18 yr old weight loss jabs

[GinNphonics]

Hi there,

Are there any barriers to an just turned 18 year old, with a BMI of 42 getting the weight loss injections. She has tried for years on various diets with no luck.

Is the protocol the same as someone older. If she doesn't have underlying issues, can she go through same steps and have jabs sent to her?
Many thanks

Yes she can, My daughter was the same age as yours. Exactly the steps as everyone else, no problems in getting them

I don't see why not but my only worry is how long she's going to have to stay on them for. I'd say she's better off using them short term to get to an acceptable weight where she'd be then able to safely have bariatric surgery, if her BMI is currently considerd too high?

At 18 she's got an awful lot of years of Wegovy ahead of her and once she's reached an acceptable weight I'm guessing the NHS will no longer fund it, so she's at risk of putting the weight right back on if she can't afford the monthly payments. Even paying privately for surgery would be cheaper in the long run and would probably more of a permanent solution.

As the first response says, if she's 18 then it's the same process as for any other adult.

I'm assuming you're looking at Mounjaro, which can be taken longer term if necessary. Bariatric surgery is clearly a much more invasive and risky option, which I would think would be unlikely to be advised for someone so young. Better to try the injections and see if she gets good results with it. She may be able to avoid a life time of being morbidly obese, which would be incredibly beneficial to her long term health.

@ExcessiveNumberOfNinjas the NHS won't be funding this at all, it's almost impossible to get WLI prescribed by the NHS. The only realistic option at the moment is a private prescription.

@ExcessiveNumberOfNinjas The NHS won’t fund it now. Everyone is at risk of putting the weight back on with any diet. My daughter is doing well and I hope that she can keep the weight off once she is off the injections. I certainly wouldn’t want her jumping straight in for surgery before even trying to keep the weight off once she’s lost it

Thank you all for your replies. It's great to hear so many positive stories and outcomes.

I had always intended on paying for it. As expensive as it will be for us both, it is totally worth every penny. Plus, I got a payrise, which helps as she is still in college and wouldn't be able to afford herself.

She had blood tests over a year ago, which showed she had borderline under active thyroid, plus the lack of (or too much - can never remember) of the hormone that sends the signal to the brain to say she is full, then throw in PCOS. She has honestly been fighting an uphill battle.

I had hoped for some kind of medical intervention from the GP, but know there are a lot of uncertainties due to her age.

I am so excited for her to start the monjaro process.

@GinNphonics
My daughter has PCOS, borderline under active thyroid, high testosterone. Tried for years to get medical help but never got anywhere, apart from lose weight, eat less move more, She’s too young for medication. Luckily Mounjaro was available when she turned 18. Absolute game changer! She’s like a different person now.

Timeforchangeagain- wow, that's amazing! So good to hear. Same with my daughter, the GP would just put her on another weight management program when she clearly needed some medical intervention.

This post was prompted by my daughters doctors appointment today. She left in tears, feeling it was hopeless. That's why I think the WLI is the way to go now

Oh goodness, I really feel for her. Starting Mounjaro gave me an enormous feeling of hope and optimism about the future, where I'd been stuck in similar feelings of hopelessness. In my case for many years.

Aww bless her! It’s so frustrating. I cried when I found out Mounjaro was available. I needed to lose weight too so we both started at the same time.
Incase you haven’t already seen it, Here is a good price comparison website

https://monj.co.uk/discount-mounjaro-price-list/

Good luck to your daughter on her journey

Oh the poor love! Fantastic that you’re helping her with this. Get it from a supplier that has good support and information to help her.

The surgery actually doesn't have good long term results. In fact there are many Mounjaro users that have previously had bariatric surgery. Add to that it's massively risky and can make you quite unwell.