is taking weight loss medication cheating?

[theweightlossqueen]

i used to be a super sporty child and then life happened. i've put on a few pounds and my food (mainly snacking) choices aren't the best...

i feel like if i just dedicated time to exercising then i'd get fit but i don't want to keep the current relationship that i have with food, you know?

is taking weight loss medication cheating, really?

Willie's? No. 😅 But WLIs.... yes.

@theweightlossqueen Goady vitimins might be good?

Welcome back to the thread, OP! Any further thoughts about why you think WLI are cheating?

I don’t understand this argument.

Who does losing weight affect apart from the person who loses it? No one. As the first poster said, who exactly is it cheating?

If you mean it’s that you’re not being honest about why you’re losing weight well by that argument - you could say someone with bulimia is “cheating” as they are stuffing their face but then vomiting it up and (usually) keeping it a secret. When I lost loads of weight fasting I was “cheating” as I didn’t tell people, bc I knew I’d face judgement and questions and I honestly couldnt be arsed explaining myself.

Im only on day 5 of taking it but it’s working really well so far, and if it helps me get to a healthy weight with a bit less struggle I honestly don’t give a crap whether people think it’s cheating or not!

I learnt those things a long time ago. I know exactly what I need to do/eat to lose weight. I’ve done it several times. But it’s very very hard to stay at that weight (especially when you’re older) without eating very little and thinking about food all the time if you love nice food and drink.

If taking a safe drug makes it much, much easier to do this and stay at a healthy weight without the torture of long term deprivation then why not?

What is your issue with making life a bit easier for yourself? Why the self-flagellation? It comes across very pious.

I was reading one of my old SW magazines the other day and couldn’t help thinking “God, I bet Margaret Miles Bramwell is bloody fuming over Mounjaro”! 😂

And “Miss Slinky” can do one too!

But you don't need to see 10+ years of data
You don't need WLI anyway
You have it all figured out and are advising us all on what to eat and what to do

Why not avoid all medical intervention then

Let's go back to the 1800s

Ridiculous argument

Ridiculous

The cause is being hungry and eating food

It's not that deep!!

My gut feeling is the push back folks fall into one of three categories.

1/ I’m angry, . i did it the hard way, and you have an unfair advantage, you don’t feel deprived, go to bed hungry, struggle. When I do. I resent your advantage

2/ im envious, I want the drugs and I can’t afford them, and I hate the fact you can afford them. I resent your privilege.

3/ I’m frustrated. I’ve always been slim, and it’s been hard work, I hate the fact you can now be like me without the same work, I’ve resent I’ve lost my slim privalge.

Exactly this. It treats the symptom, not the cause.

So if I have ADHD and therefore domaine seeking behaviour and executive functioning issues meaning I crave crap food and also can't resist crap food, how do I treat the symptoms?

ADHD meds (glorified speed in some cases) or weight loss injections? Which is the lesser of two evils?

A person with trauma who overeats? Anti anxiety meds, antidepressants or weight loss injections?

'Treating the causes' isn't a simple, holistic, healthy process in many cases. It's more drugs.

I'm happy keto works for me. But I'm very lucky it does. It reduces food noise and isn't any more 'cheating' than the drugs are, because it appears to do the exact same thing.

Ha yes! With her inexplicable hair quivering with indignation.

If I was considering using it I would want more data. So yes you are correct since I’m not considering using it I don’t give a shit if it is going to do longterm damage to millions of women in the distant future.

