Share your weight management questions with Hira, Oushk co-founder

[CeriMumsnet]

Every stage of a health or weight-loss journey comes with new questions, decisions and goals, and finding the right support for you can make all the difference.

To celebrate Oushk's Mumsnet Rated win after 100% of Mumsnet testers said they’d recommend their maintenance service, we’ve teamed up with Oushk co-founder Hira Malik to answer your questions about healthy, sustainable weight management.

About Hira:
Hira Malik is the Co-Founder and Lead Prescriber at Oushk Pharmacy, known for her personalised, compassionate approach to weight management. She has supported thousands of patients by tailoring treatment to their lifestyle, challenges, and goals. Hira understands that no two journeys are the same, combining medication, accountability, nutrition guidance, and realistic daily habits to achieve sustainable results. Her patient-led style and deep expertise in modern weight-loss therapies have earned her a strong reputation for delivering exceptional outcomes while making every patient feel heard and supported from day one.

Hira will be back online soon to share video answers to a selection of your questions. Everyone who shares a question by 19/11 will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 voucher. (T&Cs)

I’d like to know when Mumsnet are going to stop doing WLI ads veiled as Q&As or editorial pieces. This is cheating the letter and intent of the advertising restrictions on promotion of these drugs. Perhaps check with the ASA and find some ethics.

The GPhC issued updated guidance yesterday.
assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/2025-09/Enforcement-Notice-prescription-only-medicines-used-for-weight-management-September-2025.pdf?VersionId=nUC_VEq4b2qZE3G2I1dibaU3jMM6nHp_

I would say that the naming of “glp-1 prescribing” contravenes that updated guidance.

Hira, as a pharmacist are you concerned about illegal ads for WLI that deliberately flout The Human Medicines Regulations 2012? Where does this Q&A fit into the current Wild West of prescription drug promotion?

And look at this (screenshot attached) marked as an ad in Active, click through and the actual advertisement is not flagged. But a direct to consumer ad of a POM is illegal. So how can this be justified?

What does Mumsnet get out of this, out of interest?

This is going well!

A genuine weight management question.

After over 30 years of yo-yo dieting, losing then regaining it all over again and more with my health deteriorating as I got older Weight loss injections came on the scene early last year and they have been life changing for me. I wish they had been around 10-20 years ago when I am was struggling.

Question for Hira - deciding to medicate weight loss is a big health and financial decision, what would you say are the key points anyone should consider before taking that step and accepting “the traditional way” (description as used in a recent thread) is not going to work for them (for whatever reason).

Mounjaro has been life changing for me. I’m now a healthy BMI, huge health benefits including lowered blood pressure and don’t constantly think about food. But I don’t know how to do this without Mounjaro. I’m so scared of undoing my progress. What is your advice?

Mine are genuine weight-management questions, @NoTouch. I'm taking Mounjaro. If pharmacies and third parties such as Mumsnet breach regulations in advertising these drugs, further restrictions will likely be imposed. The incredible impact of WLIs for many people is clearer every day, so one of the major factors now is access. If poor practice threatens ease of access for those who qualify, that will be a major glitch for patients.

It is a genuine and fair advertising of POM question, not a weight management question. The advertising of POM will affect pharmacies that break the rules not the patients and it is not the intent of this thread. If you believe the thread breaks the advertising rules there are means to report it without derailing the intent of the thread.

I was reading on another site that Mumsnet have been reported to ASA for promoting WLIs in a really underhand way. Is this true?

Hi all, just stepping in with a clarification.

We’ve reviewed the new GPhC guidance that was issued yesterday (thank you @QueenOfHiraethfor linking to it). The rules around advertising in this area are tight for good reason, and we always want to make sure we stay on the right side of them.

The Q&A itself is compliant, as it focuses on general weight management rather than promoting any Prescription Only Medicine. However, you are right to highlight that the reference to “GLP-1 prescribing” in Hira’s bio could be interpreted as implying a specific treatment route. To avoid any ambiguity under the new guidance, we’ll remove that wording.

This is a clearly labelled commercial Q&A, as required by CMA and ASA rules. Weight management is a huge topic on Mumsnet, with millions of words written on it this year alone, so we hope this offers something genuinely useful for those who want to put questions to an expert.

Thanks again to those who raised it, and to everyone contributing to the thread.

Hi Hira - I'm taking mounjaro and it has been incredible so far. One thing I've noticed though is that I am permanently thirsty. I know that's pretty common but I'm wondering if it's something I should be worried about at all?

I just had a question on food noise when you're coming off the medication. Ive been on mounjaro for about a year now and it's worked really well for me. I think mainly because it cuts the food noise, which you dont realise is a big thing until it stops!
I'm now considering stopping / reducing my dose but i'm worried about how i handle the food noise when it comes back. One of the things that's been so good about mounjaro is it allowed me to get healthy without feeling like I'm restricting (punishing) myself. So i guess my question is, what's your advise for handling this in a way that doesn't feel restrictive? Do you know what's worked for other people?
Thanks!

Hi there. I am mid forties and find it's generally harder to maintain a healthy weight than when I was younger. For my height and weight (5ft 4, 9 stone) I eat between 1700-1900 calories per day to maintain. My question is does it make a difference if I follow a low carb diet? Or is it better to have a balance? Thanks!

So I clicked on an Oushk advert last week on this site which talked about weight loss services. Took me to their website to a page all about prescription only medication.

which surely contravenes this:

Do not direct consumers from an ad seemingly for non-POM
products or services directly to another ad promoting a POM
• Ads that refer to general weight-loss products or services should
not direct consumers to other ads promoting POMs. For example,
paid-for ads on social media or sponsored searches should not
contain links to a landing page that promotes a named POM.

Do my question to Hira is is she worried she might get struck off?

Just clicked on the advert again, it’s a different page now but it’s still very much about having an assessment and placing an order. Seeing as the only weight loss medication they sell is prescription only I struggle to see how they can’t be breaking rules

Is it ok at the age of 70 to start using weight loss injections? Are there any specific considerations I should be concerned about?

Hi Mumsnetters! Thanks so much for your questions - I've answered them in the below videos, I hope you find them helpful :)

@NoTouch Thanks for your question!

Thanks for your questions @ThirdStorm !

Hi @acres11 , thanks for your question, see my answer below :)

Hi @onemoretimefromthetop thank you, I hope my answer below helps.

Thanks @Eurotrotters, good question! I've shared my thoughts below

Hi and thank you @Rachand23!

Thanks for the answer to my question @HiraMalikOushk, I must admit I prefer this format of Q&A to the Circle live forum ones, the questions seemed more thought out, less repetitive and the answers more relaxed, full and informative.

Maybe its my age and I work better in a more relaxed environment 😂, but possibly an idea of format for some FAQs in the Circle group. I could also listen to them on my headphones while having a walk.