What is the benefit of using the new weight loss jab?

This is quite a difficult question to answer because after researching this, I don't know if there are any. People will say that the benefit is that you will lose weight if you use it, but for me, it's at what expense?

I will explain why I feel this way in the following blog and hopefully by the end of it you will understand why I am so hesitant to say that there are any benefits to it.

The solution to obesity - Is it all it is cracked up to be?

Have you seen the latest "solution" to obesity that is being spoken about at the moment? It's a weight loss jab called Wegovy (there are other brands as well)  Now I don't tend to watch the news - haven't done so in years as it is all so depressing, - but I have heard this mentioned on the radio quite a number of times in recent weeks.

I was concerned by what I heard on the radio and I am even more concerned now as I read an article on it in a Sunday newspaper recently and then there was also a TV programme on called "The Truth about the Skinny Jab" on Channel 4. I just had to watch it - mind you it made me so angry, I probably shouldn't have.

How does the weight loss jab work?

In a nut shell, this drug works by mimicking your body's natural hormone GLP-1 (Glucagon-like Peptide 1). GLP-1 goes to the pancreas to signal that a food has been eaten and to increase the production of insulin in order to keep your blood sugar levels balanced. The GLP-1 also tells the brain how much food you have eaten and you have eaten and starts the signals that you are full.

The issue with GLP-1 is that it gets broken down in your body very quickly - in minutes - naturally.  What these drug companies have done is "modified" the GLP-1 hormone to stay in your blood stream for longer.  As a result of this, it fools your brain into thinking you have had more food than you have actually eaten, and you feel full very quickly.

Now for me, my alarm bells start to ring at this stage.  When you start to mess around with the body's natural ability to produce hormones, with a modified hormone, it will have a negative impact elsewhere. The body is a very delicate, balanced system and when we start to mess around with it, ie increasing hormones that aren't naturally occurring, there will be consequences - more about that later.

Why are people jumping on this "trend" of weight loss jabs?

It's because it is being shown as something that is easy and fast! All you have to do is inject yourself and you will then eat less. Sounds simple doesn't it?

Society has got so fascinated by the quick fix option that doing things naturally just don't come into play. It is really quite sad. There are celebrities using these weight loss jabs to lose weight in order to look good on the red carpet. This is wrong on so many levels.

I know there are people out there who are desperate to lose weight, and I get that. They may have tried many things and feel as though this is their last option, but in reality it shouldn't be. Back in 2013, that was me. I was desperate. But, I want people to know that there are safer options out there to losing weight.

How successful is this drug?

"Success" stories were shown in the show on Channel 4, with the following statistics:

• the studies show a 15% reduction in body weight in just over a year.
• 1 women lost 3 stone in 9 months
• a young girl, probably in her 20's lost 1.5 stone in 7 and a half weeks.
• another woman lost nearly a stone in 3 months
• there have been stories of people losing over 100pounds using this kind of drug.

Yes, losing 100 pounds sounds fantastic, but what does that 100pounds consist of?

There have been reports of the weight loss not actually being fat loss, but muscle wastage. When you are trying to lose "weight" muscles loss is the last thing that you want to happen. That is a recipe for disaster. Muscle loss as we age is a huge concern, and doing something that could potentially accelerate it is very concerning.

What are the potential side effects of taking this drug?

When you look at the information on drugs.com website, it gives you some information on the potential side effects of using something like this. Reading this makes the thought of using something like this even scarier. 45% of the test subjects in the trials reported unpleasant side effects and some stopped taking part as the effects were so awful.

In the TV show, the ladies that were interviewed all reported "side effects" of taking the drug.  Some of the side effects that they listed were:

• nausea - practically instant!
• headaches
• diarrhoea
• severe fatigue
• tenderness at sites of injections
• constipation - that needed laxatives to be relieved
• acid reflux
• depression and suicidal thoughts

These side effects were pretty instant when they started taking the injections. Is losing weight and feeling like that something that you would want?

The long term impact of a drug like this are unknown and studies in rats are showing that there is a dose dependent risk of thyroid tumours which is horrifying.

A lady in USA is sueing the makers of one of these weight loss jabs because she can no longer eat properly due to the damage to her stomach, and her body is unable to absorb the nutrients from the food that she does eat. I feel more stories like this will begin to emerge in the coming months and years.

Many of the current users are terrified of what will happen once they stop using this drug. In the trials, 90% of the subjects regained the weight that they had lost, once they came off the drug! There have been reports of users stopping, and their cravings coming back 100 times worse. We should be asking why this is happening - well I can figure out why this is happening!! The body is trying to get back the nutrients that it has been missing out on whilst the person was "fooling" their body and not eating enough food!

Another Harrowing Thought...

Due to the demand of these products, for people who just want to lose weight, there is a shortage. People who need these drugs to control their Type 2 Diabetes (which can also be controlled by diet), can not get them. In July 2023, there was a National Patient Safety Alert published to cope with the shortage.  It discouraged the use of the jabs for obesity and stated that it should only be used for Type 2 Diabetics.

As a result of this, people are going to private clinics, ordering online and even buying on the black market!! It is so scary what some people will do in order to lose weight. 

What is even more scary, is the fact that these drugs are being given out to people when they really don't need them AND you can lie on the forms online to get them, without any proper checks being done.  You could be anyone - someone with a eating disorder - and you could get your hands on them. 

When buying the products that are being sold on the black market, you are running the risk of getting a product that is not even the real thing. The Channel 4 show analysed 2 of these products and found that 1 definitely wasn't the weight loss drug and they couldn't actually tell what the other product was!! If that does not put you off using something like this, I don't know what would. The risks attached to this are colossal! You really do not know what you are putting into your body in this instance.

So you can see why I struggle with saying that there are any benefits of using this product.  You are playing with nature when you do so. You are putting something into your body that modifies your brain function. You can not know that you are losing body fat, rather than muscle when you lose the weight using it. The long term effects of using a product like this are yet to be determined.

What's the alternative to weight loss jabs?

The amazing thing is that you can get your body to produce GLP-1 naturally when you eat the right foods. When you eat The SMASH Way, it happens automatically and my clients report a feeling of being satisfied and feeling great. There are certainly no nasty side effects of eating The SMASH Way, just the joy of enjoying delicious meals and losing body fat.

What annoys me the most about this is that companies are promoting something that is potentially toxic, that has potential side effects, no long term studies on the long term side effects and NOT showing people how they can do it for themselves!!! 

That is where I come in. I can show you and teach you how to lose weight naturally, and keep it off long term.

Please don't be tempted by the idea of a quick fix jab. I feel the long term impact of these things can be horrific on your body, and your mind.

In my opinion, this is not a safe or effective option for long term weight loss and management.

Remember, when you eat the SMASH Way, you will naturally increase your GLP-1 hormone and balance all of your other hormones at the same time and you will learn how to do it properly.  When you understand the why and the how behind healthy eating, it all makes sense - this is why I created The SMASH Way - so you could have access to the information that you need in order to live a safe and healthy lifestyle going forward.

 Education is key!! Be Educated; Not Manipulated