Is it the begining of the end for Weight loss injections?

[BeginingoftheendforWLI]

Just watched a report on BBC news, they did an item on a woman who had type 2 diabetes and was prescribed Mounjaro, doctors were impressed she managed to come off insulin within a month. She had some weightloss and now goes to the gym regularly.

Her doctor admitted that there was widespread concern in the medical field that people who were buying it privately for cosmetic reasons not for medical reasons could face some consequences in the future such as muscle growth and bone degeneration and lack of nutrition - they simply don't have this data at present.

Feel like this is going to be big news in the foreseeable future.

Not sure it'll even be long term calorie deficit in most cases. After the initial burst people tend to get, a steady loss of a pound or two a week means long term users are going to be at maintenance for much longer than they're in the losing phase. Unless you were very obese, in which case obviously you start from a much higher risk anyway.

But yes, weight loss comes with it's own set of cons, and as an obese person there is no risk free option available.

For anyone who is obese, any level of obesity, WLI are a suitable option. That’s the whole point of them being approved for use. The benefit outweighs any possible risks. That’s also true for anyone who is at the higher end of overweight (BMI 27 plus) who also has a weight related health condition.

They’re not just of benefit to those who are morbidly obese, which is a BMI of 40 plus.

I’ve been in a calorie deficit for 18 months. My digestion is not ruined. My hair and skin are great, my skin in particular is much better than before. I am fitter than ever. I’ve had blood tests during this time that show all results in the normal range. Honestly don’t know why people think that this process is somehow disastrous for me.

Losing weight isn't cosmetic. It's health.

I thought type 2 diabetes was always controlled with tablets and type 1 with insulin injections ?

I’ve been on MJ since May 2024. I had a heart attack at Christmas 2023 and spent 10 days in coronary care.

It was very fricking scary, and at the time I didn’t consider myself to be overweight or obese, even though my BMI was 36 and wearing a size 24 and apparently pre-diabetic. I also had poorly controlled BP and high cholesterol.

Looking back through photographs over the years I’ve been overweight all my life and I have realised I am an emotional eater.

Fast forward to now and my BMI is 22. I wear a 12.

I can walk without being out of breath, my cholesterol, BP etc all within normal range - I no longer take all the 12 different medications a day I needed.
Not going to lie, it’s been a massive financial commitment but in my eyes worth every penny, I could have had it funded by the NHS but I felt and still do that it was my mess to sort out.

My GP has been very supportive and I will continue with the maintenance program with his and my prescribers support. I do still have 28lb to shift

It’s been life changing for me, as it has been for many, many people.

So no, I don’t think this is the beginning of the end. I think it’s the start of something very positive.

This is the problem see. I wouldn't take WLI (even if they were free) but if others who are obese want to take them, then crack on. But they should not be available over the internet, it should be prescribed by a GP, and no-one should be taking them unless their BMI is over 32. Too many people are taking them 'to shift that last stone' (that many of them don't need to lose.) And some are even taking them when they aren't even overweight at all, to lose 7-10 pounds that they want to lose. Want, not need.. And this is actually dangeous. And it's not 'faux concern' it's a fact.

You can't say a thing against them on here though, people are fiercely protective of their weight loss injections for some reason, and will mock and deride anyone who critisizes them. I also wonder about the long term effects for people who take them for a long time, and am already seeing some people who have been on them (and lost 5-7 stone) regaining the weight after stopping taking them.

And you have to stop, once you get to a healthy weight. If you're down to a BMI of say 23-24, why are you even taking them still? Some will say 'to maintain the lower weight' but then they will say in the next breath that their eating habits are much healthier and controlled now...thanks to the jabs...' Errr, OK, so come off the jabs then... Surely no-one wants to take them for life? And surely most people couldn't afford to? And don't compare them to meds people HAVE to take for life, because no-one HAS to take WLI for the rest of their life. And no-one should be doing so...

Is it the beginning of the end @BeginingoftheendforWLI ??? Maybe. I think they're losing popularity a bit, because of the cost, and the fact that the weight piles back on when you stop taking them. (Some will deny this, but it will, and it does...)

And you have to stop, once you get to a healthy weight

you don't. Obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease.

You work in healthcare...I hope nothing involving drug administration if you don't even know the WLI's don't contain insulin, don't pose a professional and spread misinformation!

I mean, their popularity is most definitely increasing, that’s not a debate but a simple fact. The numbers using them continue to increase.

By saying that they must only be prescribed by a GP, do you mean NHS only? So banned from private prescriptions totally. Or is a private GP ok? What about the online pharmacies where consultations are decided by doctors, is that ok? Or does it have to be in person only?

And this is down to the fact that some people access the medication fraudulently, so for you, the fact that this happens means it cannot be available at all via online private prescriptions for the 1.5 million people plus who are accessing them legitimately. That doesn’t seem a reasonable or proportionate response to me.

And, I don’t have any issue with taking Mounjaro long term. I can afford it, and I have no worries about the long term risks having weighed these up for my personal circumstances. I find it odd that other people would have such a strong opinion that I must not do this, for reasons that seem excessively controlling and not based in fact but in negative speculation.

Another example of someone who's managed to come up with a strong opinion and various 'shoulds' on the WLI issue without knowing even the very basics.

If you think people have to come off once they hit healthy BMI, that tells us you've not even done the barest minimum of research. I would ask what the scientific basis for your 32 BMI suggestion is and why you think the skillset of a GP is better suited to ongoing management of the drug than a pharmacist, but we all know how that's going to end.

