S/O Weight Loss Drugs - cheating or not? (poll)

I don't think it's cheating, at all. If it helps someone to get healthier then it's a good thing. My caveat is that if eating is disordered, emotional eating, etc. then therapy should be an adjunct. In that case, something from your past lead you to this point. Healing and finding other ways to experience the feelings and trauma are necessary. JMHO.

I don't think it's cheating. I think it's a tool and if it helps you make better choices about how you're fueling your body so as to lead to better health, then I can see the appeal of using it. However, I have a lot of concerns over the impact these drugs may have on the functioning of the brain. And I say this from a long-term use of mind altering drugs perspective. My bipolar gets worse over time. I get about 3-4 years out of medication before my brain grows adapted to it and a switch needs to take place. We have known for years and years that long term use of anti-psychotics increases the likelihood of dementia. I absolutely have to take medication. I would be totally nuts without it. That's where I've got to do a trade off equation weighing risks with benefits. If the drugs could help me with weight loss, I'd probably gain physical health. But at this point, the trade off of mental health tinkering (especially when I feel balanced right now) just turns me right off. I kind of have this theory that since my brain isn't normal to begin with, that they wouldn't even work on me. LOL! I've had a lot of drugs not work on me.

I'm trying to take better care of myself. For me, it's not about weight loss, it is about the things weight loss can help improve like cholesterol, A1C, and blood pressure. I'm working on it, little by little.

I felt like it was "cheating" when I first heard about it. I still kind of feel like I'm cheating, but I no longer care. I'm just happy to have found something that works besides being hungry, miserable, obsessed with food, and feeling guilty about not spending an hour in the gym every day.

I'm quite open with anyone who asks what my "secret" was for losing weight. I do wish it would become more affordable.

I take Rybelsus (semaglutide in a pill form) as part of my diabetes management regimen. I see it (and the weight loss versions) as medical tools to deal with diabetes and/or obesity. We're not having this discussion about high blood pressure medications or statins or any number of other medications but once weight is on the table - all of a sudden instead of it being a medical condition to treat, it becomes about poor choices, cheating, guilt...I hate that (not directed at the OP but at society in general)

I have type 2 diabetes and started on Mounjaro about a month ago. I previously was on Ozempic, but my doctor stopped it because of the side effects I was having. Unfortunately, without the Ozempic, my sugar levels started to rise - not dangerous (A1c rose from 6 - 7), but enough that my doctor had concerns. My primary reason for taking Mounjaro is for my sugar levels. To me, it is a fortunate ‘side effect’ that I am losing weight (down from 104kg to 101.5 in those 4 weeks)
I don’t see it as ‘cheating’ - I still have to make appropriate food choices. Yes, it helps that I am not as hungry as I used to be and - more importantly - it has stilled the voice in my head that had me thinking about food constantly. I am still learning what foods I need to avoid - both for gut feel and sugar - and how much I can eat without feeling bad, and for sure, the Mounjaro helps with that.
I also look at it this way - I have an under-functioning thyroid, for which I take synthetic thyroid hormones. That also helps with controlling my weight, but who would question that? Why single out these new drugs that help people like me control their appetite? In years to come, we will most likely come to see these drugs for what they really are - one of a number of tools in controlling both diabetes and obesity.

I can agree with this. I think there is a lens with which people view being overweight, this diet culture. Even many of those who have been overweight participate in it. We all know that one person who lost 100 pounds and is now an evangelical judge of every morsel they and everyone around them puts in their mouth.

You are the pea I me ruined that it helped you because it quieted the voices.

That in and of itself isn't cheating because there isn't a therapy known for that.

My point was that sometimes we need a med to quiet those voices to see gains. And for DD it helped therapy stick because before she was so focused on everything else that the tools she was learning to manage her anxiety and OCD weren't being taken in by her.

No blanket statement.

For others, like my friend, it is used as a bandaid. That is why I said other on the poll. I have seen both sides.

It saddens me a bit because I just think if anyone should have compassion for another person, surely it should be someone who was once dealing with the same hurdle as another person.  

I don't think it's cheating, but I don't think it's the ultimate solution either. Neither is bariatric surgery. If you don't change habits, the meds can only take you so far. I've known a lot of people who lose all the weight and then end up right back where they started. I don't know anyone who has successfully kept it off long term without completely changing their diet and lifestyle.

That isn't true.. talking to a psychologist.. I never did unless things changed recently.

Full disclosure- I’ve been on Rybelus for what will be four years in February of next year. I was prescribed it by my doctor because I am a Type 2 diabetic. In addition to lowering my blood sugar over the period of about the first 18 months I also lost weight. The weight loss benefit has stopped and I regained 10 pounds even though I continued to take the drug. This was totally my fault because I was not watching my food intake.

To answer the question, no, I do not believe it is cheating. It’s a valuable tool and when prescribed and taken properly, I feel for many of us the benefits outweigh the risks.

I have limited the knowledge of my diabetes among my family and friends. Their attitudes of how and why people get the “the sugar” (as they call it) is so judgmental and abusive that I’ve hidden my diagnosis for years. Only my husband knows what drug I am taking to control it.

Rybelsus no longer provides any appetite suppressant for me. I am currently working on losing the extra weight.

I agree with the posters that the drugs are only a tool. In my observations and interactions in.FB groups,I have also noticed a worrying trend, particularly among people that are taking the medication for weight loss only. There seems to be a total lack of counseling that goes along with the prescription. People are buying compounds from India and Mexico over the Internet. The number of prescriptions have skyrocketed with the advent of using Teladoc to obtain a prescription without seeing a doctor in person. It’s very apparent that very few, if any, people are getting much direction on counseling on these drugs. The number of people that come into a group and ask “ when do I take this pill?” “ Can I cut a pill in half?” “ Can I take two instead of one for faster weight loss?” It’s alarming, it’s astounding, and it’s mind-boggling. Did these individual’s doctors not tell them anything? They seem shocked when there are some very adversarial side effects that come along with taking these drugs.

I’ve mentioned on here before, that as a diabetic I have had weeks and weeks and hours and hours of education and training from diabetic counselors, registered dietitians, and nutritionists. My eating habits have rarely strayed from those guidelines. Yes, I got a little sloppy and I gained some weight. I’m now back to counting my calories and carbs. The weight is slowly coming off, but I have to work at it. It just seems like there are some people that don’t want to have to work for the weight loss and expect the drug to do it all for them. I find that disturbing.

As I said, I really do believe these drugs have a lot of benefits and on an excellent tool for many people. I am concerned that there seems to be a certain faction of people that feel like it’s a miracle drug and really don’t take the drug risks and side effects seriously. They need to be under the watchful eye of a doctor and have frequent blood tests that monitor not just blood sugar, but kidney function, etc. Sadly, the more I read the more I realize that a lot of people are not doing that. I find that rather alarming.