The centuries-long search for a miracle weight loss remedy appears to be over. Ozempic, Mounjaro and the other wonder drugs have burst onto the scene and captured the public imagination – especially on social media – by promising an easier route to a slimmer waist than the latest TikTok workout challenge. But widespread awareness and online —misinformation present dangers to patients and public health, which is proving to be a huge challenge for health professionals everywhere.
GLP-1 drugs were designed to help people with type 2 diabetes reduce their blood sugar levels by mimicking the actions of the naturally occurring GLP-1 hormone. The same hormone also slows digestion and triggers the brain to make you feel fuller after eating. Researchers soon realised that GLP-1 drugs were causing diabetic patients to lose weight – and fast. By chance, a blockbuster weight-loss medication was born.
Broadly speaking, in the Gulf, GLP-1s are prescription-only medications restricted to diabetics whose obesity is an aggravating factor for their condition. But there is evidence to suggest that some clinicians in the region are following a global trend in being overly generous with their interpretation of prescribing guidelines. There is also evidence that some pharmacists have not played by the rules at all: in November 2021, Bahrain’s medicines regulator issued a severe rebuke to pharmacists who were dispensing GLP-1s to patients who did not have prescriptions.
GLP-1s can cost between $1,000 and $2,000 per month of treatment, so only the wealthiest among us could seek to secure genuine drugs without a prescription. Unfortunately, those of lesser means might be tempted to turn to the black market in the form of an unregulated online shop, or a social media influencer peddling cheap fakes as the real deal.
Rich or poor, patients who seek to buy genuine GLP-1 drugs without a prescription or a proper treatment plan are taking a huge risk. Emergency rooms in the Gulf are reportedly seeing rising numbers of patients suffering from complications after self-administering genuine GLP-1 drugs. Indeed, this is a problem in many parts of the world. In November last year, a genuine GLP-1 drug was listed as a contributing factor in the death of a 58-year-old nurse in the UK, who had taken only two low-dose injections.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has warned that social media platforms and other unregulated outlets are selling fake GLP-1 drugs that could be toxic. A woman who bought an unlicensed version of Ozempic from an Instagram influencer said she fell seriously ill and vomited blood.
There is also a broader public health concern: unregulated or lax distribution of GLP-1s means that researchers cannot collect the data they need to assess their long-term effects on weight loss patients, nor their affect on Gulf populations specifically. I am not aware of any large-scale research project of this kind in the region; indeed, we have no idea how many people in the Gulf are using GLP-1s for weight loss. In the same way that some people are genetically inclined to become obese, some may be genetically inclined to react badly to a particular medication — even one that has a strong safety record to date.
There is evidence to suggest that some clinicians in the region are following a global trend in being overly generous with their interpretation of prescribing guidelines
This is not to say that GLP-1 drugs are “bad”. It is fair to class them as wonder drugs because they are effective at reducing the appetites of overweight patients if used in tandem with diet and exercise programmes. Research supports this, and I have seen it with my own eyes in my own hospital.
Nor is it to say that GLP-1 drugs should not be used for weight-loss purposes. If safety research supports their widespread use in Gulf populations, they could be key to helping us fight the obesity epidemic in the region.
More than half of adults in GCC nations are overweight or obese. Tackling obesity is central to health policy across the region, because less obesity means people live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. It also means that pressure is relieved on health systems struggling under the enormous burden of treating the many complications caused by obesity. Reducing the number of overweight people in the GCC by 5 per cent over the next five years would save 50,000 lives and $100 billion in the subsequent decade, according to one estimate.
In my hospital in Saudi Arabia, we are seeing demand from overweight patients who want to be treated with GLP-1 drugs. Presently, we do prescribe GLP-1s but only for diabetic patients. It is a worry of mine that patients who want to use GLP-1 drugs but are not prescribed them may seek to obtain them from alternative or unregulated sources, including the black market.
Medicines regulators across the Gulf are co-ordinating efforts to regulate the distribution of GLP-1 drugs and prevent illegal sales. The region’s healthcare leaders and insurance companies are introducing guidelines to manage the prescribing and distribution of GLP-1s to ensure exercise and diet management are central to therapy. However, hospitals, primary care physicians and other healthcare providers that prescribe GLP-1s need to collaborate and collect the data that is desperately needed for crucial research.
We need to know who is taking GLP-1s, what effect their treatment has on their weight, and whether they suffer side-effects – and we need to collect this data on a regional scale. If research addresses questions about the long-term safety of GLP-1 drugs and their effects on Gulf populations, healthcare providers across the region would be able to relax prescribing guidelines to treat a wider group of patients. They would also be better positioned to subsidise these expensive medicines, ensuring treatment is available to patients of lesser means but greater need.
As patents expire on GLP-1 drugs in the coming decade, generics manufacturers will release affordable copies, cutting the cost of the drugs to patients, healthcare providers and governments alike. In other words, millions more people in the Gulf will be able to access GLP-1s in the not-too-distant future. And doctors may soon be prescribing GLP-1s for more than just diabetes and obesity: clinical trials suggest GLP-1s are effective at preventing chronic kidney disease and treating sleep apnoea, a breathing disorder. Meanwhile, tests are under way to see if GLP-1s can be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, substance abuse, long-term infections and liver disease.
GLP-1 drugs are not just a medical sensation but a cultural phenomenon, and demand for them will only continue to rise – as will the risk to public health if access to them is not adequately restricted and data is not collected for essential research.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20front-axle%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E218hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20touring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E402km%20(claimed)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh215%2C000%20(estimate)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeptember%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%20Twin-turbocharged%204-litre%20V8%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20625%20bhp%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20630Nm%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh974%2C011%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
