could prescribe to their patients who were overweight rather than obese, or even just those who were obese but didn't have enough other conditions to qualify then they would be able to treat people so much more effectively.

Yes, its a long thread so I havent read it past the first page but it will be full of 'concern' about the health of people on the injections but not the health of fat people not on injections while they continue being obese

Also 'concern' about them piling it back on again, said smugly with pursed lips. But where is the 'concern' for someone going to WW or SW or Jane Plan or whatever it is doing keto, low carb, low fat, whatever their method is - where is the concern about them 'piling it all back on again' at the end of their journey.

Obesity is a life long disease no matter what method you use and even after you lose the weight due to the need to maintain.

WLI are a medical intervention for a serious disease and well done to people taking them I say.

Yes you’re right, as the sweet fat simple person, of course I know. I’ve said several times in this thread and have been honest to say I’m fucking jealous of those who are able to buy these drugs. Yes I do know about nutrition (again costs a lot, my food bill has rocketed these last 2 years I’ve been losing my 25kg). And my muscles are nicely defined. But I have no off switch and cannot leave food on the plate. I have to makes enormous effort to stay in a calorie deficit. I often fail. I start again the next day. But my god I am envious of those like many on this thread can focus on the exact same good eating as I do, but are content with their consumption, lose the food noise, and sate their newly reduced appetite. So when I hear “ oh it’s just reducing my portions and getting my steps in” yes, it does make me feel like shit as I can’t afford to buy my way out of it and I feel a failure and I hate to say I hate the envy.

Someone upthread called me bitter and another that if I really wanted I could find a way to earn more eg by online surveys. I’m not bitter. But yes I am envious. I admit it!!! I wouldn’t dream of asking if someone were taking WLI. But if someone proactively volunteers the information and misses out the WLI help, that pisses me off because they make what I often fail at seem easy.

But in your scenario posted above regarding your friend, they’re not voluntarily offering the information. They’re offering the information because you’ve asked them outright how they lost the weight.

I know lots of people who have used them. Broadly they fit into two groups -

Some had a very high BMI and associated health problems. They’d really tried to lose weight over and over but struggled. They’ve found the injections life changing. They tend to be quieter about the changes to their appearance. It has been amazing for these people and I’m so glad we have access to them.

The second group had a bmi around 27 - 32 (some lower, getting it god knows where). They had never ever mentioned health risks of their weight in fact they were the opposite saying there was no issue. They had made half hearted attempts to diet and exercise but didn’t like it so stopped. They despised diet culture and the pressure for everyone to be a small size (for appearance not health).

These friends are now all around a bmi of around 20, visibly much thinner and keep insisting they’ve done it ‘for health’ but now frequently post photos of themselves at a lower weight, lapping up the comments about how great they look. They’re perpetuating the diet culture they hated. They still don’t eat well or exercise - they’re using the appetite suppressant effect of the drug to eat few calories but poorly. Their health is likely worse and they’re risking nutrient deficiencies and osteoporosis. Two have had significant hair loss.

My main question is whether so many people would be on these injections if they ‘just’ somehow tackled the health risks of obesity without changing your appearance. Absolutely my friends in the first category would but there’s no way my friends in the second category who are the ones going on about the health benefits would.

Yes I wasn’t being fully genuine I admit. But surely with close family and friends that perhaps you’ve shared your diet attempts in the past, it can just be continued type of conversation theme.

I think I fit into both these categories. I started with a BMI of 43 - no significant health concerns other than general related aches and pains but they were almost certainly in the post. I've lost 7 stone and did it in 'the right way' because I always knew what I needed to eat.

However, I wont lie and say that improving my appearance wasn't part of the appeal too. My appearance before invited contempt and cruelty from many people. I now look much better and I love that. I lap up compliments too, probably because I'm so unused to them.

Im not going to pretend otherwise just because losing weight purely for health reasons has become, for some reason, the only morally acceptable option.

Absolutely not, I agree, but affordability is a factor, exacerbated by the huge rise in the cost of living.

I can't really see the point of lying TBH. Surely friends would guess anyway.I am surprised though because I know no one at all on them! Also I read today that 5% of the population are using them .Which surely means there is a very small percentage. And it seems to have a very large percentage of news space!

I dont suppose anyones interested in my verucca treatments are they?

Anyone?

I can talk at length about it if you like?

Come over to Sporner Corner - you'll get an avid audience there, especially if you can upload a picture of your verruca 😍

www.mumsnet.com/talk/sporner_corner

I didn’t say nasty. Women are undoubtedly categorised - not by me but by society. Fat women are treated differently to thin women. Open your eyes. There is thin privilege and I am interested to see what happens to that when obesity is less predominant. I bet something else will take its place to divide women.

I can see how my post could seem mean. I worded it badly. My bad.

The conversation only comes up if someone brings it up. I admit it would be odd if your friend brought up their own weight loss then lied about how they achieved it. However if the subject was brought up by you, and they’re not comfortable with sharing details about their health/medication with you, then I think a brush off/white lie would be acceptable, because you’ve forced them into that situation by asking personal questions.
I never ever brought up my weight loss, it was always other people. Then when I told them honestly how I’d done it (no WLI) they didn’t believe me. What’s the point in asking if you’re not going to believe the answer? 🤷🏻‍♀️ It felt remarkably like I was only being asked in order to be ‘caught out’, and forced to admit I used WLI (I didn’t).

The few morbidly obese people I know never talk about trying to lose weight. If they are trying they must be keeping it to themselves, which is in keeping with not talking about WLI.

I'm sure I'd get flamed for taking someone to task about how they lost weight. That would be intrusive and rude, and I'd always just let it be (because it's not my business, as you rightly point out). This just shows how incredibly sensitive people are to their weight and how they lose weight.

Like what?

I was listening to a surgeon with expertise in weight management who said that they now don't think that weight cycling (gaining and losing weight several times over your life) is bad for you. Even if you eventually put back on the weight you lose, that period of relief from the metabolic and other physical effects of obesity is beneficial for the body. That actually makes a lot more sense to me than "the body will be vaguely stressed out if you gain and lose weight several times".

You can get pancreas and gallbladder issues from losing weight quickly, although my understanding is that that's not specific to Mounjaro, it's the speed of the loss however you do it.

I am currently intending to have a a break from MJ having lost four stone, because I have some gallbladder symptoms (nothing terrible but I want them to be investigated before I continue).

The GLP-1 injections have been used for decades for treating diabetes. The weight loss outcome was discovered as a side effect of the medication , not the purpose. Anyone talking about side effects now are doing so to scare monger people from using them because, let’s be honest, society prefers it when fat people exist because it makes non fat people feel better about themselves - if not superior.

its a great tool for supporting weight loss. Everyone deserves to live with a healthy BMi. It’s a great shame that our governments haven’t taken action sooner.

the reduced load on the NHS itself is justification enough. If only they would go one step further to help regulate and control the shit food companies produce and put in the supermarkets. yes we all make our own choices, but the volume of processed over fresh foods extraordinary.

It was never acceptable to suggest on Mumsnet that fat people simply ate too much. It was always their metabolism, they were of course tiny eaters and could do nothing about their weight.

Now we have Montjaro etc, and lo and behold, appetite is suppressed with jabs, much less is eaten and fat disappears.

I'm not sure what version of Mumsnet you've been reading if you think people have been prevented from expressing the view that fat people "simply eat too much" 🙄