HYDERABAD, India, April 3 (Reuters) – Soon-to-be brides and grooms looking for shortcuts to shed pounds before the big day have become the latest consumer target for weight-loss drugs in India.
New Delhi wellness clinic Clarity Skin Clinic offers a “Munjaru Bride” package, while other clinics weave weight-loss injections into “pre-wedding” makeover packages that usually focus on skin treatments and hair textures.
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In a social media video, Clarity offers “guided nutrition, nutrition and smart workouts” to prepare the bride to walk down the aisle. The clinic did not respond to a request for comment.
“Over the past few months, more than 20% of the inquiries we’ve received for obesity injections are from brides, which obviously gives us a timeline for how soon they’ll get married.” said Rajat Goyal, a bariatric surgeon at Indian Van Healthcare in New Delhi.
He said he only prescribes the drug when patients are medically eligible, not for cosmetic use.
Tradition and social pressure
Weddings in India are big affairs for families who can afford them, strongly influenced by culture and tradition. Many marriages are arranged by families, often bringing expectations about physical appearance and financial status.
Aditi, a 26-year-old finance worker from Mumbai, consulted a doctor for a weight-loss prescription in November after exercise and diet failed to yield the desired results.
“When I see the result, I feel happy,” Aditi said of losing 10 kilograms (22 pounds) in Munjaru before her wedding in February. “If I’m not happy, I don’t feel confident. I didn’t want to feel that way when I got married.”
She is one of a half-dozen brides-to-be and one bride-to-be who spoke to Reuters about using weight-loss drugs before their wedding, but asked not to be named because of the social stigma. They cited social pressure to look “a certain way” in their marriage and many stopped injecting early.
Nuvo and Lilly launched their obesity drug in India last year. The market is predicted to reach 80 billion rupees ($851.79 million) by 2030. Monjaro’s sales doubled in the months after its launch, making it the top-selling drug in the world’s most populous country.
The medication is for adults who are classified as obese, or for those who are overweight with a weight-related medical condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea.
“Monjaro is approved by regulators for specific medical indications and is intended to be used only under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional,” Lilly said in a statement.
The lowest dose of Monjaro injection pen is sold for 13,125 rupees ($139.50) per month in India, while the highest dose costs 25,781 rupees.
Novo said it discourages any self-medication of semaglutide or deviation from the use indicated on the label.
Cheap drugs, abuse concerns
According to the Lancet, India will have more than 440 million overweight or obese people by 2050, the highest number in the world.
Akshita, who got married in Hyderabad last year, said the drug helped her lose 15 kilograms (33 pounds) before her wedding and weighed 76 kilograms. A family doctor suggested she try the injections when she was worried about her weight, she said.
“There’s a lot of chaos before a wedding, with all the planning and preparation. I knew I didn’t have time to go to the gym or diet. That’s when drugs became a viable option,” she said. She added that she might consider using it again after her next pregnancy.
“We understand the curiosity, but this is not a quick fix,” said Dr. Swati Pradhan, founder of obesity and metabolic health clinic Live Light.
Pardhan said she only offered the injection to a few early brides if they were medically eligible and showed signs of other medical issues, while emphasizing lifestyle changes for lasting results.
For 27-year-old Priya, a tech worker from Bangalore, weight loss pills were a way to combat body shaming from potential grooms’ families.
“I’ve had men and their families reject me because of my weight. I’ve been told I’m fat,” Priya told Reuters.
She initially used the new oral semaglutide, approved in India for diabetes, as an off-label treatment and lost more than 12 kilos before switching to the injectable Monjaro.
The search for her groom continues.
($1 = INR 94.0850)
Reporting by Rishika Saddam in Hyderabad; Editing by Bill Berkroot
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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