Local providers react to Lilly’s statement on cosmetic weight loss
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — New guidance from Lilly about injectable drugs that can aid in weight loss said the medications are not to be used for cosmetic weight loss.
The drugs in question are Mounjaro and Zepbound, which are only approved to help manage diabetes and weight loss in the case of obesity, respectively.
Experts at Premiere Weight Loss said cosmetic weight loss looks like someone aiming to lose a small amount of weight outside of obesity or serious health complications as a result of being overweight.
“An individual who wants to lose 5-10 pounds who may not need to lose weight, but when they look in the mirror in the morning think, ‘I could look a little bit better,’” said Thomas Hilbert, the CEO of Premiere Weight Loss. “And I think Eli Lilly’s stance on the issue is pretty simple in that they don’t want their drug used for patients who could potentially have more harm than good done for them.”
“These medicines are mainly used for people who have higher body fat,” said Sam Pugh, a nurse practitioner at Premier Weight Loss. “They are used for people who want to lose weight, but have been in the gym and just can’t get to the weight they want to be, so these medicines kinda help kick start their plan.”
Pugh said it is important to slowly reduce the dose of these medications rather than quitting cold turkey.
“We follow their weight to make sure they’re still on the weight that they want, their goal weight, and they’re not gaining their weight back,” said Pugh.
Lilly also announced a new telehealth platform, LillyDirect, to provide care for obesity and other issues.
The experts at Premier Weight Loss said the weight loss drugs should be monitored in person not via telehealth.
“Things like muscle you want to track that,” Hilbert said. “You need someone capable of looking at body composition and making sure you’re losing more fat than you are muscle.”
The press release from Lilly can be viewed here. Readers can learn more about LillyDirect here.