I think clearly you have something going on, that’s causing such anger, maybe better to step away from the thread.💐

we are intelligent adult people. (this drug is not specifically for women) we have read the data, and like the regulatory authorities, be it the fda or any other global authority are comfortable with the history and trial results associated with this drug. Peptides have been under medical testing from the 1920s, insulin being the first one, and the basis of these drugs used for decades.

we all understand you’re very upset and do not wish people to take it. I assume you feel the same for many medicines, but we are comfortable. We also understand fully the risks of obesity.

maybe you need to seek some help, but getting angry on line and worrying about “millions of women “ as we chose to use these fully licensed drugs, is not something you need to do.

i hope whatever is going on for you gets resolved. Good luck,

As an HCP I see the results of lots of “miracle” drugs and procedures. My husband was one of those guinea pigs for a procedure that now creates amusement amongst orthopaedic surgeons but at the time was cutting edge. Most of his adult life he has had pain and difficulty walking as a result.
When we look back in medical history there are countless “mistakes” among them thalidomide. We have more stringent controls today but ultimately we are the mercy of big pharma who only pursue drugs which are going to yield profit.

I’m not a conspiracy theorist but a critical thinker.

We have devastating diseases that receive little attention because the investment needed to successfully treat them is far more than the profit it would generate.

Weight loss is not difficult in reality, WLI facilitate weight loss, they don’t cause it. They have some clinical benefit for T2 diabetics who have underlying endocrine problems, but for the vast majority of people who will use them in the future they are a drug that helps you curtail greed. A quick fix to use before your annual holiday or to drop a few pounds before your wedding day.

If they successfully eliminate obesity in the general population then that’s great but as we’ve seen over the last 20 yrs many drugs and procedures enter the cosmetic industry and subject to misuse.

I hope that some of the profits are used to address the causes of obesity. The damage done to the body by obesity is not repaired by weight loss. The effects of years of poor diet is unlikely to be reversed. The focus on curing obesity before it happens would be a far better investment but which pharma company are going to encourage future customers to change behaviour.

As an HCP I see the results of lots of “miracle” drugs and procedures.

Weight loss is not difficult in reality

I find it utterly astonishing that these two sentences are in the same post. A HCP that thinks weight loss is not difficult? I call bullshit.

The focus on curing obesity before it happens would be a far better investment

When you cure trauma, compulsion and addiction, get right back to me. Meanwhile the rest of us will plod on.

Ok so you elected to not step away.

on other threads you say you can’t use the drugs due to liver problems. That you support the drugs for obesity. And are retired.

and if weight loss is not difficult, how come you got to practically obese with a 29 bmi? It is a valid question, if it is so easy, how did you get fat?

I am not sure what you’re doing on this thread, but I have noticed you repeatedly post all over this sub forum on these drugs, but you do not seem to be doing this on other medication in other forums.

so it is these specific drugs, which you’re not eligible for, that is causing you such angst.

Strong disagree

You are minimising the impact of obesity on the sufferers, and ignoring the vast evidence to the contrary in saying 'weight loss is not difficult'. That's an absurd statement.

For research to be undertaken into rare diseases, it must be funded. That's not the fault of 'Big Pharma' but our capitalist society generally

I have a complex endocrine problem. As a result I had secondary PCOs, infertility, hyperinsulaemia, have had thyroid problems resulting in a hemithyroidectomy and my underlying condition increases my risk of breast cancer which I was diagnosed with 3 yrs ago. I only became pregnant after taking Metformin but developed pregnancy induced hypertension. I’ve been on meds for blood pressure more preventative than treating very high BP. Unfortunately the drugs I used to take to treat the endocrine problem cause heart valve damage after longterm use so I have been taken off them. My weight has crept up as a result. In fact I came off the drugs for periods of time because of the side effects but I knew when my hormone levels were increasing because of weight gain and other symptoms so I would have to go back on them.

I’m also 5’7” with a broad skeleton and athletic build so although I’m not rolly polly-esque my BMI is high. BMI is not a good measure of true health. If I do the waist to height ratio then I am top end of healthy.

I had a reaction to a drug historically that caused acute liver failure. So I’m well aware of the risks of taking any new drug. I have to undergo regular liver function tests every time I am prescribe a new long term drug. And have to juggle between risk and benefit every time. The non-medical public are far too trusting of the research and testing done on drugs. My moto is if you don’t need a drug to save your life then don’t take it. Morbid obesity is different to 2st over weight, so qualifies for medical intervention for lots of reasons but mainly to reduce the escalating costs to the NHS. And in the US to insurance companies.

