AIBU not to lend my sister money for weight loss injections?

[ListenToHer]

My sister has been overweight on and off for about 15 years. She has had times where she eats healthily, exercises and loses weight but then gives up and puts it all back on and more.

She would like to try weight loss injections which I was supportive of when she mentioned, but she has asked if I can lend her some money for them. Looking online this seems to be about £100-£300 per month. She says she could afford about £50 per month but no more.

My husband and I have always said we wouldn’t lend money to anyone again after it causing problems previously and we’d rather not lend her this. My husband thinks she should either save up for a while so she can pay for it or go back to healthy eating and exercise. I also worry that if she has to stay on it for life that we’ll be stuck paying.

AIBU not to help her?

eta, to anyone who has used it, are you staying on it for life? If so, is that a lowere dose so therefore would cost on the lower side?

I wouldn’t loan her money for this. As it is indefinite. She should save and start herself. If she can only do £50 a month how will she pay you back?

I found it was cheaper to be on the injections and pay for them for the first year or so because I was saving so much money on crap like junk food, take aways, booze and so on. I saved a fortune and paid off a lump of credit card....

This is a website that shows the cheapest prices from legit pharmacies only:
https://monj.co.uk/discount-mounjaro-price-list/

She should do the maths on what she currently spends and what she can actually afford with the lifestyle and diet changes she needs to make to support the weight loss.

In about 2 years she will have finished paying a loan off so will have more spare money each month.

Lots of thoughts. You are perfectly within your right to deny an offer of loan, especially if you see or recieve no tangible plan of repayment. That has nothing to do with the specifics of why it is loaned I.e. in this case, to support your sister's weight loss and self esteem.

Don't let anyone make you feel that you're denying her the chance of what she feels is a happy/healthy/ideal body over this.
You can be supportive without paying out.

Has she tried NHS access for weight loss meds first? Or therapy to address why the lose-gain cycle keeps repeating?

I absolutely would not lend her money for this. Most people seem to stay on the jabs for a long time so the dent would increase each month.

I can’t see how she would ever pay it back. What’s she’s actually asking is for you to give her roughly £2.5 grand a year and how woukd you feel if she didn’t eat more healthily and exercise?

YANBU. I feel for your sister, I have been on WL injections for 2 years and am maintaining a healthy weight for the first time in my life and it has truly been life changing for me, but it is costing me £270 a month. Unless she can fund it herself or gets funding from the NHS (unlikely given the qualifying criteria are so strict!), I think it's a slippery slope to be borrowing the money to fund it, some people only take it temporarily, but some people need it more long term, and if she's anything like me, there is no end in sight!

This^

So she has no savings either? I would be really reluctant to agree to her taking on more debt when she’s already in debt.

You’ll be paying it for two years then. It’s not a quick month or two then done. She could try the new wegovy pills which are a bit cheaper.

I wouldn’t, she can save a bit upfront and then use the money that she will save on food on the WLI.

Is she working at all?
I think that if I had the extra money if I was cashed up I would probably help a relative out as a gift to their good health

Just say you can’t afford it.

There's no point in starting if she can't sustain paying for it each month.

Thank you. Well done on maintaining!

I presume that £270 is for quite a high dose? Do you know if it’s ‘normal’ to need a high dose to maintain and therefore for it to cost so much? Or would it be more likely she would need a lower dose to maintain and therefore it be cheaper? Sorry if you don’t know the answers.

I don’t think you need to buy private medication for your sister tbh it’s a weird arrangement to get into. Would you even feel comfortable asking for the money back, she might assume you won’t bother chasing her

I’d just tell her to go to her GP, check if she’s eligible to get it on prescription. She probably won’t be but they’ll be able to record her weight and give her advice. Sometimes having a frank chat with a medical professional might encourage her to make changes, it might not given her history. But I don’t think it’s your issue to resolve tbh. If she always gains weight after losing it she might need to remain on the injections for life, so it’s not a time bound thing for you to fund.

Even on 15mg, I'm only paying £229.

Shop around, it's worth it. Medicine Marketplace is who I'm with.

I’m on them and wholly recommend, life changing, but there is no way I’d pay for someone else to go on them, if she wants them that bad she needs to make the sacrifices

You start on the lowest dose and stay on it until you need to go up. I was on 2.5mg for 4 months then 5mg for the next 5 months and I lost several stone in that period.

She will need the high dose and it will likely cost about £300 per month for life

YANBU to not lend money for any reason, op, it's your money x

You start on a low dose and work your way up to keep hunger noises at bay. The higher the dose the more expensive so anything you lend her will escalate. I would absolutely not be giving anyone money for weight loss jabs.

She knows we can though.

If you can afford it, give her the money, if not, refuse. Don't lend it. She may never be able to stop taking it.

I see. I thought once you had got to a healthy weight, you could start reducing the dose to see if you can maintain on a lower dose.

She may be lucky and need a low dose. Or she may be like me and hardcore and went to 15 and didn’t really lose till on 10

we had a Monthly chat on here and some lost weight on 2.5 and 5 - others needed a higher dose so till she starts she won’t know

but shop around - esp @Pumpkinsandpeanuts. What dose are on your for £270 a month

mmp do 10 for £200 and 12.5 for think £212

Just depends on the person really - some are lucky, as posted above but it can really be the full amount X