Weight Loss Injections: An Osteopath’s Observations and Concerns
Patients are shrinking, quite literally! And happily so, although not all are satisfied with the results of using the weight loss injections.
At The Waterside Practice, we often see patterns emerge before they hit headlines — and over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed one that’s both fascinating and concerning.
Two recent patients mentioned they had started using Mounjaro, the increasingly popular weight loss injection originally developed to manage blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes. One patient is diabetic and had been prescribed it as part of their clinical care. The other is not — but had obtained it privately, seeking rapid weight loss after struggling with their weight for years.
The Mounjaro drug is injected subcutaneously and used once a week.
What’s striking isn’t just how quickly the weight loss begins — it’s how powerful the appetite suppression is, and the effect that has on overall health and wellbeing.
“I just didn’t feel hungry — at all.”
That was the comment that stayed with me. One patient described barely eating for days, only consuming food when they felt dizzy — simply because their body wasn’t sending hunger signals. Another reported nausea, fatigue, and exhaustion, and has since had to lower their dose to try and manage the side effects.
As an Osteopath, this raises questions that go beyond weight loss — into energy balance, tissue health, recovery, and resilience. I support people in strengthening their bodies, not just shrinking them. And what I’m seeing suggests this drug may be silencing the body in ways that go far beyond the appetite.
A global problem, and a fast fix?
There’s no denying the scale of the problem. The World Health Organization now defines obesity as one of the most urgent global health challenges. In the UK alone, around 64% of adults are classed as overweight or obese, and the NHS faces billions in related costs annually.
Many struggle with weight management in the UK and globally.
Against this backdrop, the appeal of a fast, injectable solution like Mounjaro is obvious. It’s effective — and in some clinical settings, necessary. But I do find myself wondering:
Why is the NHS now funding such an expensive drug?
Will it lead to lasting health improvements — or short-term fixes?
With celebs opening admitting using these weight loss injections - what next?
And what are we saying to people about their relationship with food and body cues?
Appetite isn’t the problem — disconnection is
Appetite serves a biological purpose. It signals energy needs, regulates mood, supports movement, and sustains healing. When we suppress it completely, we’re not solving the problem — we’re bypassing it.
It concerns me that patients — especially those who aren’t diabetic — are using Mounjaro with little to no nutritional or emotional support, and is there a discussion with a health professional about lifestyle change at all, calories they should be still consuming? That isn’t a long-term solution. In fact, it could be the start of a new problem.
What I see in clinic
When patients arrive at clinic feeling depleted, dizzy, and unmotivated — even while losing weight — something’s out of alignment. You can’t rebuild strength, improve function, or reduce pain if the body isn’t fuelled, nourished, and regulated.
My role isn’t to comment on whether someone should or shouldn’t take a certain medication — that’s between a patient and their prescribing clinician. But as an Osteopath, I do have a duty to speak up when I see physical patterns that raise red flags and do my own research to better inform patients perhaps encountering this weight loss method.
A call for curiosity, not judgment
If you’re using Mounjaro, or thinking about it, you’re not alone. I understand the frustration that comes with struggling to lose weight, especially in a world that often ties worth to size. This blog isn’t about shame — it’s about opening the conversation, staying curious, and asking the harder questions that need to be part of the picture.
Because health is about more than weight. It’s about energy, movement, recovery, and connection to your own body.
At The Waterside Practice, we’re here to support that journey — wherever you are on it.
📍 The Waterside Practice | Warboys, Huntingdon
☎️ 01487 209 084 | ✉️ reception@thewatersidepractice.co.uk
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