“Food noise” is a polite term for greed and is a psychological problem not a medical problem. Not enough work is being done to address this so ultimately all weight loss drugs/methods fail if you don’t permanently eliminate food noise. From my experience in the NHS the only effective medical procedure to maintain weight loss is gastric bypass because no matter what you eat you cannot digest and absorb it so it works.

Changing habits is the only non-medical way to maintain weight loss.

It’s an anonymous chat forum. When people come on and ask questions there should be a healthy mix of viewpoints. I worry that MN seems to be saturated by WLI threads that are full of cheerleading evangelists, increasingly those who are giving advice are not qualified to do so.
I’ve also been a member for over ten years.
And to answer your final question I am a strong advocate for medically necessary drugs but cynical about the increasing use of drugs when a non-medical alternative would result in a better outcome.
I still work although retired from NHS work. I am being increasing approached by patients who are coming back from Europe having had botched cosmetic procedures which are totally clinically unnecessary. I have a couple of patients who have had major complications after gastric sleeves/ballon’s, that 10yrs ago were very popular, and have had to undergo major surgery to correct the problems. My area of work is closely related to dietary choices due to the havoc it wreaks in the mouth. If we could ban sugar the NHS would be in a very different position.

Unfortunately we are heading to a situation where it is easier to throw drugs at the problem rather than intervene when obesity and all the associated diseases could be prevented.

Quick fixes are not cheating but they are not the solution.

“Food noise” is a polite term for greed and is a psychological problem not a medical problem.

Do you also think drug and alcohol addiction is just a lack of willpower and it's a psychological problem, not a medical problem? Cocaine isn't physically addictive, after all. Just don't take it, you'll be fine.

Ever heard of holistic practice? Understanding that we are a complex system with brain/mind, body, genetics, social influences, epigenetics?

And the cheerleading you are talking about... once again, I don't take these drugs and keto with running reduces my 'food noise'. I still feel normal levels of appetite, and still want crap food. It's just not overwhelming and all the time. If you don't experience 'greed' as overwhelming and all the time you simply don't understand.

If we could ban sugar the NHS would be in a very different position.

And this makes you sound, well let's say not very sensible. Lactose, fructose, banning those? They're sugars. Honey? Where on earth do you stop?

I agree.

If you can lose weight AND keep it off by “normal dieting”, good for you and that’s fine but for those of us who have struggled and not managed to do that,we really welcome this new medical path.

PS. It’s not THAT expensive in the scheme of things either. Mine works out at less than £25 per week, as I do the bonus dose. I spend less on food too, which balances it out somewhat. Plus all these slimming worlds and weightwatchers and other clubs and online apps are NOT free and I assume charge up to £10 per week.

I can wear more clothes, get fit more easily, all positives. My health is worth a tenner a week extra.

“Food noise” is a polite term for greed and is a psychological problem not a medical problem."

This is probably one of the worse things I've ever read on here.

I agree it is a psychological problem. Psychological problems are also medical problems, otherwise we wouldn't treat psychological problems with medications. It's not a polite term for greed at all. Unless you have been affected by it you cannot possibly comment. It is completely debilitating. And if you feel your own food noise was greed then that is fine for YOU but it is not the same for everyone.

I don’t really have all that much “food noise” and I’m not sure I like the expression all that much, tbh. Nevertheless, despite my many attempts to lose (2 - 3 stone) weight AND keep it off over the past 15 years I have not been able to. And I’ve tried everything. I think something happened to my metabolism along the way - a lot due to chronic ill health. I’m 63 and Mounjaro is pretty much a last resort. I am very grateful for how it’s working so far, with very little side effects.

Diabetes.org may disagree with you