MoreLife ‘Weight Management’- waste of NHS Funds?

[JediKnightingale]

About a year ago I rang my GP surgery to ask if I could be assessed for my eligibility for one of the weight loss injections. I was told there was a wait list of over a year but they would add me to the list.

In November last year I got a call from someone at MoreLife saying they had gotten my referral from the GP and wanted to set up an appointment. I assumed this was an initial screening program for the weight loss injection.

Filled out a health questionnaire, asked about the injections and arranged a ‘convenient’ time for my weekly weight management zoom meeting.

The weekly zoom meeting turned out to be a 12 week 1.5 hour ‘course’. On asking about the injections on the first session we were all told ‘No weight loss injections are currently available on the NHS so stop asking about it’

Basically this ‘MoreLife’ lot must be squeezing the NHS for pots of cash taking 20 people per session (at 1.5 hours a time) telling us gems like - eat less, move more, chew longer, lots of red traffic lights on food is bad, eat more veg. But padded out with words like ‘mindfulness’ and ‘portion control’.

Homework tasks like food diaries and calorie counting FFS! We are a group of obese people who have all tried every diet under the sun and are desperate for help - which is why we all signed up for the injections. Being told to eat one less spud and go for a walk by a jolly 22 year old size zero gym bunny is insulting and not helpful.

It infuriates me that the NHS is pissing money on these weight management schemes. They had me on Second Nature a few years ago and that came with digital scales, a Fitbit thing and recipe books - all of which I already had. Weight lost: zero. What a huge waste!

Anyone else agree the NHS needs to speak to obese people and find out what we REALLY NEED? Surely -money spent on a proven medication is a much better use of resources?

I realise that some people my find these weight management things helpful - but our group is 90% weary, perpetually overweight, miserable and are only continuing because MoreLife say if we don’t complete the course IF the injections become available we won’t be approved unless we’ve finished their stupid, infantile course.

You are assuming that because this course does not work for you that it doesn't work for anyone. An online course is likely to cost very little per person compared to injections or surgery. If it helps only a small percentage of those who attend it, it is likely to be better value for money than those options.

I agree with you. Obesity costs the NHS millions every year and yet the view seems to be that people only want to lose weight for cosmetic rather than health purposes.

I paid for Second Nature and lost nothing. I was left with the world's most expensive recipe book.

Having tried and failed to lose weight for 10 years I have paid myself for Wegovy. It's expensive but it works ( for me) I am menopausal and find it impossible to eat as little as have to in order to lose anything without help. When I was young I lost weight after giving up smoking by using Weight Watchers. It was relatively easy but I wasn't trying to eat 1000 calories a day!

I know someone who died recently after having a huge stroke 10 years ago. He was morbidly obese and I wonder if he would have survived longer had he been able to take Wegovy. I know slim people have strokes too but in his case I'm pretty sure his weight was a major contribution to his condition.

I know I can only base it on my group of 20 but as I said we all feel the same (we are siphoned off into little groups to chat about our ‘weight loss journey’)

We are all desperate and this just feels such a cop out. I do appreciate it maybe helpful for someone who has not been trying to lose weight for many years - but for seasoned long term obese people being told ‘eat less move more’ and ‘try a smaller plate’ is just a joke.

I guess you have no idea how much the weight loss injections cost then? At a minimum, £180 per month (NHS price) so if you start to multiply that by 12 and then by however many years you'll be on them (once you stop you'll put the weight back on) and then by how many people are obese (a quarter of UK adults) you can see it's not affordable. OK let's do the maths for you:
£180 x 12 = £2160
UK 12 million adults (over 25) obese
12 million x £2,160 = more than £25bn every year

Weight management courses are also a proven way to help people lose weight, by the way.

@Movinghouseatlast Exactly! I feel I’m headed towards a serious health condition if my weight doesn’t decrease significantly. Existing Health problems (asthma) mean exercise is difficult so the injection sounded perfect for me.

