Do people lie to get the jabs?

[Z0rr0]

It’s taken me several years to lose three stone. All my own effort. Got down to 11 stone 4, about half a stone more to drop me below 11 stone and I’d be pretty happy. But it’s such hard work and if I slip off a very rigid diet for a few days the pounds start piling back on. What with holiday and then struggling to get back on the wagon I gained a stone. I feel vile and bloated but am struggling to get back in the diet mindset and even if I do it will be such hard work to try to fight my way back and then try to lose that final half a stone.
So I thought sod it, I’ll look at the jabs. Did the online assessment. Have a BMI of 27.5 and osteoarthritis but it said they can’t prescribe. Not sure why. So now I’m wondering if people tell porkies about their weight and / or health conditions to get the jabs prescribed online?

Yes but that's just the pharmacy you're using. @Autumngirl312 .
As people have said upthread, not all pharmacies have the same checks and balances before prescribing.

It is very easy to find those that will prescribe without photos or video calls and who do not inform GPs either.

Try CheqUp they start from 27.

@monkey666lynn there are some medical conditions and medications that would mean that prescribers would not approve you for a prescription. There are other, different, weight-related medical conditions that mean you would qualify for a prescription at a lower BMI of 27 or over, rather than 30. Can you say why you think this isn't the case?

Are you serious or are you trolling?
No-one said medical conditions are needed to get weight loss injections! A few of us said with a qualifying health condition, those above bmi 27 will get it prescribed, otherwise without its only bmi 30 and above, which OP doesn't qualify for, but OP does have pcos so thats all fine.
What do you mean "won't get prescribed with an existing condition"???? Lots do get it prescribed with several existing conditions.
Honestly, I do get baffled by some responses on MN.
For real, look up the prescribing guidelines before you give misinformation.

Firstly unless you eat 3500 calories above your maintenance then it is impossible for the “pounds” to be even one single pound of fat. Water weight yes, if you eat high levels of salt or carbs your body will store extra water, not fat.
yes people tell fibs to get the jabs, I had a bmi of 29 so added a few pounds, sent photos and was accepted.

A small amount of muscle loss is inevitable (eg 10% -15% of the number of kg lost - as you say, for the ligament / skin etc) but a loss much above this likely to include skeletal muscle and is not ideal . this is one of the biggest risks of losing weight quickly - whether on WLI or otherwise.

I’ve lifted heavy throughout with a lot of protein and according to the gym scales my loss is all fat. In reality I’ve done a form of body composition.

I just buy it myself. You can add an extra stone on when you apply online to make sure you get it that’s really not going to make a difference before letter of the law come for me

Looking at the people that I know who that have taken it, I don’t see how else they could have got hold of it because they were slightly overweight at most originally.

People probably do lie, it is scary if they do though. Certain conditions and these jabs can kill you.

For example, I would tick all the boxes to get it prescribed. But i have previously had pancreatitis. If I lied about that to get it then I could end up dead.

Being able to buy this medication is seriously dangerous and should only be prescribed by a Dr who has your full medical history.

Also remember that these injections don’t work for everyone and certainly not speedily. I’ve been on the jab for 18 months (with a 2 month break for cancer op) and I only ever lost 0.5-1.0lb a week. It’s very slow progress. I eat in a deficit but the jab hasn’t suppressed my appetite and it hasn’t eradicated food noise… it has reduced both but they are still there. I eat healthily but I still have to use self restraint not to over eat. Even with working out 5-6 times a week and hitting 15k steps a day it’s slow. So don’t assume it’s a miracle cure/answer because it’s not always like that

If someone is painfully thin, wearing clothes that are too small isn’t going to confuse a prescriber into thinking she’s BMI 30

Someone like Sharon Osbourne certainly didn't need Ozempic. She looks like a walking skeleton now and I think that being too thin can be terribly aging (unless you are in your 70s but want to look like a fail and bony 90 year old).

As I said lower down. I didn’t lie.
My BMI was 27 (just) I have PCOS, I lift weights so I had a lot of muscle mass. If you loomed at me you’d have said I wasn’t very overweight.

Okay, I didn't read the full thread, I only skimmed the OPs posts.

