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What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

psychologytoday.com

211–220 of 555 posts

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#211
post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For many people, the "underlying issue" is fundamentally just being too hungry for how they live. GLP-1s absolutely treat that.

Right so it would seem increased physical exertion would be the answer. Yeah, humans should have more free time and do enough work or exercise each day to keep their body in shape.

One might think that weight loss is simply an energy balance issue. Sadly, it's far more complicated than that. You can burn 500-800 calories in an hour of cardio, and you can consume 500-800 calories of food in a few minutes.

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean…that’s just like depression medication. It’s possible to ignore sadness as well as hunger.

There are usually ways to fix the problems in your life, like sadness and hunger, without resorting to using drugs. Maybe not everyone but it is something we should strive for.

Why is that something to strive for though? Maybe for some people that mental energy is better spent everywhere. If there is a simple and safe pharmaceutical solution for a problem, that sounds like great progress to me!

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#213
post #150
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not? People take depression meds, blood pressure meds, all kinds of meds for their whole life. I'll be on omeprazole for reflux my whole life. It doesn't solve the underlying problem of my gut being prone to overpumping acid into my stomach. So omeprazole is problematic? The underlying issue is being treated, it's treated by taking the drug. It works. It's doing its job. I'd be curious as to how you came to this…

No, the symptom is being treated, not the underlying issue. And that's ok, but treating the underlying issue, when possible, is better, as the problem ceases to exist.

But that's not what the pharma companies want. They want you on the lifetime prescriptions that don't actually address the underlying problem.

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#214
post #21

Studies show almost all subjects regained the weight and reversed gains within 2 years. This means underlying issues (e.g., food addiction) aren't being addressed. Short of changing habits, the only maintenance solution is lifelong drug use and that doesn't sit well with me.

Why not? People take depression meds, blood pressure meds, all kinds of meds for their whole life. I'll be on omeprazole for reflux my whole life. It doesn't solve the underlying problem of my gut being prone to overpumping acid into my stomach. So omeprazole is problematic? The underlying issue is being treated, it's treated by taking the drug. It works. It's doing its job. I'd be curious as to how you came to this…

Omeprazole is not great long term FYI - worth talking to your doctor or getting a second opinion to discuss.

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#215
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they were a normal weight they would not have been prescribed the drug. The underlying issue is they're overweight because they eat too much. Anything more is speculation. There is usually no free lunch when it comes to pharma, and extrapolating long term or lifetime dependence as being equivalent to short term interventions is an unsupported leap.

That’s the problem with these new weight loss drugs. Ultimately they work by reducing food intake. For many people food is one of the few things in life that gives them some form of joy. I won’t ever take any drug that will take that away from me. Life is depressing enough as is. What we need is a weight loss drug that lets you eat unlimited amounts of food, preferably even suppressing the feeling of fullness, withou…

Maybe there's something that you can take to simulate IBS...

I'm pretty sure when food goes right through me that I'm not getting any of those calories. Otoh, I have some idea of what types of foods (and how much) will trigger and the foreknowledge of that certainly reduces the joy of eating some foods I otherwise enjoy.

I still have trouble with calorie balance, but although I enjoy many kinds of ice cream, I have no problem going into an ice cream shop with friends and not ordering anything, even if I'm hungry. A 'single' scoop is way beyond my limit, and if I order a scoop, I won't order a scoop, take two bites and toss the rest, I'll eat the whole thing, so it's not worth it.

When I was doing bike commuting with real hills, I could eat anything, but now I work from home and can't convince myself to put that much time in the saddle just to eat whatever.

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#216
post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Additionally - GLP1 drugs work by changing those eating patterns.

But those changes don’t stick if the drug is discontinued.

Diets also don't stick when you discontinue them.

It would be an incredible advancement if we figured out a reliable and replicatable way to just eat less food, but until then I think a drug that makes you do that is pretty decent.

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#217

I'd take them even if they didn't make me lose weight - and I'm the type of person that doesn't like takeing Tylenol unless absolutely necessary. The best way I can describe it: my body and mind are no longer is in starvation mode. I plan, do, act and sleep well.

This sounds concerning to me.

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#218
post #214
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not? People take depression meds, blood pressure meds, all kinds of meds for their whole life. I'll be on omeprazole for reflux my whole life. It doesn't solve the underlying problem of my gut being prone to overpumping acid into my stomach. So omeprazole is problematic? The underlying issue is being treated, it's treated by taking the drug. It works. It's doing its job. I'd be curious as to how you came to this…

Omeprazole is not great long term FYI - worth talking to your doctor or getting a second opinion to discuss.

I’ve been taking high doses long term for over a decade and I don’t really have any substantial issues.

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand calorie balance. I've been on a diet since I was 12 years old, and am now approaching 50. I've lost and regained the same 60lbs about 4 times now. I have logged every bite that goes into my mouth, and lived with a constant hunger for as long as I could take it. Then I ate until I felt satisfied and gained it all back. I know how many calories are in anything, and I can eyeball any serving size. I've been…

I have no personal animosity toward you, but I've heard all this many times, so I'll respond accordingly. >I've been on a diet since I was 12 years old, and am now approaching 50. I've lost and regained the same 60lbs about 4 times now You can lose weight by crash dieting, which does not prove much. The first thing that comes to mind for people is simply: "I'll just eat very little and lose weight." It even works, bu…

> In my experience, while people know all these things, execution still requires knowing all the "gotchas".

In my experience, people that think they know all the "gotchas" don't really know as much as they think they do.

Knowing fat is calorie dense is great. Without context one would attempt to try to cut it out of your diet almost entirely. Sort of like what literally happened with the food industry in the 80's/90's and 00's.

But then they would wonder why they are so hungry and likely consuming more sugars. Which is even worse for most folks due to glycemic index and how that interacts with hunger.

A little bit of knowledge can be actively harmful. Common sense on this topic actually does far better than most who think they know better. Almost everyone knows what "healthy food" looks like without needing to know anything about much else. Education is not the issue.

Re: What Ozempic does to the gut-brain axis

#220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But those changes don’t stick if the drug is discontinued.

Diets also don't stick when you discontinue them. It would be an incredible advancement if we figured out a reliable and replicatable way to just eat less food, but until then I think a drug that makes you do that is pretty decent.

> Diets also don’t stick when you discontinue them.

Yes, obviously. Which is why sustainable weight loss takes a commitment to making a change in lifestyle.

What’s more sustainable, changing your lifestyle to maintain the weight you lost, or being beholden to taking a drug to maintain that same lifestyle change for a hope at maintenance?

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