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 ignorance on here is outstanding.

Good role model? So taking weight loss medication is what? being a poor role model? Guess what people on the jabs also eat with their children. I know, shocking.

I'd love to hear from someone educated in the medical field about whether these are actually safe for people without diabetes.

This is a nonsense question. It's predicated on thinking "doctors know everything" : In reality, they get specialist training and a good doctor knows the limits of their knowledge. No Doctor knows everything just because they have a medical background (the House TV show is amusing medical-theme fantasy).

I do evaluate trial evidence for a living, and I wouldn't answer that question without systematic review methods which are exhaustive and take weeks, not a 20 minute effort or pronounced off the top of someone's head.

Unless basically I refer to regulators... if I have faith in the regulatory process (which I do) then the safety record for WLIs will be excellent, including for people without T2DM. Because the regulatory process includes lots of safety testing and the product can't be marketed to non T2DM people unless testing suggested WLIs were very safe among them (note I said "very", not "perfectly").

Still, if you trust single "experts" over regulatory process, what can I say?
You probably trust Grandma over any external expert, too.

My waters suggest I could be a bit dehydrated. Nothing about birth control yet, but give them time.

Yes when my BMI was 46 and I could barely walk and they were worried I was going to die, I was a fabulous role model for my children
Being on the jabs has been very hard work. And I climbed an actual mountain with them. A much better role model.

I spoke to my GP about the weight loss jabs lately. I'm not a candidate but I was just interested in his thoughts about it.

He said they are a game changer in the overall health of the population and will eventually relieve some of the stress on the health system.

He definitely felt the benefits outweighed the risks. He did say however that he sees his patients being on a low dose of the jab forever because a lot of them are not making any changes to lifestyle while on the jabs, he said that's very frustrating to see.

Im diabetic and had small doses of ozempic - def had an impact on my apetite and my glucose levels - for 6m. Then I couldnt get any cos it was all take up by people who wanted to lose weight!

I waited for more than 12m to be prescribed Mounjaro - no impact on my apetite or glucose levels 😭 Ive been ill due to it - i spent a weekend in agony - bloated, constipation, in pain all over the body, feelingvweak etc. So basically I dont take what Im prescrived, if I take it, I take a lot less so I can tolerate it. My plan is to ask my consultant to review using mounjaro. Id rather be on ozempic even though the medics say mounjaro is better, for me, oxempic low dose was more effective.

@Newbabynewhouse are you considering taking some weightloss medicine? I think using low doses may be better generally for people wanting to lose weight, so aim for the lowest dose level that works for you. Noone needs to lose weight hyper fast it's bad for the body and may be what's causing the side effects.

I can only speak from my own experience, and I’m not medically trained. I have co-morbidities that really shouldn’t have meant I used MJ, but I have lost 13 stone 6lb in 16 months!
It has literally changed my life my mental health, my physical health, everything. I now go to the gym/swim 4 times a week. I can run around after the baby and my teen, socialise, and I genuinely feel like I have my life back at 45.
I feel so fit now. I can walk for miles, and my health conditions have improved too. My asthma is so much better controlled, and my blood pressure is perfect now.
This is just my experience, but honestly, I feel like I’ve got my life back.

YABU because of the COVID jab conspiracy theory. 😂

OMG. This is ridiculous. I have changed my life completely on the jabs! But my brain and genetics are rhe same. So yes I will stay on them for life.
Would you like to stop insulin? Asthma inhalers? Heart meds? Antidepressants? ADHD meds? Why not? Did they not try hard enough to "change"?
Why did we need rhem in the 1st place? BECAUSE OBESITY IS A CHRONIC MEDICAL DISEASE . Not a moral failing.

If you genuinely want to hear what someone in the medical field thinks, Google Giles Yeo and listen to his Hunger Game podcast.

I agree with pp that WLIs aren’t addressing the underlying causes of obesity. A quick read of the many threads on the WLI threads will show that lots of users have binge eating disorder. The injections will do nothing to treat that.
I’ve always been a normal weight with lots of food noise although I mainly didn’t act on that because otherwise I’d have gained weight. I’ve been as much as a BMI of 25 but have maintained one of 20 for several years. I learnt to say no to my head. Now I’m on ADHD medication that food noise is much less and I can happily go all day without eating but shouldn’t so force myself to eat. I eat whatever I fancy but limit UPFs and make what I can from scratch. I exercise a lot every day because I don’t drive and have to walk everywhere. I’m rarely still. Having my breakfast is the longest I’ll sit down for on any day.
WLI are a relatively quick fix for the obese who don’t want to put in the hard psychological work to sort out their problems plus and very important plus, they’ve fucked up their metabolism by yo-yo dieting and being obese in the first place so it’s really hard to lose weight once you are obese. I think WLI should be prescribed alongside intensive psychological therapy but that’s never going to happen. I think it’s very important not to be one overweight in the first place. That takes hard work for a lot of people and humans tend to take the easy route.

