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?

Oh so you didn’t say ‘but the evidence of the lack of satiety is in the sheer fact two thirds of the population are over weight or obese’?

The WHO say that global obesity rates are fueled by "obesogenic" environments, including widespread availability and marketing of cheap, energy-dense processed foods, and a steep rise in sedentary lifestyles caused by modern work, urbanisation, and a lack of active transportation options. Do you disagree with that?

Very safe and beneficial for people with diabetes, obesity or insulin resistance. The benefits massively outweigh the risks. For people of normal BMI with no risk factors for cardiovascular disease the risks outweigh the benefits. So many people are getting them off label and microdosing and we don’t know what the long term effects of that could be.

The poster also mentions ‘the sheer safety’ of WLI’s, which is not correct. They have side effects and some are unpleasant. The long term effects of the drugs still aren’t known and it’s for that reason that they’re only prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity - because the risks of these conditions outweigh the potential risk of taking WLI’s.

You’re embarrassing yourself

This may be true but also food noise is partly boredom. We are miserable as a species in the social and economic environment we’re stuck in: food is a comfort, that’s why we crave it.
Obesity is about far more than food.

I'm not sure boredom levels have changed since the 40s and 50's. Arguably people had just as boring jobs in the 40s and 50s as now- possibly more so. What's changed is that now when you're bored at work there's a costa next door, a vending machine in the pantry and a Tesco over the road, whereas you used to be in a field/ mine/factory with no prospect of any food other than at meal breaks and what you brought with you/ was getting served in the canteen. I think these parameters helped people compartmentalise food a lot better.

@Stormyrose you wrote earlier

”its done, best folks get comfortable with the fact we have this choice, no one has to take them, but for the millions and millions who do wish to, it’s nothing short of wonderful.”

I don’t know if you mean to, but the above could more accurately say:

“its done, best folks get comfortable with the fact SOME have this choice, no one has to take them, but for the millions and millions who ARE PRESCRIBED OR CAN AFFORD TO BUY PRIVATELY, it’s nothing short of wonderful.”

Definitely the haves and have nots for WLIs.

I agree, lots of external factors cause over/comfort eating. Some people are able to admit it and recognise it to change their mindset.

Others refuse to accept that the imbalance of calories in vs calories out causes obesity.

In order for it to be clear, you'd have needed to explain that although you used language about quantity (more food than needed) you actually meant something else and accept that the quantity issue can't be solved in a free, rich society.

You certainly were confused when you thought I'd said shivering makes people lose weight. But if you find it irrelevant to talk about heating, that might be because you've not looked into how many more calories can be needed to keep people in cold environments warm. Presumably we all know that even small differences add up over time when it comes to obesity. Better heating access isn't the only reason why obesity rates are higher, which is why I've mentioned more than one this thread.

The face to face appointment discussion between us started when you replied to my post in an already existing mini-thread about face to face, referring to an advocate of more monitoring. You presumably had a reason for that but I don't check people's motives for posting. If you want to involve yourself in a discussion, that's up to you.

Strongly agree re the benefits of obesity prevention, but that does raise two issues. One is that anything people are suggesting thus far is of necessity guesswork, because nothing has actually worked at preventing rich societies from becoming more obese. That's fine but means there's less of an evidence base than there is for WLIs, so people might assess them differently. Two is that even in the best case scenario of these ideas working, we'd still need an ongoing solution for all the people who are already obese/require WLIs not to go back to obesity. They're not the same thing.

"...no one has to take them, but for the millions and millions who do wish to, it’s nothing short of wonderful.”

I would think for those poor souls who died taking them - just hoping to lose a dress size or shirt size or two before a wedding, etc. - it is a fair bit short of wonderful.

I’m not disinterested in preventing obesity, howver I disagree with a nanny state of limiting food for fne population, we all know that most overweight people it’s not due to eating fatty burgers as someone bizzarely claimed, but portion size as well as sendetary life styles due to Jobs sitting at desks for long hours, then home to kids and no time for exercise or too tired.

if we could have prevented obesity we would have, it’s across the developed world, not just the uk. It is a problem no country has been able to solve. Even the slimmest society, Japan, is now seeing obesity raise.

We have educated, we make healthy foods available, we encourage exercise and make it accessible, we have done it all bar your suggestion of controlling the populations food intake and that I am not supportive of.

The reality is the developed world due to the change in society has a major obesity epidemic which is killing people. These drugs are a lifesaver. It doesn’t mean you can’t prevent obesity at the same time, and make them no longer required, and if you’ve any great idea on that feel free to write to all the global governments and explain how you will ensure people don’t have too big portions and exercise more.

we all know that most overweight people it’s not due to eating fatty burgers as someone bizzarely claimed,

No, that was your misreading.

