Diabetologists are getting calls from all day long, but not for the doubts and patients one would imagine. These calls are from those who have been trying to lose and even before they would try the lifestyle changes the doctor suggests, they would jump in with the question that doctors are not very fond of, "Doctor, can you start me on weight-loss drugs?"The BBC reports that a Mumbai-based diabetologist Dr Rahul Baxi also experienced something similar. A 23-year-old corporate employee walked into his clinic and told him that one of his friends was on weight loss jabs and if he would too, since he was worried about the 10kg he had gained. “Stop, and the weight comes back. Keep going, and without exercise you’ll start losing muscle instead. These medicines aren't a substitute for a proper diet or lifestyle change.”These conversations have now become common in India, where people's demand for weight loss jabs have skyrocketed. India has world's second-largest population of overweight adults. Furthermore, more than 77 million people live with Type 2 diabetes in the country. This is thus no surprise that if the drug has gained a quick traction. Game-Changing Drugs“These are the most powerful weight-loss drugs we’ve ever seen… nothing compares to these,” says Dr Anoop Misra to BBC, who heads Delhi’s Fortis-C-DOC Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology.Two drugs dominate the market:Semaglutide, sold by Novo Nordisk as Rybelsus (oral) and Wegovy (injectable)Tirzepatide, sold by Eli Lilly as MounjaroBoth belong to the GLP-1 class, which mimics the hormone that regulates appetite. By slowing digestion and acting on the brain’s hunger centres, the drugs make people feel full sooner and stay full longer.Treatment usually starts with low doses and ramps up to a weekly maintenance dose. Early weight loss often appears within weeks, making the drugs especially attractive to young urban users wanting quick results.Weight Loss Drugs Do Not Come Without Side EffectsDoctors warn that most users regain weight within a year of stopping. Without strength training or adequate protein intake, they also risk losing muscle instead of fat, particularly worrying in a country already battling sarcopenic obesity due to low-protein diets.Side effects range from nausea and diarrhea to more serious risks like gallstones, pancreatitis, and significant muscle loss. And the drugs aren’t cheap: a month’s supply can cost ₹14,000–₹27,000, out of reach for most Indians.India’s anti-obesity drug market has ballooned from $16 million in 2021 to nearly $100 million today. Novo Nordisk leads the market, while Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide quickly became India’s second-bestselling drug within months of launch.But behind the buzz lies troubling misuse.Doctors describe gym trainers, dieticians and beauty clinics recommending high-dose jabs without medical authority. Some online pharmacies deliver the drugs after minimal consultation. One Delhi-based doctor told the BBC that some colleagues had treated thousands of patients with imported, unregulated jabs bought on the black market.Then there are “bridal slimming packages” and requests for rapid pre-wedding weight loss—some as drastic as dropping seven kilos in three months.
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