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?

Absolute game changer. Changing the way. It will be interesting to see what the obesity rates are pre and post GLPs

You don’t sound like a conspiracy theorist, you are one. 😂

You do realise gallbladder issues are common anyway with any form of weight loss? And even more so if you’re obese anyway?

Thanks for answering my question! Unsurprisingly, I guess the inverse also applies: if someone taking eg Mounjaro for weight loss has naturally balanced blood sugars/insulin levels, does the blood sugar regulating element of the drug just make them super-duper regulated, or maybe have no effect at all? Whatever the dosage?

There was a newspaper article about retatrutide written by Shona Sibary over a week ago Said its not licensed for use in the UK yet Shes on it

I know this isn’t the point of the thread but If you are going to mention diabetes please use the correct illness, it’s type 2 diabetes that it is used for.
It pisses me off no end when I hear folk saying it reversed their diabetes. It didn’t, it reversed their type 2 diabetes. If it reversed their Type 1 diabetes they’d be medical miracles. The harm this does to people’s understanding of Type 1 diabetes is awful.
They are 2 completely different illness, one can be reversed and one can kill you in a matter of days if you are not receiving the correct amount of insulin

It’s not licensed in the UK yet but it’s very easy to get hold of!

I don't like them at all.

It's not fair on people who have lost weight through use of exercise and willpower. Some people will still be eschewing the use of these drugs and doing it the old fashioned way, yet people will think they are cheating by shooting up drugs. To me it is no different to sports people taking performance enhancing drugs.

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.

You will not get a neutral audience on AIBU about this topic for more than a page or so. Those on them get very offended if it is discussed in any way at all and will bombard this thread shortly.

I think they're a game changer. If it becomes possible to make them available free to everyone who needs them then we could eradicate obesity, make a lot of people happier and healthier and save the NHS money in the long run.

Being an injection would definitely put me off them but I think they will eventually be tablets.

There may well be unknown as yet side effects but I doubt they'll be as bad as the side effects of obesity.

Disclaimer: I've never taken them so can't speak to how they make people feel/how effective they are.

My thoughts are that they treat the symptoms but not the cause. And that it's in the interests of many corporations to make us fat with upf and then sell us a cure.

I think they’re a great option.

I hear people say that x person taking MJ looks older. But I’m guessing that’s more to do with rapid weight loss rather than MJ itself and they would look the same if they did the cabbage soup diet.

@miniaturepixieonacid there are already tablets. Two different ones available in the UK. A bit less effective than the injections but still produce meaningful weight loss over time. All GLP1s are effective when looked at across the board, that's exactly why they have been approved for use.

It's certainly made me healthier and happier.

I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole. But then I have a very delicate digestive system and don't need any more problems with it short or long term. If I were morbidly obese or supermorbidly obese I might think differently. The companies making them are raking in so many billions they don't care about the odd lawsuit or any future payouts that may be required for those they fuck up.

Personally if I needed them for weight loss I’d take them. They have cardiovascular and renal benefits too.

My thoughts are I would love to try them because I weigh more than I ever have before and have a BMI of 31. Sadly I’m also skint so can’t afford them. I don’t have any of the co-morbidities that would lead to an NHS prescription.

The weird conspiracy theory anti-vaxxer nutjob angle is never a good look.

There are risks to taking the jabs. There are bigger risks to staying obese. Obesity kills in many ways increasing risks of getting and of dying from various diseases. If you can stop being obese without jabs then that's probably better. If you can't, there are no prizes being awarded for the virtue of staying off the jabs.

People pretending they are obese by faking their weight and height statistics because they want to get the jabs to reduce their weight even though they are already in healthy range are the people who are takimg stupid risks. I'm also aware of one acquaintance who has got down to a healthy weight and could come off the jabs altogether but frankly admits that she's staying on a maintenance dose because that means she doesn't have to tackle her alcohol problem. Without the drugs, her appetite plus alcohol intake creates an excess of calories that pile the weight on, but with a maintainance dose she can have all the alcohol she wants. That's not healthy.