I get what you say. I agree. Also lobbyists for the food industry are powerful. I suppose my point is that I could binge on blueberries, grapes, oily fish, prawns, eggs, all sorts because I constantly just want to eat and always think I’m hungry, despite at least 100g protein a day and a reasonable calorie intake for my size.

I would make learning to cook at school high importance as I was lucky my mum taught me as did school, bog standard comp had fully kitted out kitchens. It’s not surprising that many adults today can’t cook and not really their fault if they were never taught the basics. Perfect storm with the availability of ready foods etc.

@AWomanOfWealthAndTaste Quoting didn’t work for some reason.

I‘m going to ignore the pointless back and forth. If you want to believe shivering is somehow the reason why Finns are less fat than Canadians, be my guest. Small
changes do indeed add up, which is exactly why sedentary lifestyles are a problem.

On your final para, it’s of course true that many societies have failed to prevent obesity. But many others have not. We know why people become obese, but there is little will to address those factors. Of course there’s a huge will to sell and buy into WLIs and - for the approximately 90th time - they are a useful solution for people already obese and who can access them, tolerate them and for whom they work.

I didn’t suggest controlling the population’s food intake. But soon that will be less of an issue as climate change decimates crops, and we become even less food secure. Most of the things we know contribute to obesity have got worse, not better - where do you see things that have been tried?

Of course portion size is a factor but pretending that ‘fatty burgers’ and other calorie dense and nutrient poor foods are not also part of the issue is stupid. The nutritional quality of whole foods has decreased as well, and yes I think governments should be more invested in this. They won’t be, because it costs money and they are also lazy. But let’s at least be honest about the reality rather than pretending there’s just nothing any of us can do.

See think WLIs are rather nanny state - ‘can’t control your own weight? Here’s some drugs. You’ll need them for life though, you’ll never be able to control your appetite.’

You need new friends. I don’t know anyone who behaves like this.

Exactly. WHO recommends WLIs as lifelong medication only for people who are obese and/or have long term health condition, and that the drugs should be accompanied by intensive behavioural intervention. She says her husband uses it to stop him having a couple of alcoholic drinks every night!

You really do need to stop inventing things and then attributing them to people who haven't said them. This keeps happening. I can't even tell if you're doing it on purpose or not.

There are no societies that have enough resources to feed everyone as much as they want that don't eventually, undrugged, develop an obesity problem. It comes to us all in the end. Even the much touted Japanese have increasing rates, as well as much higher consumption of a different appetite suppressant drug (nicotine) than we do.

I agree that there's little will to address many of the factors that contribute to obesity. But it does need to be spelled out that there's no evidence humans can live in a society of abundance and avoid societal obesity without at least a significant minority of the population being on some form of appetite suppressant.

I didn’t just say that did I. everyone can read it.

look it’s clear the drugs trigger a huge emotional reaction in you. Maybe step away from the thread, calm yourself. The drugs aren’t going anywhere, it’s done, no matter how upsetting you find it, this genie isn’t going back in the bottle.

i am sorry you’re struggling so much, but none of us here can solve that for you, and the drugs aren’t going away nor will they be harder to get. Some things in life it’s better to accept than fight a battle you can’t win, as it’s only you, and a small minority of people, who are gutted we can now get these meds and be so successful on them.

What an extremely patronising response.

Yes. And so much projection in it!

Her comments about ‘a minority of people being gutted that WLI are here to stay’….nonsense

Most normal people actually think/feel gutted that obesity exists, yet is preventable with behaviour and environmental changes. Worse still, the younger generation now think it’s fine to get fat and they’ll just get the jabs.
My teen DD actually said this herself

Gosh what a lot of projection. I’ve no emotional investment in these drugs either way - my life won’t change if they disappear, nor is it worse for their presence. I think they present an interesting intellectual dilemma, but for some users of course it’s very personal if they feel their success depends on them. Addiction is a terrible thing and certainly not something to be taken lightly.

Can you provide evidence that of the people who have died while using WLIs that it was the WLIs that directly caused their death?

Also, how many of those people were confirmed to be taking WLIs only to lose a dress or shirt size before a wedding?

Yes, in my case HRT. I request repeat prescriptions from my GP and send them blood pressure readings which I take myself. I haven’t seen the GP in years but my Mounjaro provider sends them details of every prescription and my surgery contacted me to give me advice on adjusting my HRT dose when using Mounjaro.

I’ve also bought pharmacy medicines online from Boots and other providers by filling in forms on my condition and other medications I’m taking.

Self reporting and management is the way forward for many conditions and it works. I don’t need to see a GP for HRT or Mounjaro. I can manage it myself, freeing up doctor’s appointments for those who need it more.