What do we REALLY think about the weight loss jabs?

[Newbabynewhouse]

I've put this on AIBU rather than weight loss jab because I want a neutral audience rather than people who are all using the jab.
What are peoples thoughts on the jab? I'd love to hear from someone educated in the medical field about whether these are actually safe for people without diabetes.
I'm obese and I have lost a stone so far by dieting although it's taking me a long time! I know if I keep trying hard I can lose what I need to. Lots of people I know have started dropping weight from using the jabs and I am tempted however, can't shake a feeling that there's something not quite right.
What I mean by this is... these jabs have been around for years for diabetic people, so why have they only just been 'released' to people despite obesity effecting the NHS for years?
I know a woman who fainted in work the other day with gallbladder issues, she's on the jab.
Also, I'm going to sound a little conspiracy theorist now, but, isn't it odd these jabs became popular straight after people starting refusing to have more covid jabs..?.. I'd love to hear from people with a bit of background info or medical professionals to tell me whether I'm overthinking or if I'm onto something?

The voice of reason! It gives you space to learn and enjoy!

You do still have to work somewhat at the weight loss though. You can’t just inject WLI and continue to eat crap because there are consequences - stomach issues if you eat too much fat for example. There still has to be a calorie deficit - OK easier to achieve with Mounjaro, but you can’t just eat what you like and expect the weight to just fall off. The time on WLI’s is best used to change eating habits and learn what works best for you. And for those using it to control type 2 you still have to watch carb intake and monitor blood sugar.

Some people maybe, but not all people.

I'm thin, I've been effortlessly thin my whole life. I don't view it as morally superior, it's just lucky genes and an upbringing with parents who instilled healthy food habits. Nothing I did myself, and there's never been any struggle. I don't view beauty or height etc as morally superior either.

I don't care if people are thinner or fatter than me. Different body types suit different weights, I'd just like society as a whole to be healthy.

Of course I know that obesity can have biological causes. But also it's true that rates of obesity shoot up in nations when eating habits change from traditional diets to upf diets. So I think for many people it's an environmental cause. And WLI doesn't address that. WLI might benefit an individual, but I think there's something really wrong on a societal level when large numbers of people need drugs like this.

what do you think we do? we still have to consider what a calorie deficit looks like, we still need to up our exercise. It isn't the magic cure some seem to think it is. I personally can override it if I want to - not a problem to eat a 3 course meal at the Chinese on Saturday although I was very uncomfortable afterwards, for example. What it does is take away the noise in the head, the constant thinking about food - you wouldn't know if you'd never experienced it. It makes you feel you can take it or leave it. I still need to put in the effort to lose. It doesn't just melt the fat away.

@ProudCat medication developed for a purpose shouldn't be rationed so that it's available for another purpose.

This happens all the time with medications though?

Rogaine was developed to treat high blood pressure. Now it's used for hair loss.

Viagra was developed for angina treatment and high blood pressure. And we all know what it treats now.

Botox was developed for crossed eyes and uncontrolled blinking and now it's used for cosmetic reasons. But also for migraine, overactive bladder and excessive sweating.

Gabapentin was originally an anti seizure medication and now it's used for chronic nerve pain, shingles and fibromyalgia.

Prazosin was originally used for high blood pressure. But now used for sleep disturbance and PTSD.

Most people don't eat enough protein? How could you possibly know?

I was more than 20 stone. What do you consider would have happened to me if I had continued that way? What was the alternative, given that I'm in my 50s and tried every diet going for many years? Any method of weight loss is going to cause muscle loss, you know that right? You assume, like so many on here, that being obese is the same as being utterly stupid. You assume that there's no personal accountability, that I'm somehow unable to research what to do and how to help myself. You assume I'm unable to do whatever is necessary to maintain my overall health because....I was obese.

WLIs have literally saved my life. I will hopefully now be around for grandchildren. The loss of weight means I can now exercise - there are no excuses anymore. I can move. I don't hurt. Wearing a dress today that is 6 sizes smaller than the one I was wearing this time last year (and it's the same dress 'cos I loved it, found this one in a smaller size on Vinted). That is possibly the most motivating thing ever!