It cannot be cost effective to make these injections so hard to get on the NHS. I’d be more than happy to wait if I knew there was a definitive start date - what I object to is the waste of money on these WM schemes.

There's no evidence to show that weight loss injections have long term effects on obesity and NovoNordisks own research show that people regain significant weight once they come off the injections. It's not been available long enough to see what happens in years after the injections stop. Without a holistic approach nothing is likely to work long term, not even the injections. I don't think it's up to the NHS to fix in its entirety, there needs to be some personal accountability and internal locus of control.

If you don't mind me asking, are you really embracing the program and following the advice given? It's not going to work if you don't give it a chance

I agree that you don't sound keen to listen to their advice OP.

How much does obesity cost the NHS though compared to weight loss treatments (not courses).

How much time is lost to the economy by people who have limited capacity to work due to illness/issues due to obesity, even if a comorbid factor which is making other disorders unmanageable?

Do weight loss programmes work? Ive not seen the stats personally but would besurprised

@Hubblebubble I appreciate I do sound negative about the whole thing but it’s because it’s the second scheme I’ve been on (with no results despite following the program) and the ‘advice’ is just common sense - eat less move more.

Our whole group are veterans of every diet going and we already know very welll the (VERY BASIC) advice this course is doling out. My point is, almost ALL long term obese people have had experience with diets / WM and the NHS is just wasting money putting our demographic on such a scheme where the conclusion of a 1.5 hour session is to buy smaller plates and try cutting down your portions!

I also am aware that the injections are expensive and not suitable for everyone. My personal circumstances mean that a medication I’m on slows my metabolism and despite a recent bereavement which meant I ate virtually nothing for 6 months, my weight barely changed.

I have to disagree with you

I know people who have found the consistent sessions and advice invaluable. Both for the adult and children courses (I don't know if they still offer them for children).

You have to want to fully embrace and follow the advice. It won't work if you start with a negative mindset and just want a quick fix of medication.

What happens after you have lost wait with the injections and then don't have the injections anymore? If you havnt changed your intake/output you will regain what you lose with the injections very quickly.

It isn't easy. And you do need the willpower and motivation. But weight loss injections/medication are not a healthy long term solution.

Obviously the need for it is different if there are other reasons or conditions that hinder weight loss.

The courses that are run are bound to cheaper than giving out billions worth of weight loss medication

I largely agree with you, but would say two things

Firstly, the advice is right, people do just need to intake fewer calories and that means smaller portion sizes generally. However there are tools which can make someone find that easier to do, sometimes people find low carbing is a good tool, others find weight loss injections a good tool, others find slimming clubs a good tool, it depends on the person

Secondly for you personally you do need to be careful of wanting something that might not work for you, you say that for 6 months you virtually ate nothing, not very much but didnt lose anything. How would weight loss injections help that then because they are designed to help you control your appetite, you sound as if you have no appetite?

Can you link that? Also that people keep the weight off?

@JediKnightingale I agree. I asked for help with weight loss. I was depressed. On medication for that. I used to be a healthy weight. Very into fitness. My mum died and I lost myself. I could function to do the basics but not much else.

I knew what I needed to do. But I found it overwhelming. I couldn't face doing anything for myself. So wouldn't cook and eat crisps and chocolate. Sometimes wouldn't eat all day then it crap food. Couldn't face even going for a walk. I have never felt so low.

I got referred to a health cooking course. I spoke to them and they agreed that's not what I needed. I needed more help for my state of mind. Then I got referred to similar to you. It's not what I needed.

I am not sure injections are the cure all either. But these course, for me and most people I know in real life that have tried them have found them pointless in the long run. Which means they are a waste of money.

@soupfiend Yes you are quite right im not sure i am a suitable candidate but i thought the screening process would tell me. I didn’t realise I was being ‘bribed’ to complete this course otherwise I’d not get screened. This is what has annoyed me - this company making money by enforcing myself (and many others) onto a WM course when I simply wanted to find out if I was eligible for the injection.