I think they’re a great tool. I have been overweight for years (although not high enough BMI to qualify for weight loss injections) and have tried to lose it naturally so many times but never succeed. I have recently started taking medication for something else but a side effect of the medication is that it suppresses appetite and has switched off the ‘food noise’ in my head, not to the extent that weight loss jabs do but enough that I am now able to stick to a healthy meal plan.

Not craving sweet foods or wanting to eat when I’m not even hungry has been a huge change for me, I used to snack all evening and trying to ignore the cravings was a huge effort and really unenjoyable. Now I hardly think about food. I’ve steadily lost just over a stone over 2 months and now have a BMI at the top end of healthy. If the jabs do the same and even more so I can absolutely see the benefit of them.

I honestly don't know enough or understand about the disease that is obesity, so I can't comment.

I was just quoting his opinion.

I’m not a fan of the jabs at all. There are healthier ways of doing it but you sound nuts. Please stay off Facebook

Well I think you should use mindfulness and meditation for your ADHD not those horrible meds...(as a medic would actually say that amphetamine based meds are fat riskier than GLP1 ones)...how does that feel eh? You just didn't work hard enough to sort your ADHD out ?
The underlying cause of obesity is medical (be it genetic/biological/psychological) its jot a fucking moral failing.

I was going to leave my thoughts, but this pretty much sums up what I wanted to say. The sooner obesity is recognised by society, and not just (some) medical professionals, as a chronic illness, the sooner we can all stop thinking that everyone should manage it by diet alone and that the struggle to do so is penance for their moral failings and greed. Of course some people manage without medication, but they aren’t ‘better’, just different.

I’m not medically trained but work in healthcare/trials. I truly believe these drugs could be transformative for the health of our nation and eventually the NHS. Yes it would be better if we were able to lose weight naturally or not be overweight in the first place, but here we are.
However the only people I know who have lost weight on it didn’t have that much to lose in the first place. That’s doesn’t sit as well with me.

Its ridiculous to think that taking diabetes medication without having diabetes would be safe in the long term. And the research isnt there yet for us to claim they are safe

Personally I think weight loss can be done without them, but it's hard, and requires alot of effort. I set a health goal, instead of a vanity one. In 15 months I've lost nearly 4 stone, by counting calories, increasing protein and fibre , and walking more and starting gym.
Not fast or sexy, and bloody dull weighing all your food. But it has taught me what fills me up, what is nutritionally balanced, and the effect food has on my weight.
I have a friend on them who is losing weight more rapidly, but has little appetite and picks cake and junk food. Fine when appetite is low and can only eat half a portion, but I question if the habits will be there when she stops

Are yiu a researcher? Because there is tons of research that shows you are completely fucking wrong.

Mounjaro has done for me what no other diet ever has. Stopped me thinking about food constantly. I even like having my photo taken now!

I lost 3 stone in a year using Mounjaro. Not a fast weight loss compared to some but it’s been a great tool and I’ve had no side effects. I still drink alcohol and enjoy eating out and enjoy my food when I eat it. I just can happily ignore food if I want to and it’s stopped me snacking.
Not everyone using the jabs is aiming to be super skinny. I’m still slightly overweight, I could do with losing another stone, but at 60 I don’t want to be too thin. They’ve also stopped working for me, no matter what I do I can’t seem to lose any more weight. I tried going up to the next dose but it made me feel sick, and I don’t think the side effects are worth it.
It’s not a one size fits all drug. But it does make losing weight easier, and the half a stone I lost in the first few weeks was a huge motivator.
I can’t understand why people are so judgemental.

Do you? Well done boo. Jeezus if the research shows that obesity is a complex disease process then let's go with that. Not Betty on the Internet.

I work in this field. And have experience of people who have lost very significant amounts of weight and changed their health outcomes unbelievably.