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I’m currently taking one of these drugs and it has been no less than a miracle in my life. I became obese when I was around 5, topping out around a 34 BMI. When I was 20 I lost a substantial amount of weight the old fashioned way (diet and exercise), and within 8 months I was BMI 23. Losing weight was extremely challenging and socially isolating. 7 years later, I had a bad ankle injury and regained weight to about 29…
I don't pretend to know the solution, but I do think drug availability should be prioritized to those who need it the most, not those who can pay the most (the weight loss brand of the same drug is being marketed for 2x-5x the cost of the diabetic brand, or so I've been told).
I was retching horribly one night at 2 am, but didn't throw up. I've felt clammy and dizzy a few times. (Possibly hypoglycemic?)
I honestly feel like it's changing how I feel about food. I don't want to eat empty carbs, anywhere near as much. Because I feel like they make me feel sick. I'm eager to have more, smaller meals. I'm eager to have protein.
I had previously done a keto diet, except maybe I wasn't really in ketosis? It was medically supervised, doing New Direction complete meal replacements. I lost a bunch of weight, but... gained it back.
So now semaglutide. Dr urging surgery as a possibility. I'm eager to not do surgery. Fingers crossed for Wegovy.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because this isn't an article about biology, it's about health, and health isn't unidimensional
Helping obese people lose weight is unidimensionally a good thing
At a risk of being ignorant: Isn’t obesity a function of calories intake and calories burn rate? If so, why do we even need a drug for that? What should a possible drug target here? Assuming no changes in behaviour and thus a continued steady daily caloric surplus, would it even work?
> Isn’t obesity a function of calories intake and calories burn rate? In the same way that the economy is a function of people trading things, sure. Why do we even need economic policy?
I’m currently taking one of these drugs and it has been no less than a miracle in my life. I became obese when I was around 5, topping out around a 34 BMI. When I was 20 I lost a substantial amount of weight the old fashioned way (diet and exercise), and within 8 months I was BMI 23. Losing weight was extremely challenging and socially isolating. 7 years later, I had a bad ankle injury and regained weight to about 29…
What's the drug?
"The WHO recommends healthier diets and physical activity to reduce obesity, but medication might help when lifestyle changes aren’t enough. The new drugs mimic hormones known as incretins, which lower blood sugar and curb appetite." Isn't eating less food (whether your appetite is curbed or not) a lifestyle change? It's not that lifestyle changes aren't enough. It's that the size of your change wasn't big enough.
> It's not that lifestyle changes aren't enough. It's that the size of your change wasn't big enough. Sure, and one of the things we conclusively know about obesity is that people struggle enormously to sustain that sort of lifestyle change in the long term. Hence, medications that help with that. In this case, by reducing hunger.
Jesus christ, why is nature quoting a psychologist in an article about biology? > However, some researchers worry that these drugs play into some societies’ obsession with being thin. Body size isn’t always a good predictor of health. “I’m really hesitant to be excited about something that I think is potentially harmful from a weight stigma perspective”
Because this isn't an article about biology, it's about health, and health isn't unidimensional
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Isn’t obesity a function of calories intake and calories burn rate? If so, why do we even need a drug for that? Because calorie intake is substantially impacted by things like satiety. As the article's subtitle heavily hints at, "A class of drugs that quash hunger" is beneficial in moving that bit of the equation.
I understand, but appetite/hunger seems to be just a part of the issue. The second part being people (myself included) using food to comfort ourselves. I feel bad -> I seek tasty food to comfort myself, even if I am not hungry. The whole candy-market is built around. How are drugs to address this?
Consider, though, that quite a few obese people "feel bad" at least in part because of the health and social impacts of their weight.
I’m currently taking one of these drugs and it has been no less than a miracle in my life. I became obese when I was around 5, topping out around a 34 BMI. When I was 20 I lost a substantial amount of weight the old fashioned way (diet and exercise), and within 8 months I was BMI 23. Losing weight was extremely challenging and socially isolating. 7 years later, I had a bad ankle injury and regained weight to about 29…
What's the drug?