WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to consume less oil and exercise more. But many have instead turned to weight-loss drugs, including Vishwanath.
In particular, an appetite suppressant from the United States, called Mounjaro, became available in India in March. It has been gaining popularity in the weight-loss circuit despite being primarily used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
“As a person who really wants to lose weight, you do a lot of research, you do a lot of reading, and I’ve been following the Mounjaro (trend) since the last few years,” said Vishwanath.
“I was just waiting for it to come to India. In fact, I had half a mind to import it but the cost was prohibitive. I couldn’t afford it.”
Importing the drug would have cost him about US$1,000 a month, but he is now paying much less – US$160 – for the lowest dose.
He said it has helped him to lose 4kg in a month.
Dr Rajiv Kovil, who prescribed the drug to Vishwanath, said having such an option is good but warned that weight-loss drugs have their limitations.
The head of diabetology at Zandra Healthcare added: “An anti-obesity drug is not the magic bullet for India. It can only kickstart the progression of weight loss.
“Good lifestyle habits, good dietary habits, (and) good exercise remain the cornerstone of weight loss,” he said.
Dr Shah concurred that prevention is better than cure, adding that some weight-loss drugs need to be taken for a lifetime and that long-term side effects are still unknown.
Doctors said that without implementing early education and lifestyle changes now, India could have a much bigger health burden to grapple with down the road.
