Sky News discussion about weight loss pills this morning

[ffsarewedoingthis]

They’re going through the daily papers and as per usual, three thin women are saying the same things, “there’s no long term data” (incorrect, these drugs have been in use for decades), “people who don’t need them use them” (very rare, and we don’t ban things like alcohol because kids sometimes get hold of it), “there’s a pressure to take them” (no, there’s not, if anything it’s the opposite).

AIBU to be utterly fed up of this discourse? I’m on WLI and have been for the last two years. I’ve lost ten and a half stone. It has quite literally saved my life.

Why, when they’re having these discussions, do they never discuss the fact that being obese is much much worse than any potential side effects of these drugs? Why don’t they discuss that almost every study coming out has been overwhelmingly positive, with noted positive cardiac benefits? The benefits in terms of addiction etc., are known as well.

The news trying to put people off these drugs is scary, especially when it’s three women who have obviously never experienced what it’s like to be morbidly obese and feeling like you’re suffocating in your own body.

It hadn't occurred to me that I can do that, but I shall!

You’ve explained this very well.

Let’s not pretend there are no side-effects. There are risks with all drugs. But for people who are obese, the risks of being overweight are worse than the risks from the drugs. Those people should be able to access jabs/pills.

That’s not the same for people who want to lose a stone, and hold a heavy object on the scales so they can get a prescription.

These drugs are being widely abused, and that needs to be stopped.

I'm all for better nutrition education, but worth pointing out that we've zero evidence it will effectively tackle societal obesity rates.

There's only one example of a society that's managed to reduce obesity rates outside the obvious catastrophes like war, siege and so on. It's the US, since WLIs became generally available. I don't expect most of us would like to emulate their food culture.

We should try and improve our nutrition education and food culture anyway, but it's premature to say nothing re obesity will change until we do it. Because actually, the evidence for that isn't there.

I see through work an increasing number of people taking these meds on an 'ad hoc' basis when they clearly don't meet criteria. 'just for a month before my holiday' 'just for 3 months before my party' etc. This group often use it as a short cut rather than looking at their diet and doing regular exercise. I have seen this in BMIs of 20 unhappy that their BMI has reached 21 ( these are not people maintaining having been obese). I think sarcopenia/frailty is a risk particularly in this group. It is not just the rich/celebrity group it is widespread and is going the way of botox/fillers/plastic surgery ie increasingly common. I worry this is the group the marketing will target.

This is very much separate from the OP and her position and I think there is no issue at all about them being used appropriately and indeed I think they should be prescribed more readily for people who are obese and have added health issues. There is a reluctance in some GPs to do this even in completely appropriate cases which I feel is inappropriate and it should be easier to to get the medication on the NHS when it is the right thing to do and the risk/benefit ratio is much clearer. This will save the NHS money in the long term !

Gosh some of this is not just inane it’s illogical.

the drugs are approved for maintenance. Down to a bmi 19 in many cases. The who recommends them as a long term usage. They all know the safety profile. Again not one death globally due to correct usage of the legitimate drugs.

its like some folks are desperate for it to cause issues, utterly desperate, despite all evidence to the contrary and decades of usage.

The OP didn’t differentiate between black market and prescribed. She talked generically about the drugs and said how marvellous they are and how people shouldn’t bang on about the dangers.

These drugs are EVERYWHERE, and they’re not safe for everyone; indeed they’re dangerous for normal sized people. The media has an obligation to talk about that.

OP is doing well on them, and I’m delighted for her. But that doesn’t negate the fact there are dangers there for some people.

In what way are they dangerous for “normal size” people?

There are definite double standards in evidence.

I think it's fine to take the position that the existing evidence isn't enough for you. But consistency then requires application of that standard to whatever else you've come up with as an alternative. Which is where people often fall down.

Being severely underweight is as, if not more, dangerous as being obese.

Of course, who is disputing this, the reality is clearly the vast majority of people using them are not severely underweight.

Blimey you best get right on the blower to the global health authorities and tell me they fucked up,😂

If they start at a normal, healthy weight, they can very quickly become severely underweight.

Being a little bit underweight is much more dangerous than being a little bit overweight.

Being very overweight or obese (not even morbidly) dramatically raises risks of multiple cancers and other serious complications such as diabetes.

Again, sure, who is disputing this.

Also when you get on the blower to all the global health authorities. Could you screech they are dangerous like you are on here. Then co\me back and let us know how that went for you.😂

Right so some people may abuse them, but that’s not inevitable for everyone? I went from a BMI of 25 to 21, over a 6 month period, with strength training to preserve muscle as far as possible. I’m not severely underweight nor will I be. I know loads of people on them, no one is severely underweight. You can’t stop selling drugs because some people abuse them, of course your regulate how they’re obtained, but you’re making it sound like everyone is abusing them. Would you stop selling paracetamol because a very small fraction of people using them overdose?

Well, that’s it. We agree!

I have not for one second suggested they should be stopped or banned. I congratulated OP on her success with them.
All I’ve said is that it’s legit to make sure people are aware that whilst they’re fantastic for the right people and purpose, if abused they can be dangerous. The message being Do Not Abuse Them.

I think we should be looking at the root cause of obesity in our society, rather than putting a sticking plaster over it. A third of uk is obese, but only 5% in japan, 10% France. We shouldn’t be using medication as a way to fix this.

Like every drug, they are being abused. I think they should be for the morbidly obese category but it's becoming more common for women who just want to lose a stone for their holiday to lie and get hold of them.

Yeah fair enough, can’t argue with that!

I sort of think that’s why we have to embrace that non obese people are using them, like some providers are doing enabling people with BMIs of 25-27 off label, because as has been said people are getting their hands on them either way, at least through a legitimate supplier there is some monitoring, it’s the proper product, not something from your Botox lady as I’ve seen on here 😬

They won’t do that because the food industry is too powerful, capitalism always wins. People also aren’t willing to pay what real food costs.

Again, we agree.

The email confirmation wont do that, why would it.

Have you never bought prescription drugs online? I have to when the chemist and the doctor seem determined to use their incompetence to make my prescription late for various meds Im on and I have to source private online purchases so I dont run out, so my steroid nasal spray, sumatriptan, primadone etc, I order these online, the medication comes with its usual instruction/side effect leaflet. Like any medication you buy even paracetamol in the supermarket.

What would or should be different with this medication?

If you have lost over 10 stone you are exactly the type of person who should be benefiting from these drugs. The issue is that they are being abused, not a day goes by without threads regarding getting hold of them with lower bmis. We also don’t have data about long term use by younger people because they were principally used for type 2 diabetes which affects mostly older people, often with comorbidities.

it’s right to be cautious, but also to use where weight issues are significant because the definite harm of morbid obesity outweighs the potential harm of dependency on a drug with unknown long term consequences