I was not and am not stupid. I am an educated professional. There were many reasons for my weight including genetics, the way I was taught to handle food from childhood, some abuse, low self esteem and other stuff. But mainly....there was a point of no return and I passed it. It became impossible to go back. I'm there now, thankfully right on time and thankfully I have been able to afford it. I know many aren't so lucky.

How is it unfair? Does people using the drugs make those who don’t gain weight or unable to lose the weight? No… it has no effect on them. It’s not a competition you see between women to see who can lose the most weight through the hardest method.

Personally, not for me.

I’m 2st down since April by making lifestyle changes - but I’m very fortunate to not have issues with food noise.

My appetite actually isn’t that big. I was eating shit, and overeating it vs what my appetite actually is. I’ve worked on stopping that, and getting more mobile as I’ve lost weight and it’s become more manageable to move.

That worked for me. It won’t work for everyone, and I do believe that if you’ve tried and better tried, taking jabs isn’t an easy way out, it’s the way out.

I have less sympathy for people who start them with half a stone to lose toward a healthy weight. I do lean toward just doing it, when you’ve got “less to lose,” but if your whole life has been dominated by obesity and weight loss problems, I can see there’s absolutely a place for them.

Exactly. Antidepressants are often used for diabetic neuropathy relief and other pain symptoms.

There is a bit more to it, apparently.A meta-analysis of multiple studies (76 randomised control trials) concluded the the increased risk of gallbladder disease may be directly linked to the actual mechanism of GLP-1s, as well as to rapid weight loss:

"This is due to the suppression of gallbladder motility, i.e., lack of contraction and thereby delayed emptying of the gallbladder, leading to the buildup of bile. Moreover, sudden decreases in the patient's weight over a short duration, such as that caused by GLP-1 RAs, are also associated with an increased risk of gallbladder diseases. The weight loss triggered by the GLP-1 RA leads to an increase in the amount of cholesterol (a component of bile) in the gallbladder. Furthermore, fasting keeps the gallbladder inactive, leading to a buildup of thick bile, which eventually leads to the formation of gallstones."

I mean, people can do whatever they want to do, and I very much believe that we all are entitled to take personal responsibility for ourselves no matter what form that comes in. And yes, crash dieting can be bad for you, but from what I’ve seen of the weight loss jabs, as soon as you come off them your body naturally wants you to eat more food. Therefore, if you’ve only used them to lose half a stone or a stone, when you come off them, you’re probably making life even harder of yourself in order to maintain that weight loss. So in some ways I do consider the jabs to be a form of crash dieting crash dieting for certain people, it’s a quick fix that is going to be undone very easily, which begs the question is it really worth doing it?

Exactly. So what if it’s easier? Isn’t that a good thing? Why should people have to go through difficulty to lose weight, unless people think that’s their punishment for daring to gain weight in the first place?
As I said upthread I lost 4 stone without WLI. It was hard. If, at the time, there had been a way to make it easier I’d absolutely have taken it!

I've put this on AIBU rather than weight loss jab because I want a neutral audience

AIBU? Neutral audience

heard it all now 😂😂😂😂

That’s the case for every form of weight loss in the known universe. The brain knows the top amount of fat storage you’ve ever achieved and it sees that as its goal for the rest of your life because to the brain that’s optimum survival storage.

Having lost weight the body will always seek to regain it. Once you stop rigidly following diet rules it will seek to make you eat more.

unless people think that’s their punishment for daring to gain weight in the first place?

That's it, though, isnt it?

Some people do think that.

A pp likened it to giving birth via c section and I agree. Women who give birth by c section are seen by many as weak and not havijg done it properly. What they mean os, not having suffered. This is no different.

I've met one man who is on WLI. I'm sure there are more but every other person I know, have met or know of is female.

So as well as a moral judgement, I think there's a fair amount ofisogyny in the criticisms too.

Women shouldn't get to take the easy way out. It's just more policing of women's bodies.

