Natural occurring molecule rivals Ozempic in weight loss, sidesteps side effects

Post by Terr_ » Fri, Mar 07, 2025, 10:26 PM UTC

RandallBrown wrote: post #269

swat535 wrote: post #267

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For non-technical people, terms like Machine Learning, Algorithm, Automation, AI, Neural Networks and 'Magical Powers' are synonymous.. Journalists, marketing teams, and executives choose whichever term generates the most hype and clicks.

I like to describe my job as a software engineer as "wizardry" to people. With the way LLMs are writing code, it's only getting closer to writing actual spells.

Post by tokai » Fri, Mar 07, 2025, 10:33 PM UTC

hollerith wrote: post #265

tokai wrote: post #259

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Lithium is a good counter. It is by far the best treatment for bipolar 1, and its cheap and easy to source. Prices for lithium carbonate and other lithium medicament's are not at all cheap, and there are not a lot of medical companies producing it. There has even been shortages. Instead antipsychotics have been pushed as a preferred treatment, even though the outcomes are worse than with lithium.

Lithium in dosages effective in treating a mood disorder is quite toxic (e.g., to the kidneys) so most of the price is probably to offset the risk of lawsuit awards.

Post by pqtyw » Fri, Mar 07, 2025, 10:43 PM UTC

throwup238 wrote: post #240

robbs wrote: post #202

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Caffeine is an example. Coffee and energy drinks are doing well I'd say.

Caffeine is grandfathered in as a Generally Recognized as Safe food additive. If energy drink companies had to go through clinical trials with no patent protection for each drink formula, they wouldn't make them.

Post by IshKebab » Fri, Mar 07, 2025, 10:45 PM UTC

thayne wrote: post #286

catigula wrote: post #197

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I've always been very, very skeptical of this claim. If there's an actual natural, identified substance with huge benefits to people, it's going to go gangbusters and you're going to make a lot, LOT of money selling it, even if you're doing it via roadside lemonade stand. It feels like this claim is usually used to promote cures and treatments with extremely low quality RCTs backing their use as a sort of panacea. I…

Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) is both significantly cheaper, and less risky than epidurals for reducing pain during childbirth. Yet, in the US, most hospitals don't even offer it as an option, and I think a major part of that is that patented epidurals have much higher margins, so that is what the medical suppliers push.

Post by IshKebab » Fri, Mar 07, 2025, 10:48 PM UTC

n4r9 wrote: post #155

freedomben wrote: post #145

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> The idea that an overweight person has "too much muscle" is nonsense. I think you've misunderstood GP. He's not saying they have too much muscle when they're overweight. He's saying that take that exact same amount of muscle, subtract a ton of fat from their upper bodies, then they have "too much muscle" as typically needed for their body mass. I don't agree with their phrasing, but the point isn't "nonsense."

> then they have "too much muscle" as typically needed for their body mass It's a leap to suggest that it's "good" to lose this muscle mass. If you're obese then it's good to lose fat. It's even better to do so while maintaining muscle mass.