Should You Get a Weight Loss Injection?

17 Feb Should You Get a Weight Loss Injection?

Posted at 17:47h in Weight Loss by

The UK press this week announced that high street chemists have been given approval to sell Wegovy, the controversial weight loss injection. This follows reports in February 2022 of the ‘game-changing weight loss injection‘ to be offered on the NHS. It seems too good to be true. Could a simple injection be all you need to get your weight challenges under control?

While I feel strongly that more needs to be done to support people in losing weight, I do not believe the solution to weight loss lies in an injection. Here’s why…

WHAT IS THE WEIGHT LOSS INJECTION?

Let’s start by looking at what’s actually in the syringe. This particular injection recently approved by NICE for use on the NHS is called Wegovy (Semaglutide). The class of medication is known as a GLP-1 receptor agonist originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes. Amongst their actions, it’s understood that they reduce the rate at which the stomach digests food and empties which can reduce appetite and support weight loss. There are currently five GLP-1 receptor agonists currently available in the UK according to NICE.

MY CONCERNS

I have two primary concerns about this weight loss injection:

1. An injection alone does nothing to get to the root cause of why people have gained weight in the first place. Not tackling the root cause is highly likely to result in weight regain.

2. The list of potential side effects are quite worrying. Let’s take a closer look at the side effects…

WEIGHT LOSS INJECTION SIDE EFFECTS

Common side effects listed on the drug’s website include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, gas, stomach flu, heartburn.

So far, unpleasant, but not life threatening. However, we then come on to the more serious concerns. I have lifted the following text directly from WeGovy’s website:

Wegovy™ may cause serious side effects, including: Possible thyroid tumours, including cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rodents, Wegovy™ and medicines that work like Wegovy™ caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Wegovy™ will cause thyroid tumours or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma in people.

A simple interpretation: rodents who were given these medications got cancer. You might too but we don’t actually know for sure. A full list of side effects can be found here.

INSIDE PHARMA

Years ago I worked as a sales rep for the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, promoting an asthma medication to doctors. What I know from this experience is that doctors are typically just given the top-line results / highlights of a drug’s benefit from pharmaceutical representatives. Often they aren’t aware of all of the potential side effects – of which there are many with this drug. With GP appointment times being so short, GPs often don’t have the time to go through the full list of potential side effects with patients, even if they are aware of them.

It’s worth highlighting here that prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in the United States and Europe.

IN SUMMARY

I am not a medical doctor. I’m therefore not able to give medical advice or recommend that anyone does or does not take a medication. What I can say is this – if a close relative or friend expressed to me that they were considering a weight loss injection, I would strongly discourage them from doing so.

Making changes to your diet and lifestyle can help you lose weight in a safe and sustainable way, with long-term results and no risks from drugs or surgeries. Working with a dedicated nutritionist means that you can benefit from tailored health, diet and lifestyle guidance along with supportive accountability.

WE CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY


If you’re looking to lose weight, there really is no substitute for a holistic approach to weight loss. We can help you overcome your weight challenges, reach your ideal weight and maintain it long term. Book yourself in for a complimentary 25 mintue call or contact us and a member of our team will be in touch soon. We can talk through your challenges and explore whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you.

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AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

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Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

 

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of th clinic.

 

Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning.

 

A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

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INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

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ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

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