You Bought Your “Weight Loss Shot” at a Coffee Shop? Really?

Original posted at obesity.news/ on Sep 18, 2025

Some stories write themselves. Like this one: people in Hamilton, Texas are ending up in the hospital after buying so-called weight loss injections from… a coffee shop. Yes, you read that right. Not a pharmacy, not a clinic. A place with lattes, muffins, and a chalkboard menu.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office says Texas Coffee was selling dangerous, adulterated grey market drugs that made people violently ill. We’re talking uncontrolled vomiting, severe abdominal pain, nausea so bad you end up in the ER. The shop’s owner, Erika Bedell, is accused of pushing these substances not just in town but possibly nationwide through online sales.

Now, let’s take a beat. Honestly, who looks at the pastry case, orders a cappuccino, and thinks, “Oh, while I’m here, let me grab a weekly injection”? It’s absurd. It’s tragic. And it’s dangerous.

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For those who may be confused as this story makes its way into mainstream media, this isn’t compounding. Compounding pharmacies operate under federal and state regulation, they’re required to follow sterile procedures, and they use FDA-registered ingredients. What happened in Hamilton is something else entirely. It’s grey market chaos, with no standards, no oversight, and patients paying the price. This is as close to buying obesity medicines out of a dark alley as it comes.

This is exactly the kind of story Lilly and Novo love to point to. It feeds the narrative that anything outside of their branded products is back-alley. And while they use that for PR, we can’t forget the people at the center of this.

Our prayers and well wishes are with those hospitalized and their families. No one should have to gamble with their health because the system left them desperate. We hope for their full and fast recovery. And we urge everyone, no matter how frustrated the search for treatment feels, to stick with safe, verified sources. Patient safety comes first, always.

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