'In the future, GPs will never see an obese patient again; it is that life-altering' -Leitrim man

Leslie and Nicoletta O'Hora, a couple from Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim, have lost five stone in weight between them after being advised by their GP to try weight-loss medications Ozempic and Saxenda.

Speaking to the Leitrim Observer, Leslie said that his GP told him a year and a half ago that he "definitely needed to lose a serious amount of weight and he was recommending one of these jabs and I was very cautious about taking them and wasn't too keen on it."

However around a year later, Leslie decided to give the medication a shot and last November made the decision to try out the weight loss jab, Saxenda. "Personally, I've lost about 21kg. My wife Nicoletta was, coincidentally diagnosed with diabetes in February of this year and she is now on Ozempic and has lost 11kg. So, it really is serious stuff."

Leslie said that he has been told by a retired GP that "in the future, GPs will never see an obese patient again; it is that life-altering."

In terms of side effects he said: "I take my small injection - and it is a small needle - every day and so typically I can get side effects from time to time that have to do with an upset stomach etc. but after a while I'm able to manage it; I know what's going on with my digestive system and so I pay attention to it. Nicoletta's medication is different because she takes one injection of Ozempic once a week and her side effects tend to more severe but they only last the day and that's it. So we are both able to live really normal lives."

It was recently reported weight loss jabs could help reduce alcohol consumption in obese people by around two thirds and also that they could be given to unemployed people to help them get back into work, as well as ease costs to the health service.

Weight loss injections, also known as weight loss jabs, primarily work by mimicking or enhancing the effects of hormones that regulate appetite and food digestion, leading to reduced food intake and potentially significant weight loss.

Leslie said: "My understand is that they slow down the rate at which food leaves the stomach and because of that, you don't get this what I call, 'food noise' going to the brain saying, 'I need to eat, I need to eat'. I don't have this food noise anymore. I can still go out and go to The Oarsman and have a meal but I'm not looking for seconds. If there is something that is too large, I'm quite happy to leave it on the plate whereas I would never have done that before."

He added: "Some days I might have some soup and some bread and say to myself, 'I actually don't need anything else today.' It also does away with night time cravings. I would have been terrible for cravings around 9pm looking for a bag of crisps or chocolate but I just don't have that anymore."

Leslie said that the medication has had an extremely positive influence on both him and his wife "who is wearing clothes now that she hasn't worn for ten years. I know that she is so much more positive in herself."

Leslie added that the care of the Carrick-on-Shannon primary care centre has been second to none. "Nicolette and I are called separately every three months to be checked on. The care has been fantastic."

He concluded by saying that he didn't believe that weight-loss injections such as these are for "those who wish to go on a beach holiday. It's for those who have health problems. I do think there will be a second generation coming down the track for those who wish to improve their physique before going on holiday or something but it's not there yet."