NHS GP and TV doctor Dr Amir Khan has spoken out against people who describe GLP-1 weight loss injections such as Mounjaro, Wegovy and Saxenda as "cheating", arguing the treatments can be life-changing. Dr Khan, who regularly appears on ITV's Lorraine and This Morning, made the comments in a video shared with his Instagram followers.
Obesity Is Not Simply About Willpower
Dr Khan said the health impacts of losing weight are massive and that some people really struggle to handle cravings. He said: "Can we please stop saying that people taking GLP1 injections for weight loss are cheating? Honestly, it drives me insane because what you're really saying is that someone who spent their entire life battling hunger, cravings, weight regain, and a body that's constantly working against them should just keep struggling."
He added: "The science tells us that obesity isn't simply about willpower. We know that genetics accounts for a huge proportion of body weight differences between people. Some people are biologically wired to feel hungrier, to store energy more efficiently, and to regain weight after losing it. And honestly, this is what people forget. If weight loss was simply about eating less and moving more, we would have solved obesity decades ago. But it's not. And for years, people living with obesity have been fighting their own biology."
Body's Response to Weight Loss
Dr Khan explained that even when people manage to lose weight, their bodies work against the change. He said: "Every time they lose weight, their hunger hormones increase, their metabolism adapts, and their body tries to drag them back to its previous weight. That's not a lack of discipline. That's just physiology. And GLP1 medications work by targeting some of those biological pathways that regulate that appetite and fullness cycle. They're evidence-based treatments for a chronic complex disease."
He acknowledged that the injections are not "magic" or "effortless" but said: "They're certainly not cheating. And you know what? When people say it's cheating, I sometimes wonder what they're really worried about. Are they worried that the playing field is finally becoming a little bit fairer?"
Informed Choice, Not Cheating
Dr Khan continued: "Because like for years we've celebrated people who won the weight loss lottery genetically while criticizing those who didn't. Right? Is that what you're worried about? The people taking these injections have weighed up the benefits and risks with their health care professional. They're making an informed choice."
He added: "They're improving their health on their own terms. And for many of them, for the first time in their lives, they are no longer fighting a relentless hunger every waking moment. That's not cheating. That's medicine doing what medicine is supposed to do. So stop saying it's cheating."
His followers agreed, with some citing how their own lives have been changed. One said: "Thank you! Mounjaro has totally changed my life and I've lost 4.5 stone. No aching knees now, no lethargy, walking every day, loving life for once." Another added: "The haters have no idea what we've gone through all our lives. I pay privately, despite being type2 diabetic, high blood pressure, high cholesterol...the list goes on. I was 22 stone, and told I wasn't 'fat enough'!!! I've lost 9 stone. 4 by struggling, on my own, and the rest on MJ. Diabetes in remission. Still on diabetic meds, but HbA1c, gone from 101, to 35! If that's cheating, I'll take that! The cost is crippling me, but I'm alive!!!!"
