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Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

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Re: Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

#281

Post by issa »

rich-cartwright wrote: post #179
issa wrote: post #166

I am curious if this question has come up in company marketing discussions. One of the most common and off-putting things about the weight-loss industry is the vague medicine promise. Have you considered just saying "semaglutide" instead of "a breakthrough medication"? I honestly almost stopped reading because it comes off as so huckster-ish to me.

I think a lot about our framing and I know for sure we haven't nailed it yet. It's fair to say your avg HN reader is very different to your avg American. For example, you seem already somewhat clued up about Semaglutide. You're likely interested in the biology behind it, and probably aren't afraid to parse the journal article about it. I really wanna emphasize how different this is to your avg American. So it's more…

Just to clarify my initial comment... I am actually not particularly interested in the biological pathways, etc. My reaction was 100% because it sounds like the sketchy language of every single other weight loss "breakthrough" that has been touted in my lifetime. If you watch any youtube fitness guru videos (which I do not recommend!) you will see that it is a standard trope: "All you have to do is eat this one amazing super food" and they never tell you what it is. I think you are trying to offer a legitimate service, so please don't sound like those people.

Re: Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

#282

Post by stef25 »

foolinaround wrote: post #271
stef25 wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming obesity is largely due to mental issues like stress eating, the solution should also be a mental one. It's basically an addition. Most people are perfectly capable of quitting but don't because it's easier not to. This includes myself. I recently put on a bit of weight and I know exactly why: second servings, having a few beers, difficulties sticking to a diet with kids and dietary allergies in the house, no…

> for people who don't have the willpower pills is probably the best solution. Even for those, should'nt the solution be a stronger detox, intervention, stricter regimen to have external help in supplementing their willpower, etc? Should'nt this be preferred over pills?

You have to look at the pros & cons, the likelihood of success, how "bad" the condition / urgent the treatment is, general condition of the patient etc.

Same for things like anxiety, insomnia, ...

Re: Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

#283

Post by bradknowles »

issa wrote: post #166

I am curious if this question has come up in company marketing discussions. One of the most common and off-putting things about the weight-loss industry is the vague medicine promise. Have you considered just saying "semaglutide" instead of "a breakthrough medication"? I honestly almost stopped reading because it comes off as so huckster-ish to me.

And this medication is already approved by the FDA for those of us who are diabetic. At higher doses, even.

They’re just taking the same medication and using it at lower doses for weight loss instead of diabetes control.

And frankly, as a fat diabetic, I strongly suspect it’s doing the exact same thing in both cases, and the reason it works for diabetics is that it helps them lose weight.

It’s definitely on my list to discuss with my endocrinologist.

Re: Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

#284

Post by djshah »

My wife is a doctor specialized in obesity management and works in a hospital daily where patients come in with BMIs well over 40. Besides semaglutide, which isn’t availble in this part of the world yet, they also prescribe liraglutide.

I’d say that if someone is extremely obese, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to bring their weight down just through medication and counseling because most people lack the motivation or self-awareness to turn it into a lifestyle, which is KEY to keeping the weight off. In most cases, bariatric surgery would be their only option. It’s also very easy for folks to fall off the bandwagon while going on a weight loss journey - I’ve always had periods of being overweight to the point of obese since I was young and it’s been a yo-yo of getting fit and then slowly slumping back into being unhealthy over the years until I had the mental shift that it’s a lifestyle change. Getting people to this state through telemedicine may be difficult. It’s a hard space to be in but definitely one that will have an unending supply of patients due to the way the world eats these days. Let me know if I can help in any way. Best of luck!

Re: Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

#285

Post by rich-cartwright »

bradknowles wrote: post #283
issa wrote: post #166

I am curious if this question has come up in company marketing discussions. One of the most common and off-putting things about the weight-loss industry is the vague medicine promise. Have you considered just saying "semaglutide" instead of "a breakthrough medication"? I honestly almost stopped reading because it comes off as so huckster-ish to me.

