Wegovy - A weight loss drug that is proven effective (with side effects) hits the markets, starts philosophical debate

[Jman]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/11/obesity-jab-may-save-food-industrys-bacon-should-it
 

Is it cheating, or is it a cure for a disease?  Does this kill arguments for “fat acceptance” or does it help the world be healthier?

[Doom Metal Alchemist]

The way it helps people lose weight is by suppressing your appetite. Not eating or barely eating is never recommended to lose weight. Eat plenty of HEALTHY foods, and barely eat UNHEALTHY foods. Not barely eat anything at all. The writer describes having to set alarms as reminders to eat so she doesn't feel faint. If she's just eating the bare minimum to not pass out then she's not getting enough nutrients. Doesn't matter if she's thin, that's not healthy. This smacks of a medication whose purpose is to give you the effects of an eating disorder such as anorexia without all the body image issues.

[André Toulon]

Sounds like forced intermittent fasting....

I haven't read the article yet, just commenting on what doomer described....

But there are supplements to get the nutrients the body needs....I dunno, I have to reserve a real opinion until I read it, but I know I feel using a drug to do something you can plausibly do yourself is never a good idea....I feel like the regulations on these experimental drugs are getting extremely lax.

I saw a commercial for one yesterday that troubles me but it's not on topic so another time.

 

[Doom Metal Alchemist]

Just now, André Toulon said:

 

I saw a commercial for one yesterday that troubles me but it's not on topic so another time.

 

Post about it in your blog thread?

[Icarus27k]

Imagine if we Americans had a magic drug that cured obesity. We'd be unstoppable. Instead of stoppable due to being easily winded and achy in the back and knees. 

[katt_goddess]

1 hour ago, Icarus27k said:

Imagine if we Americans had a magic drug that cured obesity. We'd be unstoppable. Instead of stoppable due to being easily winded and achy in the back and knees. 

If we had that, it would be priced so far outside of the ability for anyone but the ultra-disgustingly-wealthy to afford. 

Ironically, after buying it, the ultra-disgustingly-wealthy might not be able to afford food anymore which would automatically lead to weight loss anyway. 

The cynic in me says that it would never go to market in the first place because there's more money to be made in short term fad pills & medications for obesity complications. 

[Insipid]

On 3/23/2023 at 8:47 AM, Doom Metal Alchemist said:

The way it helps people lose weight is by suppressing your appetite. Not eating or barely eating is never recommended to lose weight. Eat plenty of HEALTHY foods, and barely eat UNHEALTHY foods. Not barely eat anything at all. The writer describes having to set alarms as reminders to eat so she doesn't feel faint. If she's just eating the bare minimum to not pass out then she's not getting enough nutrients. Doesn't matter if she's thin, that's not healthy. This smacks of a medication whose purpose is to give you the effects of an eating disorder such as anorexia without all the body image issues.

It's not gonna give people anorexia or eating disorders. The article says a 300 pound person will go down to 240 pounds. If they want to go lower, they'll have to make more lifestyle changes. I think the main problem is being dependent on the pill. I think most would just gain all the weight back plus more if they stopped the pill.

Eating too much food, whether healthy or not, is the main culprit. Calories in, calories out. The body is not a special machine immune to the laws of physics. Still, this may not help much if one consumes a lot of sugary beverages.

1 hour ago, katt_goddess said:

If we had that, it would be priced so far outside of the ability for anyone but the ultra-disgustingly-wealthy to afford. 

Ironically, after buying it, the ultra-disgustingly-wealthy might not be able to afford food anymore which would automatically lead to weight loss anyway. 

The cynic in me says that it would never go to market in the first place because there's more money to be made in short term fad pills & medications for obesity complications. 

It seems to already be exceedingly expensive, regardless.

https://www.goodrx.com/ozempic

Edited March 25, 2023 by Insipid

[Icarus27k]

I'm going to ask my doctor to let me try it. The biggest concern is cost. My insurance should cover some of the cost, but even with that it will still be about the same as a monthly utility bill. 

 

[Icarus27k]

 

I will celebrate if I lose 10% of my body weight in 20 weeks after starting to take it. 

Edited April 18, 2023 by Icarus27k

[André Toulon]

6 hours ago, Icarus27k said:

I'm going to ask my doctor to let me try it. The biggest concern is cost. My insurance should cover some of the cost, but even with that it will still be about the same as a monthly utility bill. 

