Some GP’s aren’t going to prescribe it if they don’t think you really need it because there are also downsides- a horrible side effect being gastroparesis which has no cure, potential to increase kidney or thyroid cancer, etc.

My GP prescribes (was overweight with high blood pressure and borderline cholesterol levels). That was 3 years ago. 50 pounds gone and all the numbers down to normal (BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol). Went off for 6 months and the weight started to come back (when BMI got to 27 I went back on the injection). Now staying at low dose every week - don't care if it's forever, I don't have and never had any of the bad side effects other people have, I just keep the weight off. And my insurance fully covers the cost, I've never paid for the injections

Anonymous wrote:Why isn’t everybody allowed to just take these? Haven’t they been shown to reduce cancer, improve fertility and a million other things? I’m not on it btw.

Cost. There's no generic yet.

I have found a lot of GPs and other non-specialists are very negative about these drugs because they think it'sa fad. I see a weight loss specialist (bariatric surgeon) who is very positive about them but I get an earful from my GYN who thinks exercise fixes everything.

OP, look up the prescribing criteria. It's obese, or overweight plus another factor like pre-diabetes. Ask for bloodwork to start. But also, get on a wait list for an actual weight loss doctor.

Why isn’t everybody allowed to just take these? Haven’t they been shown to reduce cancer, improve fertility and a million other things? I’m not on it btw.