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The FDA will likely approve the diabetes drug tirzepatide for weight loss

nbcnews.com

11–20 of 106 posts

Re: The FDA will likely approve the diabetes drug tirzepatide for weight loss

#11
post #2

Note that weight-loss is relying of a side effect. It might be a wonder drug, or it might have issues due to how that side effect affects patients (loss of appetite, insulin levels, etc). I hope it's a clear aid for weight loss but some caution is appropriate.

Sadly it seems that these drugs will be used for vanity without much regard for their safety.

Being overweight has risks, drugs have risks, choose your risk. Being overweight is quite a risk, so it's not impossible for a pill to be the better choice. Significant weightloss is not a vain thing.

Re: The FDA will likely approve the diabetes drug tirzepatide for weight loss

#12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately there aren't any shortcuts to good health

Apparently there is now.

Exercise and diet have positive health effects other than losing weight. Many people with normal weight according to BMI still have an unhealthy body fat percentage. That said, if this drug can keep its promise it will have an enormous positive effect on public health.

Re: The FDA will likely approve the diabetes drug tirzepatide for weight loss

#15
post #14

All these new "weight loss" drugs are semaglutide peptide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semaglutide No way messing with insulin production doesn't have long-term delayed consequences.

Worse consequences that excess adipose tissue?

Re: The FDA will likely approve the diabetes drug tirzepatide for weight loss

#16

Here is Derek from MPMD talking about one of those diabetes 2 drugs being used for weight loss by people like Elon Musk [1] Sadly because celebrities are using these drugs I can forsee many people who are only a bit overweight taking this when just eating better and working out would be so much better for them. [1] https://youtu.be/hcNTHLdH5QE

Eating better and working out is hard. If the medication can get you a similar outcome with minimal side effects, that seems like a prudent protocol to prescribe. If it’s determined to be safe (statistically), why not? Might only be necessary until we can inexpensively synthesize miR-1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34196488

Why not both? A healthy lifestyle combined with pills that work.

Re: The FDA will likely approve the diabetes drug tirzepatide for weight loss

#17
post #14

All these new "weight loss" drugs are semaglutide peptide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semaglutide No way messing with insulin production doesn't have long-term delayed consequences.

They are in the same class as semaglutide.

We know being obese has long term delayed consequences.

And they've been giving this drug to diabetics for a while and they seem to be fine and healthy.

Re: The FDA will likely approve the diabetes drug tirzepatide for weight loss

#18
post #15
post #14

All these new "weight loss" drugs are semaglutide peptide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semaglutide No way messing with insulin production doesn't have long-term delayed consequences.

Worse consequences that excess adipose tissue?

people very often forget this. Even if we assume an unsubstantiated risk from the drugs, you absolutely have to factor in the reduced risk from the weight loss. These drugs aren't just providing aesthetic improvement in body composition.

Re: The FDA will likely approve the diabetes drug tirzepatide for weight loss

#19
There is some evidence that soleus push ups can induce significant insulin responses, without the need for drugs.

Soleus is the muscle below the calf and normally used when walking running and jumping

> All of the 600 muscles combined normally contribute only about 15% of the whole-body oxidative metabolism in the three hours after ingesting carbohydrate. Despite the fact that the soleus is only 1% the body weight, it is capable of raising its metabolic rate during SPU contractions to easily double, even sometimes triple, the whole-body carbohydrate oxidation.

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/965506

Re: The FDA will likely approve the diabetes drug tirzepatide for weight loss

#20
Drugs like Adderall don't mimic the hormones talked about in the article, right?

I took Adderall XR once a day in college which completely suppressed my appetite and, combined with being a poor student that couldn't always afford lunch, I would frequently only eat one meal a day (either breakfast or dinner.) Since I graduated college many years ago, I also stopped taking Adderall but my sense of hunger has never returned. I always figured my body just got used to having my appetite suppressed and now I can go multiple days without eating and not feel any physical sensation or side-effect (including fatigue/irritation from lack of food or things like headaches.) Just the other day I went 40 hours without eating while traveling for the holidays and didn't even realize it until I went to a social dinner.

I've never thought too much of this. It seems like in pop culture/science nowadays "fasting" is generally seen/understood to be beneficial. I certainly don't mind because its helped me stay at a healthy weight, but in reading about this new class of drugs for weight loss recently I am curious as to what exactly is going on in my body and whether there's a similar mechanism at play.

Is there anyone who fasts regularly who's also experienced this loss of hunger sensation?

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