America News Agency

Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Burak Uzel said that these drugs are not as innocent as people think and stressed: “These are medicines and must be used under a doctor’s supervision.”

“Not new, it has been used for a long time”

Emphasizing that weight-loss injections are not a new method, Dr. Uzel said: “We have been using these medicines for a long time. They act through the GLP-1 and GIP hormones. They increase the feeling of satiety in the brain, delay gastric emptying, and reduce insulin resistance. In other words, they affect more than one mechanism at the same time.”

The main purpose is diabetes treatment

Stating that these drugs were primarily developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, Uzel said: “We already use these medicines in diabetes patients. They can also be used, by a physician’s decision, in people with prediabetes and in individuals with a body mass index above 30. However, these drugs have no place in type 1 diabetes patients.”

Not suitable for everyone

Noting that weight-loss injections pose serious risks for some people, Dr. Uzel warned: “Those with a history of medullary thyroid cancer, those with this cancer in their family, those with genetic MEN syndrome, patients who have had pancreatitis, and type 1 diabetics should definitely not use these drugs.”

Side effects should not be underestimated

Drawing attention to side effects, Uzel said: “Nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain are common. More importantly, there is a risk of pancreatitis. Rapid weight loss can cause gallstones. In uncontrolled use, we have had patients who experienced gastric paralysis and had to be hospitalized for days.”

“Patients who use it on their own are at great risk”

Referring to the dangers of uncontrolled use, Dr. Uzel said: “We encounter patients who buy it online or from a pharmacy and use it on their own. Fainting due to low blood sugar, falls, and serious injuries can occur. These are not harmless injections.”

Harsh criticism of social media

Reacting to posts on social media, Uzel said: “I don’t think it is right for people who are not doctors to guide others about these drugs. Moreover, there are products brought in through illegal channels. We don’t know how safe these medicines are, which need to be stored in a cold chain.”

Risk of muscle loss

Stating that no significant increase in cancer risk has been detected with long-term use, Uzel added: “However, muscle loss can occur while losing weight quickly. This can lead to serious loss of strength in the future. Therefore, resistance exercise must be done.”

The idea of “I take the injection, I can eat whatever I want” is wrong

Underlining that this belief is incorrect, Uzel said: “These drugs reduce appetite, but diet and exercise are essential. When you stop the drug, appetite returns. If lifestyle doesn’t change, the weight comes back too.”

Demand is surging

Noting that demand for weight-loss injections has increased sharply recently, Dr. Uzel said: “We are having difficulty finding the medicine even for our type 2 diabetes patients. Unnecessary use is very widespread, and this is not right.”

Dr. Burak Uzel concluded as follows:
“What matters is not losing weight, but being healthy. These drugs open a window, but if you don’t use that window correctly, you will be harmed. They must be used under a physician’s supervision, together with diet and exercise.”