In recent years, weight loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro have surged in popularity. Their original use was for blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes; however, manufacturers have jumped on some of their additional side effects of weight loss and suppressed appetite. I’m sure we all have a friend who has told you their wonder weight loss journey with these medications. The thought of just a once-a-week injection with miraculous results sounds amazing right…right?
Sorry but I’m here to burst your bubble.
To clarify: these injections, when prescribed and followed up by a doctor working for an NHS funded weight loss clinic/GP, with the intention of managing type 2 diabetes, weight loss and reduction of heart attack/stroke risk are beneficial for a select group of patients.
Having said that there is no denying that these medications are being abused. As a medical professional I find it very worrying how easy it is to get hold of a medication that:
-Has a high side effect profile1
-Is still being investigated for serious unknown side effects2
-Has a high availability on the black market being prescribed by non-prescribers at extortionate prices with no patient follow up.
In addition, the long-term weight loss outcomes have not been established with a high risk of rebound weight gain once stopped.3
To give you an idea of how easy it is to get hold of this medication I clicked on the first weight loss jab advert I could find on Google. It took me 72 seconds (I timed myself) to complete the questionnaire and be offered the medication. I may have told a few lies regarding my weight and my weight related problems but the point I am trying to make is that had I gone through my GP I would never have been prescribed this in the first place.
Let me tell you another story. I treated a very unwell patient on the intensive care unit with acute pancreatitis about a year ago. We could not figure out what had caused this and spent some time scratching our heads. It wasn’t until a family member told us that they were on Ozempic, a drug currently being investigated as a potential cause of pancreatitis. There was no documentation of this patient being on it from their hospital or GP notes because they had been prescribed it online by a third party. This patient almost died.
Hopefully I am painting a picture regarding the problems that unregulated use of these medications can cause. I would urge caution not to underestimate the effects of taking a medication that has not been prescribed by your usual GP/hospital doctor.
Unfortunately in life there is no such thing as an easy fix or a cheat code. They just don’t exist. Particularly when it comes to weight loss and health. I would advise against quick fixes in this regard and consider longer term lifestyle changes with proven track results.
Dr Jack Maynard
References
1. Wilding J.P.H. et al. (2021). "Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity." New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
2. BMJ 2025;389:r1344
3. Wilding JPH. STEP 1 Study Group. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2022 Aug;24(8):1553-1564. doi: 10.1111/dom.14725. Epub 2022 May 19. PMID: 35441470; PMCID: PMC9542252.