My doctor rang me to tell me off!

[Willowy2]

I'm just posting to have a little rant!

I've been in MJ for 18 months. Started at a BMI of 30 and mu BMI is now 20 and I'm on a maintenance dose which I aim to come off fully by the 2 year mark in August.

Yesterday my doctor rang me to say he got a letter from a pharmacy that I'm on MJ but my BMI is too low, why am I on it, it's dangerous, this is the first he's heard of it, it's only for BMIs 27+ etc.

Firstly - a letter first appeared on my GP record in October 2024 as I can see a copy on the NHS app.

Secondly - The most recent letter states I am maintaining and that they can prescribe maintenance down to BMI of 19 with close monitoring and it's been verified that I was previously eligible. I've been with the same pharmacy since November 2024.

Thirdly - When I tried to explain the above he wasn't listening and just kept repeating how dangerous it was!

Honestly, I was in shock when I came off the phone. Are GPs really that clueless about this medication?

I've seen a few posts where people haven't wanted to disclose to their GP as their GP is clueless / judgemental etc. And the responses are usually things like that the letter just gets uploaded to your file, as if you're going to get a phone call from your actual GP....Well turns out I did.

He just kept repeating BMI of 27+. Right, so I get to a BMI of 27 then, have to stop the medication just to get fat again and repeat?

He wasn't interested in me saying how I train regularly, eat 2000+ calories a day, the best health I've been for ages.

Honestly, I was furious, felt told off like a child!

Anyone else had similiar from their GPs? Clueless, absolutely clueless.

At my GP, they don't even ring you back when you've been in with a health problem and they've arranged tests! They used to, but several people I know are in that situation but don't get called.

Not related to WL drugs. Well, not related to any pharmaceuticals at all.
But it’s definitely related to disrespect from a doctor.
The year was 1980 and I was very young - my back had gone out and the specialist doctor had put me in hospital, completely off my feet.
I knew it was bad - I could feel something was very wrong. I was in agony, for one thing and my leg was drawn up for another.
So another doctor from this main doctor’s office made the rounds - I’d never met him or seen him before.
And he never examined me - he just began making smartass little comments about my being in the hospital and taking up hospital space and was really very hostile.
Finally I’d had enough and told him that if he didn’t think I belonged there he could easily release me - only he wouldn’t do that.
I was just trapped there, captive to this verbal abuse.
So 1980 was long before MRIs but they gave me two other very unpleasant tests plus a spinal tap and decided to operate.
Yeah - I had a ruptured disc.
I asked the surgeon for a copy of my surgery report and I sent it to that asshole doctor.
They’re just people who went to school longer than I did.
They shoukd go to charm school.

Well this is just wrong, they are very much a long term solution. And what does this mean? Define healthy!?

A BMI of 20 is on the lower end and consuming 2000 calories while taking WLI with a BMI of 20 isn't healthy

Are you saying the OP is making it up?

How is it unhealthy to consume 2000 calories whilst on WLI? If 2000 calories are your maintenance calories to stop you losing weight snd gaining weight how can that be unhealthy?

I imagine it was flagged by a receptionist perhaps whilst scanning the documents as my BMI was included in the letter to outline their prescribing criteria and to say that I have been prescribed it for maintenance. I doubt he was sifting through my file randomly. So perhaps the reception staff also don't have adequate training/knowledge about GLP-1.

I have no history of ED and I don't think I've been vague. My doctor rang me to say he'd seen the letter and promptly went into a rant / telling off about my BMI and how it's harmful to continue to take them. When I tried to interupt to have more of a discussion he wouldn't let me get a word in edge ways. He clearly had no knowledge about these medications or that they can be prescribed for maintenance. As I've previously said in the thread....let's say for arguments sake I was in ED territory, do you really think a rant telling off phone call from GP would be helpful in that scenario? The phone call was unhelpful whether it was for someone on a legitimate maintenance dose or if they were struggling with an ED. No positive outcome could have come from that type of phone call.

I also feel like the GP was only satisfied and relented because I kept saying that I am coming off them and soon. Which has been my plan. What if I didn't have a plan to come off them which is a perfectly valid amd safe choice for someone who has had long term obesity? There are a few people in this thread with similiar BMIs who have said they will be it on it much longer term.

How do you go about this? I never know where to start with private stuff outside the big scans and tests.

Yes and no, it’s a personal choice as to stay on or not. Some people come off and can maintain their weight, some people come off, find they can’t, and go back on.

im staying on a low maintenance dose, through choice. If I find I gain weight I can tweak it up, ie after a big holiday.

im in my 50s, I know full well no matter how hard I try ultimately life will get in the way and I will gain weight, and it is utterly miserable always being hungry and feeling deprived. Wanting whatever is in the cupboard, and a small amount not satisfying and I chose not to do that any more, as I don’t have to.

in addition all the global health authorities recommend it as a long term solution, so it is the recommended path, as obesity is a relapse disease, our bodies and minds work against us, most people with a weight problem, regain it.

