“”It is a chance for us“Asked Anne-Sophie Joly from the outset, about anti-obsity treatments like Wegovy or Mounjaro, marketed in France since October and November 2024.
The president of the National Committee of Obesse Associations (CNAO) underlines the “Need an expansion of prescriptions“, but in a framed way:”We are bursting (obesity, editor’s note), it’s not to make aesthetics“She underlines.
So far reserved for certain specialists, the prescriptions of these drugs may be practiced by all doctors from June 23. The previous restrictions were able to slow down access to some patients, due to sometimes important deadlines to consult a specialist, “said the drug agency (ANSM) on Friday.
In the background, this generalization raises the controversial question to recognize obesity as a disease. Associations like the CNAO and the League against obesity (LCO) hope that it will allow to advance towards a better care.
Mistrust
“”For some, if there is no medication, it is not a disease“Summarizes Anne-Sophie Joly.
Among obese people, distrust often remains in the face of these drugs with many promises. Victor Brami, author of the “obese” podcast which relates his experience of “big” and his sleeve gastrectomy (bariatric surgery intervention aimed at reducing the volume of the stomach), is wary of a “fashion effect” on this “miracle solution”.
The thirties who works in advertising fears “the back of the medal” and the long -term side effects of these life treatments, doubting the intentions of “private companies that want to make a profit”.
Mathilde, model and creator of content on Tiktok who asked for anonymity, supports the decision to expand the conditions of prescription but insists: “It will not settle all forms of obesity”, as in its case, a weight gain linked to drug treatments.
The 26 -year -old Strasbourg hopes that these treatments will not take precedence over the fact of “learning to accept” and fears “that everyone comes to take it to lose more weight”.
In fact, these treatments are poorly seen by anti-Grossophobia activists, who, unlike associations like CNAO, refuse to say that obesity is necessarily pathological.
“Lobbying”
“”I have no doubt that it will be prescribed outside the recommendations“, Reacts Pelphine, 35 -year -old antigrossophobia activist behind the Cools Instagram account.
The co-founder of the Belgian Association Fat Friendly, who preferred to remain anonymous after having undergone harassment online for her positions, denounces the “lobbying of laboratories” at the origin of drugs.
“”In recent years, we have started to realize that losing weight was not necessarily the solution“compared to the idea of”Give healthy healthy people“Thanks to physical activity and food, explains Pelphine.
For nutrition professor Anne-Laure Borel, exercising at the specialized center of obesity (CSO) of the Grenoble University Hospital Center (CHU), it is essential to ensure that these treatments help “people in obesity and who suffer from their obesity“.
“”Obesity is only a disease if it affects the physical, functional or psycho-social well-being of an individual“, Underlines the doctor. If this is not the case, it is a” characteristic “of the diversity of bodies that” society must accept “without” injunction to heal “.
Framing the expansion of prescriptions by therapeutic education programs, as in bariatric surgery, is then necessary to avoid any misuse, defend specialists like Anne-Laure Borel.
“”Prescribe drugs, ok, but with a whole multidisciplinary team from a psychological and nutritional point of view“, ABSUNDE HANANE GAILLARD, dietitian nutritionist at the Montpellier University Hospital.
Director General of the League against Obesity, she also signals the very high cost of this treatment (around 300 euros per month), while “the persons concerned” are mainly “precarious, so have not necessarily the money for”. For the time being, the reimbursement of anti-obsity drugs remains unanswered.