WEIGHT loss jabs are leaving some users sick and weak, a new survey warned.
Users have reported a raft of troubling side effects, from crippling nausea to hair loss and even dangerous muscle and bone loss.
A survey of 1,500 former users of GLP‑1 weight‑loss injections, commissioned in the UK, has exposed the scale of the problem.
Almost half said they now fear long‑term side effects from the jabs.
Yet despite those worries, two‑thirds would still recommend them and three-fifths said they would take the injections again.
More than a quarter said they came off the drugs due to gut problems such as nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting, or because of mental health effects, including anxiety, disturbed sleep and mood swings.
Over a quarter also cited the cost, or quit after reaching their weight loss target.
While seven in 10 maintained their weight or lost up to 15kg while using them, over half regained weight after stopping.
Only a third admitted to eating healthier during treatment.
And three-fifths felt the jabs were over‑sold as the “complete answer” to obesity.
While the survey shed light on real‑world experiences, research from universities and health bodies has painted an even starker picture of the potential long‑term health risks.
Up to 40% of weight lost on GLP‑1s may come from muscle and bone rather than fat, according to a University of Liverpool study. The Royal Osteoporosis Society has warned this could increase the long-term risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
Doctors have also reported cases of users’ faces becoming gaunt, caused by rapid fat and muscle loss that leaves cheeks hollow and hair brittle.
A leading endocrinologist said: “If you lose 10 kilos but four of those are muscle and bone, that’s not healthy weight loss – it’s a ticking time bomb.”
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MRHA) has logged complaints of severe gastrointestinal reactions, with some patients hospitalised for dehydration.
Mental health experts also warned anxiety, panic attacks and restlessness may be linked to the drugs’ effect on appetite and brain chemistry.
Despite this around 1.5 million Britons are now on GLP‑1 injections, with the UK spending an estimated £190million a month on prescriptions.
Nearly half of survey respondents said they were paying between £50 and £150 a month themselves.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has suggested expanding access to GLP‑1 jabs as part of a strategy to help obese people return to work.
Critics warned this risked papering over the root causes of obesity with a costly and risky quick fix.
Steve Bennett, who commissioned the survey to mark the launch of his Clubwell health app, said: “Despite a lack of substantial research and obvious potential issues, the option to lose several kilograms in a matter of months is too attractive for people.
“The availability and ease of using GLP-1 medication is evidently outweighing the anxiety around potential side effects – it may take a while to see the true long-term outcomes of this unprecedented mass adoption.
“We need to ensure that users are practicing a healthier lifestyle and sustaining this once they come off the jab so that they are better equipped to make healthy choices in the future.”
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA chief safety officer, said: “Patient safety is our top priority and no medicine would be approved unless it met our expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
“Our role is to continually monitor the safety of medicines during their use, including GLP-1 medicines.
“No medicine is completely without risk. All medicines can cause side effects, and these are outlined in the product information for each medicine.
“We have also recently published guidance that offers patients a ‘one stop shop’ for our up-to-date advice on how to use these GLP-1 medicines safely.”