And this medication is already approved by the FDA for those of us who are diabetic. At higher doses, even. They’re just taking the same medication and using it at lower doses for weight loss instead of diabetes control. And frankly, as a fat diabetic, I strongly suspect it’s doing the exact same thing in both cases, and the reason it works for diabetics is that it helps them lose weight. It’s definitely on my list t…

Good to hear you'll be talking about it your endocrinologist.

Couple things:

Injectable Semaglutide was first FDA approved in 2017 as Ozempic. Wegovy is also injectable Semaglutide. The key difference is the approved dose: Ozempic is 1.0mg, Wegovy is 2.4mg. The FDA approval is also very important for future insurance remibursement.

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 RA. These medications stimulate a receptor in your body which results in three main effects: 1 - Slowing down gastric emptying so food stays in your stomach for longer (this is thought to be why there is sometimes nausea when starting the medication) 2 - Making you feel full by working on your central nervous system 3 - Managing glucose control (which is why it's used for people with diabetes too)

[1] gives you a great summary of the field up to now and how it works.

[1] https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2021/02/15/gl...

Re: Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

#286

Post by rich-cartwright »

smsm42 wrote: post #279
rich-cartwright wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a lot about our framing and I know for sure we haven't nailed it yet. It's fair to say your avg HN reader is very different to your avg American. For example, you seem already somewhat clued up about Semaglutide. You're likely interested in the biology behind it, and probably aren't afraid to parse the journal article about it. I really wanna emphasize how different this is to your avg American. So it's more…

I've never heard the word "Semaglutide" before this moment in my life. However, to me naming the thing sounds like "people that did at least some of the homework, and I could probably look it up and see if it's interesting to me", and calling it anonymous "breakthrough medication" sounds like yet another scam that tries to suppress my rational brain and get money out of me before I had time to think if it's worth it.…

Understood. I thought the easiest way to do this would be to link to the articles which talk about this in more detail. Should probably have added a small paragraph which talked about the bio of it.

Re: Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

#287

Post by rich-cartwright »

issa wrote: post #281
rich-cartwright wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a lot about our framing and I know for sure we haven't nailed it yet. It's fair to say your avg HN reader is very different to your avg American. For example, you seem already somewhat clued up about Semaglutide. You're likely interested in the biology behind it, and probably aren't afraid to parse the journal article about it. I really wanna emphasize how different this is to your avg American. So it's more…

Just to clarify my initial comment... I am actually not particularly interested in the biological pathways, etc. My reaction was 100% because it sounds like the sketchy language of every single other weight loss "breakthrough" that has been touted in my lifetime. If you watch any youtube fitness guru videos (which I do not recommend!) you will see that it is a standard trope: "All you have to do is eat this one amazi…

Makes a ton of sense, and really helpful to know. Thank you.

Re: Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

#288

Post by rich-cartwright »

djshah wrote: post #284

My wife is a doctor specialized in obesity management and works in a hospital daily where patients come in with BMIs well over 40. Besides semaglutide, which isn’t availble in this part of the world yet, they also prescribe liraglutide. I’d say that if someone is extremely obese, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to bring their weight down just through medication and counseling because most people lack the motivation or…

Thank you for the support! Where in the world are you based btw? Always interested to follow the approvals of Semaglutide.

Re: Launch HN: Fella (YC W20) – Tackling men's obesity using medication and coaching

#290

Post by eurasiantiger »

User23 wrote: post #265
midjji wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or medicines which have really long and strong evidence for weight loss effects like amphetamines?

Or testosterone, which isn’t necessarily great for weight loss, but is fabulous for body composition, which I’m sure many men would be satisfied with. Weighing 200 with 18% body fat is probably more attractive to many tall men than weighing 160 with the same body fat. Muscle also raises basal metabolic rate which is nice for fat loss. TRT clinics are grossly overpriced, charging $300+ A month for $5 drugs, so there i…

And then there’s the fact that obesity is not an individual fault, it is caused by hormone disruptor chemicals in our environment and diet. Of course, higher consumption of more processed foods tends to increase obesity for this very reason: it increases the intake of hormone disruptors.
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