Experts warn about losing weight online rather than prescribing supplements

Telehealth, which offers drugs to help Americans lose weight, is described by experts as predatory because it takes large sums of money from desperate customers, only prescribes them prescription pills, and provides little long-term support.

Dozens of online weight loss clinics have sprung up in recent years, both in response to the emerging obesity crisis in America and the expansion of telemedicine clinics in the United States that started before the COVID-19 pandemic but exploded afterwards. These clinics dispense drugs called GLP-1, which are formulated to control type 2 diabetes but have been shown in studies to be quite effective as a weight loss supplement.

Although the drugs are considered safe and effective, experts fear that these online clinics are actually serving as pill factories. Anyone desperate enough can spend more than $1,000 each year participating in programs created by companies like Calibrate and Found. While they do offer some coaching and training plans, the plans are mainly focused on pills.

They fear that these programs may mislead people with underlying chronic conditions that trigger them to gain weight, and even if someone loses weight by taking medications, the lack of long-term support means they will likely get it back.

America is currently in the midst of an obesity crisis, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 40% of Americans are obese and over 70% are overweight.

“The world of obesity and weight loss treatments and products has always been a wild west,” said Dr. Scott Kahan, director of the National Center for Weight and Health in Washington DC. Statistical news.

“While the field has a legitimate core, much more around it is false, senseless and predatory. And as I see it, many of these telemedicine companies come in between them.’

Dr. Scott Kahan (pictured), director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington DC, warns that the online weight loss industry is “fake, crappy, and predatory.”

Two companies were particularly highlighted, including Calibrate, a company that guarantees clients to lose around 10% of their total weight through video coaching, lifestyle changes and of course medications.

Calibrate charges $1,650 for its one-year program. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.

Another identified company found a personal health coach, medical service provider, and other communities in the same weight-loss diary, along with a program that charges $149 a month for access to prescriptions.

Most of these companies prescribe Wegovy, a GLP-1 recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is believed to be a completely safe drug to use.

The drug should only be used by people who meet the definition of obesity or have a body mass index greater than 27 and have at least one weight-related health condition.

While Calibrate was highlighted for taking due care to make sure patients are fit for medication, Kahan described many of these companies as simple conveyor belts that dispense medication after filling out a short form.

“I think that if you run these conveyor belt treatment programs, you’re more at risk of under-care or you’re really pushing the boundaries of what’s medically appropriate,” Kahan said.

Many other false companies also promote themselves with same-day appointments and easy weight loss without the need for diet and exercise, selling patients the idea that drugs are a healthy and effective treatment for weight loss.

‘Most of them’ [companies]”Unfortunately, let’s keep GLP-1s high and distribute them like candy,” he said.

There are also some conflicts of interest in the game. Contrave is an FDA-approved weight loss drug made by the Tennessee-based pharmaceutical company Currax.

The company runs a telemedicine company that also writes its own weight loss drugs.

These are not the only telemedicine companies under scrutiny for over- or mis-prescribing of prescription drugs.

Popular online mental health clinics Cerebral and Done have been scrutinized in recent months for their distribution of drugs like Adderall and Xanax.

Cerebral also faced a subpoena from the Department of Justice for alleged abuse of controlled substances.

While experts accuse these companies of taking advantage of Americans in need, they also point to failures in American healthcare.

Although obesity and mental health issues are the most discussed and publicized current issues in American health, the country faces a huge shortage of professionals who can treat the conditions.

This pushes many needy patients to these potentially predatory online platforms selling dreams of a quick fix for a deeply rooted, difficult-to-solve situation.