I've used two so far, one asked for photos and ID. The 2nd one asked for photos, a photo of the scales whilst standing on them and a photo of my current prescription/pharmacy label of my current pens

I can't speak for any other pharmacies as haven't used them, but surely they're all bound by the same rules. As I say, I have only dealt with 2 different prescribing pharmacies/companies

I really wish people would stop rolling out Sharon osbourne, she doesn’t wish to discuss her health issues, she has previously had cancer, and is a 72 year old woman. It is beyond tactless to try to use her as the poster child for why people shouldn’t use wli. Whatever reason Sharon has right now for being under weight, is clearly not due to ozempic, and she doesn’t wish it in the public eye. So people need to stop rolling her out in some bizzare tasteless gotcha.

I know someone who straps a dumbbell to her back under clothes during her video consult weight check in order to qualify.

DH and I recently did Mounjaro.

My weight had shot up and my BMI was over 30.
DH was also struggling but his BMI was around 29 and meant he didn’t qualify. So we did tell a little porkie on his as he didn’t want to put more weight on just to lose weight, especially being so close to the cut off.

We sent his photos and ID etc and it was approved.
We’ve both had to stop now due to cost but I’m still losing weight as I’m much more aware of my portion sizes etc now.

You need to be seriously unwell to get them, or at risk. You are neither. You're only 12 stone. If there are people with a BMI under 40 and they are getting the jab, then they've paid for it online and lied about their BMI. A surgery will go through rigorous examinations, but online is just a tick-box and you can lie. Most will ask for a picture of your entire body from several angles to prevent you from lying. Otherwise, if you're willing to pay between £160 to £400 (lower dose is always the cheapest), willing to lie and risk your health.. anyway.

I have friends who were 12st when they went for a gastric sleeve, friends who are now confused as to why they are so underweight, and still losing weight...the weight loss doesn't just stop when you want it to. It does slow down, but having jabs and operations when you're only 12st in weight, is very risky. I was once 30st, I'm now down to 16st 7. It's hard work! I had a sleeve, last year. I've also had jabs. I've used mounjaro because my weightless slowed down - It's a massive headache game.

I've realised that counselling, using a nutrition app, exercise (not by much!) All go hand-in-hand with losing weight. However, obsessing over it is now healthy. It doesn't need to be difficult and depressing, so please don't live your life by the scales...you need to eventually draw a line and accept happiness somewhere along the road, or you'll forever keep walking this path and get nowhere with it.

There are online NHS weight groups you can be referred to, they provide counselling, and a psychologist Dietician. Might be worth asking your GP about that if you're struggling. I found the groups pretty good. You can also get gym referrals for a 16 week period, for free, from your GP if they do that where you are.

@SurelyNotShirleymyself and other posters on the thread have posted the licensing criteria several times.

.Yes, some people lie to their prescribers. But most don’t. What is a lie, is to say that you need a BMI of 40+. Once again, The product is licensed for a BMI of over 30 or over 27 with co-morbidities

That’s simply incorrect. A BMI of 27 and a health condition such as PCOS or high cholesterol means you can get privately without lying.

Additionally there are private doctors who will prescribe “off license” this works out more expensive than the online pharmacies but some can clearly afford.

Eh? That’s really not correct.

Chequp rejected me - BMI 27 and PCOS

PCOS isn’t one of the licensed criteria, at least not yet. There will be some experienced prescribers however, who are willing to prescribe off license because they recognise that PCOS is a metabolic condition. For most people the drugs are safe at a lower BMI but there needs to be a safe cut off to try to stop people with eating disorders from accessing them.

For safety reasons, and sometimes as a condition of their insurance, the responsible online prescribers mostly adhere strictly to the guidance. That doesn’t mean that it is always unsafe for the drugs to be prescribed outside those rules, but the presciber needs to be able to justify their decision and make sure they have correct information - hence why there may be more flexibility for face-to-face consultations.

nah - everyone I know get the “illegal” stuff
no questions asked

I’ve been on it for around 18months lost weight and now just take it to stay stable

@ChrisMartinsKisskam you must have an interesting circle of friends and acquaintances as I think most people don’t know anyone who is even taking weight loss medication let alone happily telling everyone that they are taking illegal unknown substances from dodgy sellers.

What you are doing is not something to recommend or advise to others without being clear about its legality and risks. The fact that you personally haven’t experienced any consequences as yet is not any kind of valid endorsement or positive. It’s just luck.