 

.....have you put on a significant amount of weight....I simply don't recall you being that big but I don't think I've seen a legit pic of you for at least 6 years when I abandoned the Buddyroe FB

[katt_goddess]

Here's a weird thought about all this caused by a sever need for sleep right now. 

A drug like this that appears to help purge fat might not be that big a deal for dudes. Chances are whatever you have that is 'fat' is fat and therefore it disappearing is fine with you otherwise you wouldn't be looking at fat purge meds. But female bodies have different types of fats. So do fat purge meds have the ability to target specific fats or does it just go after the easiest fats? Because maybe the easiest fats on one person might be their middle [ which they might be happy to yeet ] but another person might have the easy fat on their boobs which losing might make them look like a weird pear in sweats.  

Yet another reason for my skepticism of miracle pills. 

[mthor]

2 hours ago, katt_goddess said:

Here's a weird thought about all this caused by a sever need for sleep right now. 

A drug like this that appears to help purge fat might not be that big a deal for dudes. Chances are whatever you have that is 'fat' is fat and therefore it disappearing is fine with you otherwise you wouldn't be looking at fat purge meds. But female bodies have different types of fats. So do fat purge meds have the ability to target specific fats or does it just go after the easiest fats? Because maybe the easiest fats on one person might be their middle [ which they might be happy to yeet ] but another person might have the easy fat on their boobs which losing might make them look like a weird pear in sweats.  

Yet another reason for my skepticism of miracle pills. 

Fat is fat, whether it's on your boobs or your ass or your belly.

[Icarus27k]

13 hours ago, André Toulon said:

.....have you put on a significant amount of weight....I simply don't recall you being that big but I don't think I've seen a legit pic of you for at least 6 years when I abandoned the Buddyroe FB

Yes. My weight has increased exponentially since 2020, when everyone was on COVID lockdown. And I've had a hell of a time trying to reverse it. 

[katt_goddess]

On 4/18/2023 at 6:45 PM, mthor said:

Fat is fat, whether it's on your boobs or your ass or your belly.

It was my lack of sleep thoughts streaming out through my old fingers.  And people complaining at work that if they diet, they only lose fat on x and not y. 

But I stick by what I said about dudes. They stop drinking soda, they lose a million pounds. If I want the same result, I need to have food poisoning or something.  And if I look at a can of soda while sick, I'll gain half a cup in the boobens just because. 

[Icarus27k]

On 4/18/2023 at 5:33 PM, katt_goddess said:

Here's a weird thought about all this caused by a sever need for sleep right now. 

A drug like this that appears to help purge fat might not be that big a deal for dudes. Chances are whatever you have that is 'fat' is fat and therefore it disappearing is fine with you otherwise you wouldn't be looking at fat purge meds. But female bodies have different types of fats. So do fat purge meds have the ability to target specific fats or does it just go after the easiest fats? Because maybe the easiest fats on one person might be their middle [ which they might be happy to yeet ] but another person might have the easy fat on their boobs which losing might make them look like a weird pear in sweats.  

Yet another reason for my skepticism of miracle pills. 

 

I might argue obesity is more dangerous for men than women on average because men already have shorter lifespans. Obesity would probably be another ten years off that lifespan. 

[katt_goddess]

17 hours ago, Icarus27k said:

 

I might argue obesity is more dangerous for men than women on average because men already have shorter lifespans. Obesity would probably be another ten years off that lifespan. 

To counter that, I would say that since doctors tend to fail to notice severe heart issues in women [ regardless of how many times they complain about something ] until they are in the ER on oxygen setting the alarms off every 5 minutes but will do everything in their power to check out a guy's potential medical issues if he mentions feeling weird once, anything including obesity is more dangerous for women. 

[Icarus27k]

Will weight-loss drugs put diet charlatans out of business? I hope so.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/04/25/weight-loss-drugs-obesity-dieting

 

 

Interesting column that distinguishes new drugs like Wegovy from the very long history of weight loss fads. It argues these drugs are actual medical breakthroughs in treating the chronic, progressive disease obesity and fads/diets/programs are not. 

 

[Icarus27k]

 

Hell yeah. I would take a magic pill if it allowed me to eat whatever I want, as much as I want, and not have any negative consequences. 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Icarus27k

[André Toulon]

On 4/25/2023 at 7:55 PM, Icarus27k said:

Will weight-loss drugs put diet charlatans out of business? I hope so.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/04/25/weight-loss-drugs-obesity-dieting

 

 

Interesting column that distinguishes new drugs like Wegovy from the very long history of weight loss fads. It argues these drugs are actual medical breakthroughs in treating the chronic, progressive disease obesity and fads/diets/programs are not. 