I was on blood pressure meds, which are brutal. And now the only med I take is this,

primarly though I want all the health benefits they bring, cardio vascular, kidney, liver, reduced inflammation, anti ageing on organs, reduced cancers etc,as well as blood sugar and insulin optimisation, all my blood tests results were smack bang in the middle of healthy and optimal, the overall improvement in my health is enormous, so I am staying on for this reason primarily, and for the secondary and also important reason, it is critical I don’t gain weight again, it is really unhealthy to be overweight, obesity is the biggest killer we face, and I don’t want to spend my time trying to maintain a healthy weight, as I know, like nearly everyone else I will ultimately fail;

this way, I eat healthy, I don’t think about it, I don’t go to bed hungry, i don’t care about the crap in the cupboard, i feel great, and mentally im confident in my appearance again and i dont have the enormous risks asssociayed with being overweight. It is the number one cause of cancer. Then we have heart disease, strokes, diabetes, joint degradation, inflammation, fatty liver etc Being overweight is not some benign condition, it literally is the most fatal disease in society,

But we do know some things,

we know obesity is the most fatal disease in society,
‘we know it is the number one leading cause of cancer.
we know it causes many often fatal health issues, heart disease, fatty liver, stroke, diabetes
we know it causes other health issues, joint degradation, increased inflammation which age our organs etc,

we know the drugs have long term scietific data, from the trials to real life usage, over 40 Yeats now and yes it reads across.
we know it reduces certain cancers
we know it cures cardio vascular disease
we know it reduces inflammation allowing cells to regenerate and thus reverse, reduce or slow ageing
we know it cures fatty liver disease.
we know it is thought to reduce dementia and kidney disease and trials under way for this, in late stage

we also know by not being over weight we reduce all the risks associated with it, so reduce our risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, joint degradation, fatty liver etc,

these things are factual. I understand some people still feel the risk is too high, and that’s ok, no one is going to hold you down and inject you. No one will force you to take any medication you don’t wish, but for others, myself included, this is a decision I’m taking, that I feel is the right one.

What is your height and weight OP?

I'm incredulous about the GP's behaviour. Mine hasn't even weighed me in years, they have no record of my current BMI. I've never had an unprompted phone call from them.

@Willowy2 Maybe your GP doesn't have the most tactful manner. However, if you had a BMI of 30 he correctly assessed that you already had an unhealthy relationship with food. Your aspirational goal of 19, your user name, your disproportionate response to his intervention - all of this points to someone who needs guidance, to be frank.

He's the professional with years of training and experience. Not you.

It doesn’t remotely point to someone who needs guidance. Being fat doesn’t mean you’re stupid.

My aspirational goal of 19?! Whaaat! That 19 in my user name as nothing to do with my BMI goals! 😅

I'm actually in the gym and before my session did my bodytrax scan. My BMI is now 21 which I'm thrilled about! I've gained 1.4kg of muscle since November!

Is that better????

It doesn't point to someone who needs guidance from a doctor who hasn't even bothered finding out the prescription criteria. That sort of ignorance in a clinician is dangerous, and the fact that he came out with this shit despite his years of training and experience makes this worse.

One hopes this isn't representative of his usual standard of care.

People are so resentful and envious over these drugs, they see fat as a cosmetic and vanity issue, not the fatal disease it is. You’d never tell a cancer patient they shouldn’t take meds or someone with high blood pressure, but for fat people they do,because for them it’s about appearance, the fact it’s likely going to kill you or limit your life is irrelevant to these people. The fact you’ve tried everything and these drugs are the last resort, not the first is irrelevant. Because for them it’s about what you look like.

It's true, people don't want to hear that it's not a long term solution. Because it goes against the advice from bodies that actually know what they're talking about, and is therefore usually an indication that you're being lectured by an unqualified random. Nobody likes unqualified randoms.

Do you think you know better than the WHO?

www.who.int/news/item/01-12-2025-who-issues-global-guideline-on-the-use-of-glp-1-medicines-in-treating-obesity

Fat people literally can't win even when they are a healthy weight!

I ate less, moved more ✔️
Lost weight ✔️
Made lifestyle changes ✔️
Have a safe and thought out plan for maintenance ✔️
Gaining muscle and strength ✔️

And now apparently I have an eating disorder?!

Abd people want me to suffer some horrific side effects?!

It's bonkers.

Yeah, stop attention seeking now. Go live your happy, healthy life.

At least this is new! Usually what we don’t want to hear is ‘that it’s not a quick fix’.

Often with ‘do we know we’ll pile it all back on as soon as we stop taking it?’

Can this please be added to the bingo card?

I posted on a board for WLI users about my experience with my GP with WLI! No attention seeking!

Can we also add that when you have to furiously defend yourself that you've done everything right, you are now attention seeking!! 🙄