Trying quick-fix weight loss hacks is nothing new. Social media is full of shortcuts that promise fast results with minimum effort. From mystery slimming shots to trending “fat-burning” mixes, many people try these products without really knowing what's in them. The chase for quick weight loss often overshadows basic safety. And sometimes, the consequences show just how risky these shortcuts can be.
A recent case from China is a clear reminder. A 28-year-old woman from Suzhou, identified only as Chen, ended up in a frightening medical emergency after using an online “weight loss injection".
Chinese Woman Pays Rs 11,000 For Weight Loss Injections
As reported by the South China Morning Post, she discovered the product through a friend who claimed that each shot could guarantee at least 3.5 kilos of weight loss. Tempted by the promise, Chen paid 900 yuan (approximately Rs 11,500) for three injections.
The woman had never tried anything like this before, so she chose to use only half the recommended dose. Chen injected the shot around her belly button. Soon she started feeling unwell – nausea, vomiting and a big drop in appetite. She assumed these symptoms were part of the process and continued.
“In the first three days, I really did lose almost a kilogram a day. I lost 5 kg in total over just four days,” she said.
Weight Loss Injections Left Chinese Woman Vomitting Blood And With No Pulse
But her condition quickly worsened. “On the fourth day, I started vomiting green and yellow fluids. At the hospital, they told me it was bile and I had already burned the lining of my stomach,” she recalled.
Things escalated during an electrocardiogram. “While lying down for an electrocardiogram, I suddenly vomited blood. My digestive tract was damaged and already bleeding,” Chen added. “At that point, my pulse had stopped… I had come very close to receiving a critical condition notice.”
Doctors managed to stabilise Chen, but warned that her body had suffered serious damage. She has also been advised to avoid pregnancy for at least a year.
China's state broadcaster CCTV, as cited by SCMP, later found that these trendy injections were unregulated and produced in small illegal workshops. Investigators discovered that illegally sourced semaglutide – a prescription drug for diabetes and long-term weight management – was being repackaged and sold as a cosmetic slimming shot. Each injection reportedly cost only four yuan to make.
The case is now being widely discussed in China as a strong warning about unverified weight loss products sold online.
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