And if I didn't want to be mocked or criticised, I wouldn't make obviously uninformed and nosey comments about people's finances. I mean, how on earth would you know what a group comprising millions of people can afford? It's not like there's any stats on the matter.

But yeah, you can't say a thing against WLIs on here...

And don't compare them to meds people HAVE to take for life, because no-one HAS to take WLI for the rest of their life. And no-one should be doing so...

People also don't HAVE to take many other meds, they can just suffer and live with their other chronic conditions, like hypothyroidism, migranes, osteoarthritis, IBS to name a few. You won't immediately drop dead or anything if not medicated. But medication unarguably improves the quality of life. Why shouldn't people take this particular medication for life, if they need to?

I have maintained my new weight since the Spring on a low dose of Mounjaro. I have no intention of coming off it because it makes it much easier to keep the weight off. And why on Earth shouldn't I want to make my life easier? I have a cleaner and a gardener. I pay someone to valet my car and clean my windows. I'm just outsourcing the maintenance of my new weight to Mounjaro, and it does its job brilliantly.

I'm also going to continue to take it for the protection it provides against dementia, strokes and some cancers. If you care to do some proper reading and research (so not The Sun or Daily Mail click-bait) you will learn that the health benefits of WLI are myriad and the weight loss is just the tip of the iceberg.

Such a real shame that so many obese, and also angry, people can't or won't use WLI. I worry deeply about the serious long term effects their obesity is having on their health. I really do. It must be awful living with the knowledge that Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, increased risk of dementia, reduced mobility, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease and high blood pressure are most likely on the horizon. Such a shame.

There is so much ignorance in this post, I don’t know where to start.

Ah, it’s you @Zov. Say no more…

And, I don’t have any issue with taking Mounjaro long term. I can afford it, and I have no worries about the long term risks having weighed these up for my personal circumstances. I find it odd that other people would have such a strong opinion that I must not do this, for reasons that seem excessively controlling and not based in fact but in negative speculation.

Because you are now slim and much healthier and can financially afford to stay on WLI indefinitely. AND IT'S NOT FUCKING FAIR, DAMN YOU. DAMN YOU TO HELL.

And the only way I can alleviate my corrosive resentment and envy is by disparaging WLI and sincerely hoping they will be revealed to directly cause hideous side effects.

I’m happy to take WLI’s for life as the weight loss is just one benefit but ultimately the most important one

no longer pre diabetic, lower blood pressure, thyroid levels more stable, less migraines, better sleep, mental health better, no more excessive bloating and able to control bladder (no more leakage), far less acid reflux no medication now needed for it I am overall healthier

but I guess all of that was punishment for being a fatty and really I’m not deserving enough 🙄

i never received such concern over my health until I started losing weight and no longer over eight and looked much better how odd

I honestly despair that there are people who would actively set up a new account with appropriate user name, to come on and start a thread asking if it’s the beginning of the end for WLI with nothing whatsoever to back up the question.
Has a brand new, serious, side effect been identified that might prompt this question? No. Just the sheer desire from this poster that people might no longer be able to access a medication that has changed their lives.
What do you have to have wrong with you to do this? What’s your motivation? Perhaps some therapy might be in order?
In addition, why are people happy to be so confidently incorrect in their statements about WLI?
I don’t know anything about oral contraceptives or antidepressants. So I wouldn’t go on a thread about them spouting bollocks, just for the sake of it.

yes that's funny isn't it, you don't see people going on depression threads and telling people how worried they are about side effects. Surely you can't stay on those drugs for ever, and your problems will just come back. I know someone who took SSRIs and got sick again when she stopped!
Anyway, have you just tried being happier? I can be happy without medication so it must be possible.

Also, if you treat your depression without resorting to drugs (try just feeling happier, getting some gentle exercise or socialising with friends or family), you’re more likely to remain depression free…

Rude

I thought type 2 diabetes was always controlled with tablets and type 1 with insulin injections?

Type 1 is an autoimmune condition whereby the beta cells attack insulin production. Without insulin, Type 1s would die. Many are now using pump therapy rather than injections but the key is getting insulin in.

Type 2 is the pancreas not producing sufficient insulin (often called insulin resistance) which can be caused by lifestyle, age, or for many it runs in families. This can be controlled by improvements to diet and exercise, tablet form medication (usually metformin), or injections like mounjaro. Ultimately, a type 2 may need to inject insulin if other medications don’t work so well.

And yet in your much quoted previous post, you said you had no idea if his specialist field was related, but you assumed at least a bit. I think you've contradicted yourself somewhat! If he is indeed on the committee, then his field would very clearly be related, no guessing required. My 'guess' is he is not actually on the committee at all, or you would know for sure how his role relates to the subject.

Mmm, the story isn't straight...

Nope, I think along with AI it’s just another sign of things to come. Humans like the easy solution generally, they don’t like to have to work hard for things.

So we should all take our clothes down to the river and bash them on rocks instead of using a washing machine?

Why would you make things harder than they need to be ?

Childbirth without drugs?
Period underwear?
HRT?
Electric kettles?
Cars?
WLI ?

Ridiculous statement.

Fed up of all the MJ bashing,

I don’t know why this medication triggers such resentment. You don’t get people bleating on about anti-depressants or beta-blockers….

@Sartre ..you're absolutely right. Let's get rid of anaesthesia and penicillin. They make things far too easy. And gas and air and epidurals for childbirth. And whole we're at it, X rays and MRIs and burn ointment and sterile plasters. If people don't suffer, how will we know they deserve any benefits 🙄🙄

Thank you for explaining this, I know people with both and didn’t know how they were different, apart from 2 being exacerbated by lifestyle.