Why are so many people anti WLI

[Mumble12]

I just don’t understand it!

Mounjaro has literally changed my life overnight. It’s dealt with things that I didn’t even know were fixable. Why are so many people (presumably those that haven’t tried them and really have no intention to) so dead against it.

Do people misunderstand how it works? So many people perceive it as cheating…but I can’t fathom the logic - even if it was cheating…so what?! Why do they want people to be miserable and struggle with obesity?

It’s a hot topic that’s all over the media with lots of stories about rich slim people who now look gaunt, or people who bought it from a dodgy friend, took 3 times the recommended dose, starved themselves and ended up in hospital.

Unless you really look for it, the genuine information is hard to see for all the hyped up inflammatory crap.

i was prescribed it back in Sept for T2 diabetes that wasn’t being bought under control with insulin and metformin. It has been miraculous and I feel very lucky that I was given it. I’ve lost 5 stone, my diabetes is in remission, I’m down to 1 injection a week instead of 2 a day plus 4 tablets.

To address some of the misconceptions on this thread:

1. While some people get complete appetite suppression, most don’t, for most of us we feel hungry around meal times and fancy the odd snack too but Mounjaro gives us a better ability to control what we eat, it also makes it so less food in a meal is sufficient.
2. muscle loss, yes as with ANY diet muscle loss is a risk but can be countered by eating enough protein and fat and introducing weight resistance exercises.
3. Regain after stopping. This is the case again with ANY diet, just look at everyone you know who lost loads on slimming works or weight watchers then regained it all then went back and did it again…….. you have to accept that you will spend the rest of your life controlling your weight and that you’ll never be able to eat like you did pre diet or you’ll end up back where you started.
4. You can eat whatever and the drugs make you lose weight, Nope, you still need to be in a calorie deficit, so I track every bit of food and drink in MyFitnessPal, stick to my calorie count and make sure I eat very very few carbs just those found in green veg and berries (my sugar levels so crazy if I eat potatoes or bread unfortunately). I also drink 2 lts water a day and if I forget to do that I notice it on the scales.
5. side effects, they are not universal. I have never had any besides feeling the cold more. Some people get them, some people don’t and there are varying degrees between those 2 points.

It's interesting how outraged some people get by the mere mention. There's a thread in aibu today where someone is talking about wanting to tackle their weight, and planning to exercise more. Several posters suggested WLI, and then someone was all how very dare you even sully the discussion.

Exactly this! It's so hard for me to lose weight but I'm not eligible for the injections as my BMI isn't high enough. I've got friends on them who look amazing and I'm so jealous! I want to be slim and I'm trying so hard to control calories, exercise etc and it just isn't working. I'd take the jabs in a heartbeat but I'm not allowed!

I don’t know your specific medical details but I was on insulin and metformin when the GP prescribed me Mounjaro. Within 2 weeks I was able to stop the insulin, and 6 weeks after that I was down to just 1 slow release metformin a day, about a month after that my HbA1C had my level back in the non-diabetic range so I was able to stop the metformin completely, I’m now just on Mounjaro, have never gone up to full dose. I stuck at 5mg for 20 weeks then moved up and am now on 10mg, will likely move back down to 5mg soon depending on next load of blood tests.

Your doctor can’t prescribe it, but you can definitely have it.

Well you still need a calorie deficit to lose the weight. You don’t lose the weight by just having an injection (sadly!)

It is relatively strong relatively long term medication. I believe that considering risks and benefits, it is beneficial for many people, especially for people whose health risks from their weight are bigger then the risks of the medication.

I'm suspicious about it being "prescribed" by online services to self-refered privately funding individuals. It feels too similar to puberty blockers online prescription, like where is a demand, no matter how misguided, the supply will appear.

In my eyes it’s an enabler, rather than a cheat. How can it be cheating if you literally can’t do it without due to the food noise/cravings etc. Surely you’re finding a solution.

And for what it’s worth, it’s not easy. The side effects can be awful for many people. It’s not just jab and go and the weight melts off.

Yep, if she's eating all the junk she likes and still losing weight, she doesn't actually want very much of it!

I’m taking it under a doctor’s care. I was advised by my pharmacist when I picked it up that I should reconsider given my medical history. (I’m not in the uk hence why these details are normal).

I think we are all taking a risk with a relatively new drug that comes with some pretty big known side effects. I understand why some people have legitimate concerns. I am taking it because being morbidly obese also is extremely risky. I’m now on track to change that status by the end of the year with a low dose and hard work.

.

I have tried so many other ways to lose weight and the gnawing hunger and migraine headaches were so intense that I could not keep going. This is the first time I have had long term success. I am losing weight without feeling sick to my stomach with pain and without triggering migraines. It’s amazing.

I think the risk is worth the reward. I’m doing this for my health

I think for me, I lost a significant amount of weight in the past without the use of WLI and regained it all. I became obsessed with every single thing that passed my lips. So much so that I stopped eating out at all, didn’t join friends for meals etc because I was petrified I wouldn’t know the calories. I still craved the unhealthy food that got me into that position before but felt restricted to salads etc because I knew I couldn’t be trusted to have just one slice of pizza or one bag of crisps. I spent as much time obsessing over food when I was thin as I did when I was fat.

Now on WLI, I don’t give food a second thought. I eat to fuel my body. My body craves healthy food naturally now and so keeping in a calorie defecit is easy and not taking up any space in my head.