 

I have a hard time accepting that in America, we would release something that actually helps people without consequences 

Edited July 1, 2023 by André Toulon

[Icarus27k]

I got prescribed this medication today. I will use it and occasionally post here about my completely anecdotal experience with it in the upcoming months. 

[Icarus27k]

My doctor had to fill out a prior authorization (PA) with my insurance company to convince them to cover the cost, and after some haggling, it was approved. My out of pocket cost for one month of it is about $50. 

 

That's good, but we did have to put in effort to get insurance to cover it. 

Edited May 27, 2023 by Icarus27k

[Icarus27k]

The first 24 hours on the medicine. I was anxious in the same way you normally are when taking a new medication but no side effects at all so far. 

Also, no hunger. If this is how it's supposed to work, I understand how someone can forget to eat. 

[naraku360]

On 3/24/2023 at 5:22 PM, Icarus27k said:

Imagine if we Americans had a magic drug that cured obesity. We'd be unstoppable. Instead of stoppable due to being easily winded and achy in the back and knees. 

All those other countries that don't have obesity problems must be hogging them.

Damn commies!

[Blackrose321]

On 5/27/2023 at 9:31 AM, Icarus27k said:

My doctor had to fill out a prior authorization (PA) with my insurance company to convince them to cover the cost, and after some haggling, it was approved. My out of pocket cost for one month of it is about $50. 

 

That's good, but we did have to put in effort to get insurance to cover it. 

How the heck did you get it covered? My friend has had a hell of a time with weight loss and she can't get it without paying out of pocket. It would be cheaper to develop a drug habit. 😅

[Icarus27k]

2 hours ago, Blackrose321 said:

How the heck did you get it covered? My friend has had a hell of a time with weight loss and she can't get it without paying out of pocket. It would be cheaper to develop a drug habit. 😅

I don't know. I was surprised. I was expecting to have to pay hundreds of dollars a month. 

[Blackrose321]

53 minutes ago, Icarus27k said:

I don't know. I was surprised. I was expecting to have to pay hundreds of dollars a month. 

Well, I'm happy for you, I hope you achieve your goals.

[Icarus27k]

In the first two and a half weeks, I've lost about 2% of my initial body weight, and I've had no side effects to the medicine. It's my understanding 20% to 30% of people taking it have the side effects of nausea/vomiting or constipation, but luckily I haven't so far. 

 

That's the good news. The bad news is that I still have a long way to go in terms of weight loss to reach a healthy weight. 

[Jman]

1 hour ago, Icarus27k said:

In the first two and a half weeks, I've lost about 2% of my initial body weight, and I've had no side effects to the medicine. It's my understanding 20% to 30% of people taking it have the side effects of nausea/vomiting or constipation, but luckily I haven't so far. 

 

That's the good news. The bad news is that I still have a long way to go in terms of weight loss to reach a healthy weight. 

Any weight loss regiment is a slow and steady process.  Still, sounds like you’re off to a good start.

[André Toulon]

On the radio I heard them talking about this shit..... Apparently this miracle drug that now not only aides weight loss but in a new discovery, it also lowers the cravings for cigarettes and alcohol. 

I have yet to do any actual fact checking on this since it was on some random podcast, but sounds like they may be trying to really push this drug.

[André Toulon]

[Top Gun]

 

[Lynnrael]

 

On 4/19/2023 at 7:43 PM, katt_goddess said:

It was my lack of sleep thoughts streaming out through my old fingers.  And people complaining at work that if they diet, they only lose fat on x and not y. 

But I stick by what I said about dudes. They stop drinking soda, they lose a million pounds. If I want the same result, I need to have food poisoning or something.  And if I look at a can of soda while sick, I'll gain half a cup in the boobens just because. 

my metabolism didn't entirely crash when i started hrt but its definitely noticably slower than it used to be. testosterone does a LOT to help manage weight, adding muscle mass alone being a huge part but it does also speed up your metabolism in general 

I'd consider trying the pill, but I'd have to do a LOT of research on how it works. I'm not at the worst weight, but i do want to lose a bit and it's damn near impossible for me, especially now that i lost what is the single most powerful substance in regards to weight loss. but the reason I'm not undereating right now anyways is because i want my body to have what it needs to make boobs and, if I'm really lucky, maybe a bit of an ass

[Icarus27k]

On 6/18/2023 at 7:41 AM, Icarus27k said:

In the first two and a half weeks, I've lost about 2% of my initial body weight, and I've had no side effects to the medicine. It's my understanding 20% to 30% of people taking it have the side effects of nausea/vomiting or constipation, but luckily I haven't so far. 

