Weight loss injections: Soon-to-be brides and grooms in India are increasingly turning to weight-loss injections ahead of their weddings, opening up a new market for obesity drugs that were originally intended for people with specific medical needs. Clinics in cities such as New Delhi are now promoting pre-wedding packages that combine medicines like Mounjaro with diet advice, exercise plans and beauty treatments.
Doctors told Reuters they have seen a noticeable rise in queries from people preparing for marriage, especially women, who want to lose weight quickly before their wedding day. Some said many of these inquiries come with a clear deadline, with patients asking how much weight they can lose before a fixed ceremony date. One bariatric surgeon in New Delhi said more than a fifth of recent inquiries about obesity injections had come from women about to get married.
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The trend reflects the social pressure that often surrounds weddings in India, where appearance can carry heavy expectations. Several people who spoke to Reuters said they wanted to look a certain way on their wedding day and felt that losing weight would improve their confidence. One Mumbai-based finance worker said she lost 10 kilograms on Mounjaro before her February wedding after diet and exercise did not produce the result she wanted. Another woman in Hyderabad said the injections helped her lose 15 kilograms before marriage, at a time when wedding planning left little space for gym routines or strict dieting.
Mounjaro, made by Eli Lilly, has become especially popular in India since entering the market for both diabetes and weight loss. Doctors quoted in the report said it is drawing more demand than Novo Nordisk’s rival drug Wegovy. Sales of obesity medicines are also expected to grow sharply, with the Indian market forecast to reach 80 billion rupees by 2030. At the same time, cheaper versions of semaglutide have started entering the market after the expiry of a key patent, widening access and raising concerns about misuse.
The drugs, however, are meant for adults who are obese or who are overweight and also have related medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea. Eli Lilly said Mounjaro is approved only for specific medical indications and should be used under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional. Novo Nordisk also said it discourages self-medication or any use that departs from approved labelling.
Doctors interviewed for the report said they do not prescribe the drugs simply for cosmetic reasons. Some said they would consider them for brides or grooms only if they were medically eligible and showed signs of broader health problems. Several also stressed that lifestyle changes remain essential and that the injections should not be seen as an easy shortcut. One obesity specialist said public curiosity is understandable, but warned that the drugs cannot be treated as a quick fix.
The issue has also drawn the attention of India’s drug regulator, which has stepped up scrutiny of unauthorised sales and promotions as cheaper products spread through the market. The concern is that demand driven by beauty standards and wedding pressure could push these medicines beyond their intended purpose.
For some women, the decision to use the drugs is tied not just to appearance, but to marriage-related rejection and body shaming. A Bengaluru-based tech worker told Reuters that prospective grooms and their families had turned her down because of her weight. She said she first used oral semaglutide off-label and later switched to injectable Mounjaro after losing more than 12 kilograms. Despite that, she said, her search for a groom is still going on.