The injections seem to cut off cravings for carby/sugary foods, so you're more inclined to enjoy lighter foods, not as hungry but when you are you reach for more plant based and protein foods naturally

But if you are barely eating anything anyway, it may not make much of a difference sorry to say

If you ate hardly anything for 6 months and didn’t lose weight how will the injections change this?

You may want to consider WL surgery so not as much food gets absorbed because all the weight loss injections do is make you less hungry and eat less but you said that doesn’t work for you.

@Mountainclimber2024 Yep quite possibly- I need to be screened. The NHS do not need to waste precious funds paying money to a private company BEFORE I can even be assessed to what form of treatment is right. And for some, a weight management course MIGHT be the answer - but only after being screened.

OP I completely agree with you.
It’s complete bollocks. Most people aren’t still overweight because they don’t know what to do. It’s because they cannot consistently do it, despite their best efforts.

I’ve paid for Wegovy myself, I recognise I am very fortunate to be able to do this.

I don’t understand how you could be in a calorie deficit for 6 months and lose no weight but the injections would be any different? They create a calorie deficit by making you less hungry and inclined to eat too much, it is the same principal technically. I’m not sure what you expect, you are meant to keep a food diary and calorie count on the injections too

can you get it privately op?

I agree - it's insulting to assume obese people don't know that they need to eat more veg and less chocolate, use a smaller plate and move more. Most of us know exactly what we SHOULD be doing, but can't manage to do it, due to complex reasons such as injury/illness making it hard to move more, medications, mental health, trauma, or low self esteem, to mention just a few.

Not saying everyone should immediately be put on injections, but why waste money telling people what to do when 99% of them know what they should do but can't do it?

It's a bit like telling an alcoholic to just have one drink

Well, it seems the weight management course may be part of that screening by you keep saying you need.... Maybe give it a chance.

To be blunt you are adding to the NHS burden of wasting funds, wanting a quick fix with an injection

I have a friend that blames everything but herself for being overweight. She has no willpower and drinks alcohol like it’s going out of fashion. She’s even resorted to having her stomach reduced in Turkey, but she is still drinking loads and surprisingly eating more than I thought you could after this kind of procedure.

I don’t understand this epidemic of obesity, my mum is obese and really doesn’t understand what a healthy diet is. She has bags of sweats stashed everywhere, down the sides of the furniture, you name it.

I was teased at school because she was and still is big, 40 years ago there weren’t as many obese people. I vowed that I’d never do that to my child, I’m menopausal now, I have M.S and I’m not overweight, I walk my dogs for exercise when I can and follow the 16-8 diet, which is amazing. I know that if I pig out I’ll gain weight, it’s not rocket science.

I have requested a medication to help with the pain my M.S causes, but have been refused, it costs the NHS £300 for it. It’s a spray called Sativex to be used when required. I’m laid here in bed at 2am wide awake due to the pain, instead I’ve been prescribed Baclofen on top of my usual Tramadol, and it does bugger all for me, as well as being pretty addictive I believe. So I get pretty pissed when obese people are bleating on about wanting bloody Wegovy on the NHS!!

My hubby has put on a stone over Xmas and New Years and that’s because he’s been pigging out on chocolate and drinking more. He’ll cut back and increase his exercise to lose it. Basically if more calories go in than are burnt off your going to gain weight.

I do tend to agree with you OP. Many obese people (myself included) know what we need to do to lose weight, we know it’s a case of eat less, move more, etc etc, but for some of us it’s a deep seated psychological issue. And it won’t be sorted by injections, surgery, or stupid online courses that parrot the same information we are always told. We need to get to the root cause of why we are how we are.
But, the NHS, is broken. It’s far easier to cut funding and clinics; and to blame immigrants, smokers, fat people, drug users, etc for bringing these things on themselves or breaking the NHS, than to get angry at the ones who deserve it.

so yes, I know I’m fat, yes I know I should stop eating my trauma and depression away with cake and chocolate; but unfortunately until that switch is reversed in my brain with therapy that I’ve been fighting for years to get, i don’t see a way out.