Yes that’s true, I think we’re saying them same thing more than you realise 😂 WLJ are really just another form of crash dieting (that happens to be more socially acceptable in my personal opinion), so if you have little need to lose weight then I don’t personally think the benefits outweigh the risks. If you are seriously obese then the weight loss (no matter what form it comes in) may outweigh the risks but only alongside other help to understand why you reached that point in the first place.

Rogaine is the brand name for Minoxidil, and the tablet form is not licensed for hair loss in the UK, as it’s strictly used for treating high blood pressure. The tablets can be obtained for hair loss treatment under specific circumstances, under the strict guidance of a specialist and usually by private prescription. Rogaine solution, applied directly to the scalp is the only form of Minoxidil widely available.

I’ve seen a lot of nonsense written on the jabs, and a lot of nonsense written about Covid vaccinations, bill gates injecting us with micro chips anyone. But this is the first time I’ve seen someone write something as insane as weight loss meds are secret covid injections. 😂

op, the meds are like any other med, developed for one thing, and another outcome found and then prolonged and mass trials conducted to ensure safety and efficiency . Viagra is a prime example.

They are the single most important advancement in medical science for decades. Obesity is the number one killer in western society, it leads to so so many life ending or life altering outcomes. Heart attack, stroke, liver and kidney disease, it’s the number one cause of cancer in non smokers and the number two cause in smokers.

the drugs are approved by all global health authories after extensive testing, thousands of people, 15 years plus, and in use for over two decades. Over 60 million successfully on them globally right now.

and we also know ones like mounjaro bring other health benefits from cardio vascular disease to fatty liver, it’s basically just a synthetic hormone we produce naturally.

however taking them is a choice, as is taking any other medication, no one will hold you down and force you, you are free to stay fat, lose weight without help, whatever rocks your boat basically,

Not quite true. The long term risks are still largely unknown. Their use is restricted to the treatment of type 2 diabetes and weight loss within certain parameters because the risk of those conditions outweighs the risk connected with taking WLI’s. I would be alarmed at someone who only need to lose a small amount of weight actually being able to obtain WLI’s in the first place because they would have to lie to get it.

@MummyJ36 WLI don't inevitably lead to crash dieting, and for most the weight loss quickly settles into the standard 1 to 2 lbs a week loss that you'd expect on any diet. Many people experience weight loss plateaus or even small gains from week to week, like any other diet process.

It has been proven, repeatedly via the clinical trials, that the benefits of losing weight outweigh the risks of taking the medication for anyone who is obese, no matter how obese they are. Also, for those who are overweight (BMI 27 or higher) with a weight related health condition. It's not a question of "may" outweigh the risks, it does outweigh the risks. That's the reason these medications were approved.

I was morbidly obese. What other help do you think I should have to understand why I got to that point in the first place? Can you also explain how you know that the kind of help you're envisioning is effective? I'd like to know what kind of barriers you'd have put in place before I could access effective treatment.

See this is what really annoys me. Do you think I’m stupid or something? That I don’t know this? The pills have the effect of reducing appetite. I eat a brilliant diet. I can cook as well as anyone. I know what my plate and calories need to be. That is not hard. The hard part is portion control and calorie intake. Obviously! The bills make it easier to eat in a deficit to lose, then a suitable amount to maintain.

Sorry to hear you can’t access them,

Ok so I too would likely make that wise choice as you refer to if I had the choice (ie sufficient disposable income). Unless prescribed, these drugs really do seem to be the new have and have nots.

Medical supervision is exactly that. Actually seeing a Dr or prescriber, running through the benefits but also the risks and actually assessing if its suitable taking into account past medical history etc.

Currently a lot of people fill in online forms which are reviewed but it's very easy to lie on those forms to inflate BMI levels so that you can get it. To not put in full medical history etc.
Not all companies are the same but it's the latest high money making element it is getting abused and there are cases of people who have ended up seriously unwell because they have been given way too higher doses or a dodgy batch because they have gone for cheapest cost and it turns out to be black market.