Im sure the long term effects are a worry for people (as with any relatively new medication) but when pioneering cancer treatments (for example) come out, there’s not a vitriol towards people for pursuing them, so it really does seem to be a hatred for fat people and a feeling they don’t deserve help to lose weight.

I kind of liken it to child birth, yes it can be done without help, but the end result is the same and there’s no prizes for having suffered more to get there!

I also think the misconceptions around the effects of the jab - ie the weight just drops off and you can eat what you like - don’t help at all. The science of losing weight never changes, you must be in a calorie defecit.

I don’t understand how she’d be losing eating junk on mounjaro. If you eat junk you get side effects and you don’t lose weight in my experience. I don’t think weight loss injections work on their own you have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. You still get hungry but you don’t crave rubbish or sugar so much. Food isn’t quite so appealing so you can make more sensible food choices.

@fiveIsNewOne “I'm suspicious about it being "prescribed" by online services to self-referred privately funding individuals. It feels too similar to puberty blockers online prescription, like where is a demand, no matter how misguided, the supply will appear.”

The overwhelming majority of prescriptions for WLI are private prescriptions from online providers. I’m not sure why “prescribed” needs quotes? It is a prescription, overseen by doctors or prescribing pharmacists. The provision of WLI privately online has been approved by the MHRA and is regulated, pharmacies are inspected and expected to adhere to guidelines. They will be sanctioned if not. The use of WLI has been repeatedly shown in clinical trials to be of benefit to obese people. It’s nothing at all like the behaviour of some GPs and doctors who decide to prescribe puberty blockers online.

Probably for the same reason people don’t like vaccines. They are worried about side effects.

I’m starting next week, it’s in my fridge at the moment!!! Eek, can’t wait (but I must).

I was reluctant for a long time because I’m scared they’ll give me cancer and what happens when you come off them.

But I need to lose half my body weight to get into a healthy BMI (that will be lighter than the first time I ever weighed myself aged 11 or so) so staying that size is pretty fucking risky too. And I spoke to my friend who is on them who said you can just stay on it forever, and it has solved so many more problems - inflammation, brain fog etc. So I really feel it could be amazing for me. Just terrified I’ll be in the % it doesn’t work for, don’t know what else to try then! Luckily I’m pretty sensitive and reactive to any other drugs (Sertraline, childbirth pessary, alcohol) so I’m really hoping MJ goes the same way for me!

I lost weight post dc and was running half marathons, calorie counting etc and stayed that way for 5 years, then life went a bit shit and I ate my way through grief, stress, anxiety to end up 3st overweight. After 18 months of trying and doing all the stuff I did before I wasn’t losing like I did before. I was disheartened and beaten. Then a friend told me she was on wli and I started reading medical articles not the daily mail. I’ve been on them since November and have one more month on reduced jabs before stopping. I feel like me again.

initially I lost my appetite but I still enjoyed food, just less. Now I am eating a sustainable amount, not starving myself (I’ve stopped weighing and calorie counting months ago, just making better choices). It’s actually helped me to understand my emotional eating and get control I’d lost. It’s not been easy but felt more achievable than previous attempts.

people are mean and can’t just be happy for others.

It’s bitterness and jealousy I think. people not needing to struggle. Just take a magic pill.

My guess is that a lot of people think the following: fat people have taken no care of their health and now in yet another lazy way they are going to take a drug rather than do the proper work.

there is a sneery attitude that means if you are fat you are lazy, greedy, have no self control, no sensible lifestyle. People get very resentful that these foolish oafs should now get help. That’s my feeling.

same lines of thinking fuelling the belief that we are taking the drugs from diabetics who must now struggle with a shortage of their vital meds just because we don’t want to bother dieting. Basically we are the enemy of the good (slim) people.

Good luck!

I have ADHD and it has actually really enhanced my ability to concentrate as well, thinking of you mentioning the brain fog.

Ive been very lucky, no negative side effects at all bar a small amount of heartburn in the second week. I hope you have just as much luck!

I think it’s brilliant and potentially saving the NHS money. I wouldn’t use it though.

She is apparently skipping breakfast and no longer snacking but every lunchtime she’s eating KFC or Burger King with the full works because she won’t have dinner in the evening.

She doesn’t exercise and claims to not eat fruit or veg.

I don’t understand how it’s sustainable for the future and how one meal of junk is good for her.

I think wli are great if they work but I don’t understand how this is good for her, she’s eating less but not the right stuff.

There’s a lady I know from the gym. She is morbidly obese. Seriously must impact every area of her life. She has been very negative towards me using wli. She says she would never do that because she’s afraid of getting anorexia. So that’s another strange response I’ve had. This poor lady suffers and struggles daily because of obesity but she wouldn’t use the drugs because she’s afraid I suppose
i hope the nhs is able to supply it to those most in need soon.

It might still be that she can lose weight with a calorie deficit. Once she starts she may become more interested in healthy eating. I don’t think the kfc etc will be anything like as poor as her usual diet was

That’s a really odd way to use WLI, she’s hopefully a rarity!

I couldn’t eat like that on Mounjaro that’s for sure.

I totally get why you’d have a negative view if that’s what you’re seeing, that’s definitely not healthy and absolutely not the point of them.

That is an odd response!

like I said further up I was closer to developing an eating disorder when I lost weight without any aids, than I have been on WLI!

It is, as ever, people that haven’t tried them that have such strong opinions isn’t it!