I do agree that ozempic and the like do not address the root cause of obesity, but this particular post would make sense if obesity were caused solely by eating 'bad' foods - but it is much more complex than that. Yes, ultra-processed foods seem to be the culprit in many if not most cases but plenty of people achieve obesity on eating 'good' foods - just too much of them due to physiological issues or stress or cluelessness . The sad truth is that obesity due to UPF is most likely to afflict people in poverty who live in food deserts and can only easily obtain ultra-processed foods - those people are not likely to take ozempic because they can't afford it. So this particular post is really getting at people with first-world problems. I would also point out that Ozempic makes a difference for people whose 'set points' are messed up which can originate with hormone imbalances. All that said, the existence of Ozempic must not be allowed to turn into a "get-out-of-jail-free card' - which is what I think is your main point
What I continually see missed in this debate are 2 things:
— Some people take meds, like SSRIs, that cause weight gain beyond the individual’s control; others have malfunctioning hormones that can be difficult to control
— Some people have disabilities that do not permit even the least bit of decent exercise, and they really struggle with weight
There are a lot of health benefits, and using these drugs ethically is not “cheating”.
I think the bad air vs gas mask analogy is a bad one, because as an individual I have one vote — and if the winner supports ignoring the Clean Air Act, there’s precious little I can do about it directly.
I have great insurance, but I’m not a diabetic so my insurance wouldn’t pay for these meds. Docs can prescribe off-label, but that’s the individual’s choice. Or, I can self pay. Regardless, nothing at all like the politics surrounding the CAA.
I’m wondering most of all why my weight/weight loss is anyone else’s business at the micro level, and why anyone is telling me how to live my life. You all seem to think that 150M Americans are going to jump on the Ozempic bandwagon and disrupt our economy and way of life, but that kind of sky-is-falling (and the stunningly ugly comments made about those who do choose to explore these meds) are completely unhelpful.
Terrifying. Taking this shortcut means that people (including children!) may never learn to eat right and get in touch with their bodies. To say nothing of a artificially dull appetite that starves your body of essential nutrients.
The gas mask may keep the wearer alive to deal with the real problem. Helping people deal with their health issues may give them more energy to deal with the roots of our food crises. We can walk and chew gum.
I agree with Mark and have another example of what I think surely will happen in the next decade. We will eventually geo-engineer the atmosphere to reflect solar radiation to cool it. There is little humanity now can do to globally green out climate disruption for social and other reasons I give in my own substack postings. When climate disruption becomes so bad that people in the western world really feels it, people will demand governments do "something" to stop it, and the easiest solution will be injecting aerosols in the stratosphere. The global temperature will drop multiple degrees within a week and remain low for as long as the aerosols remain. This solution, like the drugs Mark speaks to, is a Faustian Bargain. We stop the harm but the cause of it remains and gets worse as we inject more aerosols to control the harm. Should we not inject them in the future, all hell will literally break out shortly.
Some people are diabetic for other reasons than obesity. These new drugs give people an excuse to overeat rather than learn how to control themselves or learn better eating habits.
As a diabetic, I couldn't disagree more. I don't take Ozempic to loose weight, though I have lost some, and loosing that weight has helped me to be more active. Regardless, I take Ozempic because it does a better job of managing my blood sugar than medications I've taken for years such as metformin. I already eat mostly non-processed food. I make pasta by hand, I make pasta sauce from scratch, and we eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables which we source locally through a farmer's market and a CSA. By all means argue against use if this drug off jabel for weight loss only, but don't ignore the real good it is doing for actual diabetics who have already tried everything else.
Why Using Ozempic Is Like Putting on a Gas Mask
I do agree that ozempic and the like do not address the root cause of obesity, but this particular post would make sense if obesity were caused solely by eating 'bad' foods - but it is much more complex than that. Yes, ultra-processed foods seem to be the culprit in many if not most cases but plenty of people achieve obesity on eating 'good' foods - just too much of them due to physiological issues or stress or cluelessness . The sad truth is that obesity due to UPF is most likely to afflict people in poverty who live in food deserts and can only easily obtain ultra-processed foods - those people are not likely to take ozempic because they can't afford it. So this particular post is really getting at people with first-world problems. I would also point out that Ozempic makes a difference for people whose 'set points' are messed up which can originate with hormone imbalances. All that said, the existence of Ozempic must not be allowed to turn into a "get-out-of-jail-free card' - which is what I think is your main point
What I continually see missed in this debate are 2 things:
— Some people take meds, like SSRIs, that cause weight gain beyond the individual’s control; others have malfunctioning hormones that can be difficult to control
— Some people have disabilities that do not permit even the least bit of decent exercise, and they really struggle with weight
There are a lot of health benefits, and using these drugs ethically is not “cheating”.
I think the bad air vs gas mask analogy is a bad one, because as an individual I have one vote — and if the winner supports ignoring the Clean Air Act, there’s precious little I can do about it directly.
I have great insurance, but I’m not a diabetic so my insurance wouldn’t pay for these meds. Docs can prescribe off-label, but that’s the individual’s choice. Or, I can self pay. Regardless, nothing at all like the politics surrounding the CAA.
I’m wondering most of all why my weight/weight loss is anyone else’s business at the micro level, and why anyone is telling me how to live my life. You all seem to think that 150M Americans are going to jump on the Ozempic bandwagon and disrupt our economy and way of life, but that kind of sky-is-falling (and the stunningly ugly comments made about those who do choose to explore these meds) are completely unhelpful.
And yes, I vote Blue.
Terrifying. Taking this shortcut means that people (including children!) may never learn to eat right and get in touch with their bodies. To say nothing of a artificially dull appetite that starves your body of essential nutrients.
The gas mask may keep the wearer alive to deal with the real problem. Helping people deal with their health issues may give them more energy to deal with the roots of our food crises. We can walk and chew gum.
Typo--"really feel" it, not "really feels it"
I agree with Mark and have another example of what I think surely will happen in the next decade. We will eventually geo-engineer the atmosphere to reflect solar radiation to cool it. There is little humanity now can do to globally green out climate disruption for social and other reasons I give in my own substack postings. When climate disruption becomes so bad that people in the western world really feels it, people will demand governments do "something" to stop it, and the easiest solution will be injecting aerosols in the stratosphere. The global temperature will drop multiple degrees within a week and remain low for as long as the aerosols remain. This solution, like the drugs Mark speaks to, is a Faustian Bargain. We stop the harm but the cause of it remains and gets worse as we inject more aerosols to control the harm. Should we not inject them in the future, all hell will literally break out shortly.
Some people are diabetic for other reasons than obesity. These new drugs give people an excuse to overeat rather than learn how to control themselves or learn better eating habits.
As a diabetic, I couldn't disagree more. I don't take Ozempic to loose weight, though I have lost some, and loosing that weight has helped me to be more active. Regardless, I take Ozempic because it does a better job of managing my blood sugar than medications I've taken for years such as metformin. I already eat mostly non-processed food. I make pasta by hand, I make pasta sauce from scratch, and we eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables which we source locally through a farmer's market and a CSA. By all means argue against use if this drug off jabel for weight loss only, but don't ignore the real good it is doing for actual diabetics who have already tried everything else.