All medications can have side effects potentially.
There is absolutely no link whatsoever with Covid jabs.
Some people need weight loss jabs because otherwise they can’t lose weight and it threatens their health.
The rest of us (like me) should try harder not eating biscuits, chocolate and cakes and move more.

By the way you do sound like a conspiracy theorist.

I'm not sure, but I think the OP was trying to say that a lot of the people who refused Covid vaccines because it was new or experimental leapt onto WLI without hesitation, which is ironic. Or something like that?

I don't really care what anyone says or thinks about Mounjaro, I've lost 5 stone on it now and it's transformed my life. I feel and look amazing, I got into a healthy BMI for the first time in 15 years, minimal side effects, and I'll take it forever if I possibly can.

Ds is on mounjaro & has lost nearly 2 stone in 6 weeks, it is really helping his health as he has many obesity related health conditions. Without it he would have continued to gain weight. Compared to having gastric band or sleeve surgery it is a revolution in weight loss.

Absolutely honest truthful thoughts?

1. Probably be shot down for this but I am a bit envious. I've always been a normal weight but considered 'unattractive' in other ways. Normal weight was one of my good points, and now it seems like anyone can obtain it. I'd never, ever, say that out loud.

2. From a health perspective, I think people should be very careful taking something which slows down digestion and is known to cause gallbladder issues etc. Lots of diseases start in the gut. Surely there is an increased risk of bowel cancer if you slow down digestion? All medications have side effects, it's not ideal. Obviously it's a personal choice but I think really they should only be taken if you are so morbidly obese it's badly affecting your health, and all other ways have been tried. I think it's silly taking them when say 1-2 stones overweight. But again, personal choice.

3. To be honest it annoys me that anyone other than extreme cases should be getting this on the NHS. I know, I know, childbirth and smoking related etc etc and it's a slippery slope to discriminate on things which can be caused by personal choices, but the NHS is already struggling and half the country getting free medication because they might be at a higher risk of diabetes etc, sorry nah. I will admit I don't know the rules for prescribing on NHS but I would not want to see it expanded.

Unpopular opinion probably!

My thoughts are that they treat the symptoms but not the cause. And that it's in the interests of many corporations to make us fat with upf and then sell us a cure.

Yes this thought has occurred to my slightly conspiracy brain before! What if food starts making us gain weight so we will require jabs or tablets?

Some of this may be true, I don't know. Eg bowel cancer - we know that certain foods are linked to bowel cancer, eg UPFs, and you eat less of them (or eliminate them completely from your diet) when on WLIs.
I also know there is also a list of things that WLIs are beneficial for - so I'll take my chances. If something awful happens to me because of WLIs, then I've lived the remainder of my life thin, rather than hating my weight and feeling like I did when I was obese, or getting some of the horrible diseases that obesity increases the risks of. I'll take that.

@guesswhojustgotbacktoday

1. you can feel however you want about it. It's fine to be envious or annoyed that other people can have what you already do. You can console yourself that it's costing them a decent amount of money and comes with the risk of possible side effects, which you are still fortunate to avoid.
2. There is no increased risk of bowel cancer. If there was, it would not have been approved or only approved in limited circumstances. Being obese, not even morbidly obese but just ordinarily obese, increases the risk of ill health. By a lot. Being 1 or 2 stone overweight if you are short might put you into the obese category. These medications are available for people who are overweight but have a weight related health condition too.
3. You really should look up the NHS criteria for Mounjaro. It is absolutely not half the country getting these meds. You need a BMI of 40 or higher, plus 4 out of 5 of the following health conditions - T2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, high cholesterol, heart disease and high blood pressure. That means that only a few people actually qualify. For Wegovy injections, you need to be on the Tier 3 weight loss programme which means a BMI of 35 plus one weight related health condition. You can't access that immediately though, you need a referral. Many areas have long waiting lists, and then you need to work through the stages of the programme before you might be offered Wegovy.

By the way, it's not just the risk of developing T2 diabetes, being obese comes with a huge range of increased risks for all kinds of cancers, and various other serious health conditions. It would be an overall cost saving if people lost weight through GLP1s and then didn't go on to develop those other conditions.

Interesting angle. 🤔