 

That's the good news. The bad news is that I still have a long way to go in terms of weight loss to reach a healthy weight. 

 

It's been about a month and a half, and I've lost 4% to 5% of my starting weight. 

[Icarus27k]

The past month and a half, I have not been strictly following a low calorie diet like I planned, but I've still lost like 4.5%. Just taking the medicine and doing nothing else causes weight loss, probably because it changes your behavior around eating. 

 

 

I've noticed that I can no longer eat as much in one sitting as before. I almost always leave food on my plate when having a meal. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by Icarus27k

[André Toulon]

Apparently this shit is magical

[Icarus27k]

I'm scared of heart disease. Well specifically, heart attacks and sudden cardiac death. 

Whatever killed my uncle nine years ago when he left his house that morning looking normal and by lunch time he had died. 

[mthor]

34 minutes ago, André Toulon said:

Apparently this shit is magical

It does look amazing - so amazing that I can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop. Magic always has a price.

[André Toulon]

1 minute ago, mthor said:

It does look amazing - so amazing that I can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop. Magic always has a price.

Exactly 

[katt_goddess]

5 hours ago, mthor said:

It does look amazing - so amazing that I can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop. Magic always has a price.

You'll lose all the weight but in like 5 years, all your organs will start to liquify and fail. 

[discolé monade]

i've been wanting to comment on this, but wasn't sure. but fuck it. 

so, way back when, i did my edgar cayce apple cleanse. i was desperate just to lose 5lbs. my next plan was to beg, and i mean BEG the v.a. for these meds, knowing i wouldn't get them. 

the apple cleanse worked...and didn't work. that is, it pushed all the goop to the exit...but lodged into a giant ball of hard turd, that had to break apart, 

while i waited to take a shit for 3 weeks. *yes...3 fucking weeks* , i  just knew i was going to die (not really, but you know).

i regreted all the unhealthy shit i had put into my body, my stress eating, my compulsive eating, my bored eating over the last couple years.  

so, when the ball cleared, i lost 10 lbs, i decided, to just eat better. not go on a diet, not do anythig drastic. i did the mini fasting and eat better. 

i started working out *modified pullups, pushups, walking* the weight is still dropping. *now it's all about the tightening part-looking for suggestions*

i think i'm about 25lbs down now. 

if the magic pill works for you, than do it, but, the body wants better, not magic.

 

[Insipid]

I wouldn't be surprised if a side effect is permanent anhedonia in some people.

[Master-Debater131]

7 hours ago, mthor said:

It does look amazing - so amazing that I can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop. Magic always has a price.

 

[Icarus27k]

8 hours ago, André Toulon said:

Apparently this shit is magical

 

 

I read the abstract of the study. This headline both overstates the benefits and makes it seem more novel than it is.

 

What the study really says is this medicine has been treating people with type II diabetes longer than it has been treating people with obesity. The lowering of cardiovascular risk in diabetics has been known, but whether it does the same in non-diabetics has been unclear. This study concludes, yes, the lowering of risks does occur in non-diabetic obese people similar to diabetic people. 

[Icarus27k]

By "lowering of cardiovascular risk," I mean you have a certain percentage of chance of dying of cardiovascular cause, a nonfatal myocardial infarction or a nonfatal stroke over a ten year period. Taking this medicine will reduce that percentage by about 20%. 

[mthor]

3 hours ago, Master-Debater131 said:

 

That's about how I was on Chantix - my family was happy when I went back to smoking instead.

[Icarus27k]

My ten-year risk for heart disease. 

 

Seems low, right? Tell that to my hypochondriac mind that is expecting a heart attack/stroke/heart failure at any given moment. 

[Insipid]

Just anecdotes to report. My brother in law lost over 20 pounds and has been on it for over six months. Due to the drug working by slowing down digestion, it worsened his acid reflux. He has decided to stop taking the drug. Interesting to see how the coming months will play out.

His mother was also on the drug, but she only took two doses because it made her feel very depressed. Obviously, she wasn't on it long enough to experience any weight loss results.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Insipid

[Icarus27k]

Tirzepatide, trade named Mounjaro for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and Zepbound for treatment of obesity, supposed causes an average loss of 21% of weight in 72 weeks.

 

 

It's supposedly more effectively more effective than semiglutide (Wegovy) because it effects two hormone receptors whereas semiglutide only effects one. 

 

Edited March 16 by Icarus27k