Live data from Hacker News

How long til we're all on Ozempic?

asteriskmag.com

191–200 of 1001 posts

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#191

One thing that it seems we are just starting to talk about with these drugs is the associated muscle and bone density loss. I'm concerned that this generation of GLP-1 early adopters will wind up more frail and suffer a lower quality of life in old age as a result.

I've seen zero evidence that muscle loss from GLP-1-assisted weight-loss is any different to the muscle loss from simply eating less. Do you have a link to a study I've missed?

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because not everyone has willpower and discipline. People who do have those strengths often think it is just as simple as saying, "Just take care of yourself", but it is not that easy for many people. High blood sugar also increases cravings, which makes it even harder, bringing on a downward spiral. This drug can help break out of that spiral and fix the craving/willpower problems.

[flagged]

Something is aiding the willpower of people in countries skinnier than the US. They move here, they get fatter.

Despite this assistance (or lack of headwind) they seem to do ok.

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#193

I'd think it more likely that it'll be one of the next generation drugs, but I do agree with the premise that it will be really common. A few weeks ago I started a low dose of tirzepatide (aka Mounjaro, aka Zepbound) and the side effects are interesting. The biggest negative, which just takes adjustment, is drastically lower stomach capacity. Used to be that two eggs and two pieces of toast was breakfast. Now I bette…

> "Just eat less and exercise more" is trite. If it were that easy, we'd all be in fantastic shape. Studies show it just doesn't work. There was a massive (18,000,000 people) cohort analysis published in 2023 that showed the likelihood of someone losing 5% of their body weight in any given year was 1 in 11 and the likelihood of going from severely obese to normal weight is 1 in 1667. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/…

[deleted]

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#194
post #170

Instead of a system that makes these drug available for purchase, I'd rather live in a system that promotes healthy food and active behavior. Unfortunately, I have to drive everywhere, work too many hours to have free time for recreation and have no idea which government subsidy is going to help big ag likely at the expense of my health. All things being equal, I'd prefer to spend less money on prescriptions and have…

[flagged]

As with everything I'm sure there is a spectrum. There are surely folks who have food addictions, there are surely folks who are not taking accountability for their habits, and there are possibly folks for whom this could be the best or safest option.

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#195

My biggest fear is either there will be long term negative consequences to Ozempic et al, and a huge swath of the population will be dealing with issues 30 years form now - OR - there will be some long term positive consequence to using Ozempic et al, and I'm not getting any of the benefits because I'm not overweight.

Has there ever been a case where something like #2 has happened? Don't think you need to worry about that one.

Sure: the popularization of coffee across western Europe in the 1600s and 1700s, and the way it replaced beer as the most common daytime casual drink. Much of the population went from spending all day mildly intoxicated to being mostly sober and with a caffeine pick-me-up.

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#196

I don’t want this to come out insensitive or from under the rock, but why is taking a drug a novel & cool idea (all of a sudden/recently) as opposed to good old fashioned working out and not eating more than what you need? okay, this drug is all kinds of great and it’s the next best thing since green grapes, still not eating more and workout is better than taking drugs that effect your brain right? Are doctors requir…

It's just human nature. This is the health equivalent of trying to turn lead into gold. It's my unproven opinion that the negative effects of these treatments are understated and this will be a passing fad.

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because not everyone has willpower and discipline. People who do have those strengths often think it is just as simple as saying, "Just take care of yourself", but it is not that easy for many people. High blood sugar also increases cravings, which makes it even harder, bringing on a downward spiral. This drug can help break out of that spiral and fix the craving/willpower problems.

[flagged]

A society where over half the population is suffering from the same problem is one that needs systemic change. It doesn't make sense to blame the individual when it's a problem affecting everyone.

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#198
post #170

Instead of a system that makes these drug available for purchase, I'd rather live in a system that promotes healthy food and active behavior. Unfortunately, I have to drive everywhere, work too many hours to have free time for recreation and have no idea which government subsidy is going to help big ag likely at the expense of my health. All things being equal, I'd prefer to spend less money on prescriptions and have…

[flagged]

How is that specifically late stage capitalism

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#199

Can you keep the weight off once you stop using it? I don't particularly want to have my personal health be in the hands of one company especially if the culture stratifies into those who can afford to be the right weight and those that can't. Especially when it enters it's "enshittification" stage.

It's hard to keep weight off once you stop using it, but I've not seen anything to suggest it's harder to keep it off if you lost using GLP-1 than if you lost the weight the normal way. Most fat people I know have lost weight successfully more than once "the hard way" and then regained it.

Re: How long til we're all on Ozempic?

#200
post #4

It's a pretty sad thought that everybody will be on a drug that keeps weight in check while most people will still eat a basically toxic diet. Weight is certainly an important factor but there is more to a healthy life.

From my understanding GLP-1 agonists can actually modulate the reward pathway reducing people's appetite for toxic diets. We're not socially caught up yet to this information. I suspect there are folks who believe that regardless of similar outcome (reduction of toxic diet), that changing diet without medication is superior to those who change their behavior through pharmacological intervention. It's like the pre-199…

> chemical intervention is a moral weakness.

As a default it is. And that's what it became. We stopped trying any other methods. Come in the door, have a set of symptoms that check all the boxes, walk out in 30 minutes with a prescription, doctor's office gets a bonus. Institutional psychiatric treatment is drugs first actual treatment later.

This is a _social_ problem. It should be discussed and addressed as such. You should not attempt to pervert this concern into an _individual_ issue in an effort to invoke a needless moral defense.

Post reply on HN