Obese Scots have been warned they are risking their lives with online weight-loss jabs as they try to shed fat in the new year.
The explosion of sales of fake medicine and cosmetic treatment via the internet has meant vulnerable people have put their lives in the hands of unqualified quack doctors.
Glasgow cosmetic surgeon Awfa Paulina claims the dodgy application of drugs means no account is taken of patients’ medical histories, bringing major risks.
And he warned no guarantees can be made for the authenticity of medicines ordered online.
Dr Paulina said: “Slimming injections can be effective tools for weight loss when used under proper medical supervision.
“But women must protect themselves by being honest in consultations, seeking out reputable providers, and avoiding unsafe products or services. Your health and safety should always come first.”
Cosmetic practitioner Dr Paulina has warned of a huge rise in women getting fillers and other treatments done by practitioners who have no medical training and whose expertise was learned in courses that can be as short as one day.
The last year has seen the rise of “wonder drug” Ozempic, which is only available on prescription and previously used for those with diabetes.
Supplies have been running out due to those seeking to lose weight.
The treatment can get good results but side effects have included diabetic retinopathy (damage to your eyes), hypoglycemia, gallbladder disease, pancreatitis and thyroid cancer.
Vanessa Brown, founder of Carlisle-based VL Aesthetics, said Ozempic would be used by many to suppress appetites ahead of calorie-usting festive feasting and drinking – or when people want to shed those extra pounds in the new year.
She said: “Weight-loss drugs have been the breakthrough trend this year. They can help tackle obesity and health issues arising such as heart disease and diabetes without the need for invasive surgery.
“But they must not be bought from unreputable suppliers.
“They can prove extremely dangerous and in recent weeks it is suspected the death of a woman came about after she used fake versions of these weight-loss drugs, while other women have been admitted to hospital with terrible side-effects.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently condemned the
bogus versions of popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs.
Yukiko Nakatani, WHO assistant director-general for essential medicines and health products, issued a warning about the fake treatments.
She said: “We advise healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public to be aware of these falsified batches of medicines.
“We call on stakeholders to stop any usage of suspicious medicines and report to the relevant authorities.”
Shady weight-loss groups are openly selling these drugs via social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, exploiting a recent surge in popularity due to celebrity use by the likes of Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Jeremy Clarkson and James Corden. Currently, police are investigating a suspected unlicensed slimming jab racket following the death of a woman in August. They arrested and bailed two women in their 40s on suspicion of poisons offences.
The victim, in her 50s and from Sunderland, is thought to be the first person to have died in Britain from the use of unlicensed slimming medication.
One woman was arrested on suspicion of administering poison with intent to endanger life, and the other on suspicion of possessing the substance with a view to selling it on.
Both suspects were released pending further inquiries.
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