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?

I think that is personal preferance. My plan is to come off early next year.

I'm overweight but too scared of potential long term side effects to use jabs.

How can you tackle insulin resistance without resorting to WLI? If you're not seriously overweight, so can't be prescribed it. (Though some people seem to be able to get it regardless. Maybe being rich helps.) Are there any methods that actually work?

The only place I've got it is my stomach, which is pregnancy related. Between DC1 and DC2 I wasn't yet obese but I did have the crinkly belly cos my bump was massive when pregnant- loads of water retention. It's gone back to that.

Most people lately who have lost a large amount of weight are on the jabs. Many of them lie about it or deny it, as evidenced here. Who knows if it wil be successful long term. Who cares really? To each by their own.

I do agree with this. I know a handful of women who have lost a significant amount of weight after decades of being overweight. It’s unusual to halve your body weight in your 50s. But I’d never ask them how they’ve done it. People shouldn’t be asking, if people want others to know they can say. Dont put people on the spot.

I was far more scared of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease etc.

I try very hard not to judge. But, I am a flawed human and sometimes I do.

I know very few overweight people, but one of the few claimed she had a gastrointestinal parasite that had suppressed her appetite and led to her losing 4 stone. Coincidentally within months of moving to a country known for its superficiality and bling. At which point she had acquired a whole new slim, glamorous and ultra wealthy social group. She had always been insecure and wanted to fit in wherever so it was blindingly obvious what was really going on quite quickly as she developed the classic 'Ozempic face'.

I am very happy for people if WLI work for people and do not judge anyone for using them. I do have an issue with lying to friends and claiming to be sick. That is the part that I judge. There were so many of us so concerned about her and worrying, sending presents and get well wishes etc.

Losing weight and improving health are not synonymous.

Can anyone tell me about the health implications of taking WLIs if you only want to lose a stone or so? I know this isn’t officially ‘allowed’ but so many people seem to be doing it….

Also I am struggling to understand how many people are able to afford it!

100% with you @donttellscotty I know FIVE such people - 3 women, 2 men. The 3 women are .. 2 in their mid-late 40s and 1 in her mid-late 30s. The 2 men are mid 40s. ALL have always been fat. (Since childhood/teens.) They have fat siblings, and at least one fat parent.

Suddenly, this past couple of years, each one has lost 5-7 stone, in some 6-8 months. Got to their 'ideal weight..' Confidently binned all the 'fat' clothes, and bought clothes much smaller! (None of them know each other...)

2 of them however, (one man, and one woman - the one in her mid-late 30s) have regained about a third of the weight. Both have gained around 2 stone in the past 3-4 months. 2 of the other 3 are starting to regain the weight...

WLI are NOT the answer to peoples weight problems. It's a temporary fix. It's papering over the cracks.... It's a ticking time bomb. I wouldn't take them if they were free, or if you paid me to, let alone pay 100s of £££ a month for them!

As pps have said, some people I see who have dropped weight very quickly - especially people over 40 - look dreadful. Rough and ill, and a decade older.

The WLI fangirls will disagree @donttellscotty but the poll result speaks for itself.

Yes.

Is it specific people who you're surprised can afford it or the number in the population?

It's hardly a new thing to ask people how they have lost weight though is it? Its always been something that has been asked, mostly people have been proud to talk about how they have done it whether that was slimming world or whatever, it's only now that WLI have become big that suddenly people are talking about it being 'private medical information' and acting like what was once normal conversation is now a state secret.

I’m not sure “most people” lie about it. I guess it depends on who you’re talking to and your relationship with them. Most people have a fairly good radar of who is a judgemental knobhead and who is enquiring because of genuine interest. If you suspect people are lying to you perhaps look at how you present yourself and are viewed amongst your peers.

Yes, they are.

I hope for all users of WLI the cost does drop as I was shocked when a work colleague told me how much she is spending.

It’s never been polite to comment on or ask about someone else’s body.

Yes it is common. I hope that these jabs do help rid us of this obesity pandemic. However, in UK at least, far better nutrition and food prep education in schools should go hand in hand with it.

Not everyone who is obese has psychological binge eating issues.

It’s possibly the fact that these drugs - specifically Mounjaro were not intended as weight loss drugs. They were intended to treat diabetes. People like my DH who has developed type two diabetes because of severely limited mobility are now experiencing significant delays with NHS prescriptions because of people obtaining it solely for weight loss and driving up the price.

No. They’re not.

WLI are NOT the answer to peoples weight problems. It's a temporary fix. It's papering over the cracks.... It's a ticking time bomb.

Do you feel the same way about traditional weight loss methods, since on a societal level they don't work? I bet your severely overweight, WLI taking regainer circle have made plenry of failed attempts between them to shift the weight before they went on MJ. Time bomb indeed.

Also, why are they not the answer given that for some of us they work really well?

Don't ignore emotional wellbeing, which is a big factor in many chronic conditions.