Kamaitachi Yamauchi also tried it and lost 8 kg in 3 months.

The risk of “pancreatitis,” which could kill you, is 9 times higher.

If I die from this, I won’t be able to face my family…Mr. A, a resident of Kanagawa Prefecture, was scared when he was about to be injected with a slimming drug. This was the case last winter during a trial program at a clinic where the GLP-1 diet is available. The program is free of charge and not covered by health insurance.

I went there after seeing an ad on a social networking service. Counseling, one trial of the high-frequency slimming machine in one spot, one injection of the smallest dose of GLP-1. ＋Plus a program where I get a 3-day supply of SGLT2 inhibitors.”

The subcutaneous injection of the GLP-1 receptor agonist is as simple as a prick in the stomach, but I suddenly felt scared. Because Ms. A is healthy but chubby, and although she has had a desire to lose just three more kilograms for the past 20 years, she has never followed a diet or exercise program. That is why she decided to try this trial program.

The “GLP-1 diet” that Ms. A experienced is also called a “medical diet,” and in recent years, an increasing number of medical institutions have been prescribing the drug through free medical treatment and online medical services, with the selling point that weight loss can be achieved easily and without strain simply by taking the drug.

In April of this year, Kenji Yamauchi (42) of the comedy duo “Kamaitachi” reported in a YouTube video that he had successfully lost 8 kg through the “diet of injections in the stomach.

He said, “It suppresses my appetite first.”
About half of the sugar and other substances you consume are eliminated with urine.

The duo also revealed that they had received treatment at a hair loss clinic where they appeared in a commercial and were prescribed the injections. The video included the warning, “This video is based on Yamauchi’s personal experience and opinion.” However, the video was closed to the public after only two days due to various opinions, such as “a drug with life-threatening side effects” and “dangerous if not managed properly.

The GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors used in the GLP-1 diet are not drugs for weight loss. The main function of GLP-1 receptor agonists is to stimulate the secretion of insulin from the pancreas, and the secreted insulin lowers blood glucose levels. SGLT2 inhibitors lower blood glucose levels by inhibiting glucose reabsorption in the kidneys. They are not indicated for use in slimming and dieting.

These two drugs have become popular because, in addition to their blood glucose-lowering effects, they are the first drugs that can prevent serious complications of diabetes, such as heart and kidney failure. The fact that they also have the ability to reduce weight has attracted a great deal of attention, and demand for off-label use for slimming and dieting has increased, making GLP-1 receptor agonists difficult to obtain around the world today.

The Japan Diabetes Society issued a statement titled “The Japan Diabetes Society’s Position on Off-Label Use of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and GIP/GLP-1 Receptor Agonists” to its members in April of this year (a similar statement was also issued in July 2020), and has issued repeated warnings since. However, the problem of limited shipments of the GLP-1 receptor agonists Ozempic and Torricity, as well as the GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist Manjaro, has not been resolved.

What is scary about the off-label use is the high possibility that physicians in other departments who are not specialists in diabetes and metabolic medicine are prescribing these drugs for profit. The Japan Diabetes Society warns that “the safety and efficacy in Japanese people without type 2 diabetes have not been confirmed.

While it has long been reported that the use of GLP-1 for diabetes increases the risk of gastrointestinal adverse events such as biliary tract disease, pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction, and gastric insufficiency paralysis, a study from the University of British Columbia in Canada found an even greater risk when used in healthy humans, JAMA (October 5, 2009 online edition) reported that the risk of pancreatitis increases 9-fold, bowel obstruction 4.2-fold, and gastric insufficiency paralysis 3.67-fold.

Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic, but it is acute pancreatitis that is caused by GLP-1. The pancreas becomes swollen and swollen, and when the inflammation is strong, blood flow to the pancreas is impaired, resulting in tissue necrosis. In addition, the digestive enzymes produced in the pancreas digest their own pancreas and surrounding tissues through autolysis, which is accompanied by sudden and severe abdominal pain never experienced before, and in severe cases, death is possible.

In addition, if used by people with normal blood sugar, it can cause hypoglycemia and even fainting, and if a young woman is too thin, it increases her susceptibility to infection and risk of infertility. Moreover, if people are able to lose more and more weight by simply taking medicine without the attention of a doctor, some will continue to lose weight without restraint.

Dr. Masaya Sakamoto of the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital, is concerned.

The Ms. A in the beginning of this article received an injection despite her worries, and after taking the medication over the next three days, she was able to lose two kilograms in no time. However, he stopped continuing the program because he experienced symptoms such as nausea and general lethargy. It may seem appealing to lose weight effortlessly, but he made the mature decision that it would be a waste of time and energy if he destroyed his health.