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Weight Loss Drugs - Thoughts?

I think these drugs are good for the average American population - but, they need to come with lifestyle changes. The older we get, the harder to maintain and/or lose weight.

I would like to see the drugs more widely prescribed and either covered by insurance or significantly cheaper. I know of peptide sites and underground bodybuilding forums peddling semaglutide, however I am personally concerned with the quality of these sources and therefore have not tested the waters - though tempting.
 
But somehow gym memberships are not covered.

These drugs are great for short term weight loss and are quite effective. If the patient isn't willing to make the lifestyle choices necessary for long term changes, taking the drugs is a waste of resources.
 
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GolferGal said:
I just don't see it that way. It's not addressing the issue, it's putting a bandaid on bad habits. The core issue is how you got there in the first place, fix that and a lot of the other issues go away. These meds aren't addressing that, unless a person uses it as just a tool in their arsenal to a better lifestyle. Which goes back to the statement of only 5% of people who get weight loss surgery actually keep the weight off. That is just a tool also.
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That's what medical science is slowly coming to understand, that what we used to see as the cause is actually just another symptom. That's why approaching it by treating the symptom has essentially never worked long term. Just being a bit overweight is one thing, but for many with chronic obesity, telling them to put down the fork and take a walk is about like telling a bipolar schizophrenic that they just need to cut the crap and stop acting crazy.
 
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but if i was i'd probably say that the pharma companies are some of the major advertisers with media outlets that have been pushing body positivity for the past 5-7 years all the while developing weight loss drugs that will be worth billions

It's gotta be a coincidence.

But they make a lot of fine products too.
 
Ask yourself, as an adult over 40 - ever have abs? I have, its tough. It requires discipline training and discipline eating. Essentially, tailor your life towards that goal. Want memories of those abs? Take a picture on day one of your vacation, by day two of eating at the buffet and drinking they are washed out.

Now, not everyone wants abs. Most simply want a healthy weight and possibly to be thin. I just wanted to point out how tough it is to get rid of bodyfat that has accumulated at some point in your life.

This is an interesting look at what it takes to get in shape, an absolutely worthy watch.



Safe drugs are needed for a lot of folks to get in the healthy range. Drugs or no drugs, it is our duty to maintain our health. Weight is simply one part of that equation and is not the sole indicator of health.
 
I am type 2 diabetic and started on mounjaro in October of 2023. It not only has controlled by diabetes A1C to 5.2 I have also lost 45lbs. It curbed my appetite and cravings. At 6 ft I’m down to 215 and don’t really don’t want to lose much more weight. My co pay is $25 a month. For me much better for controlling my diabetes than any other drug I have tried over the past 10 years
 
I have 2 friends on them. Both have been really heavy for as long as i've known them (25+ Years) One friend has changed his lifestyle and has lost a lot of weight and is taking it very seriously. The other guy is really big, ~380 and needs a new hip. The doctor wont perform the surgery until he gets down to 340. He has lost a little weight but still goes out to eat 2x/day, pounds rum and cokes (full sugar cokes) and wonders why the drugs arent working. I think friend #2 is closer to the norm for people who take these drugs.
 
Danimal said:
I have 2 friends on them. Both have been really heavy for as long as i've known them (25+ Years) One friend has changed his lifestyle and has lost a lot of weight and is taking it very seriously. The other guy is really big, ~380 and needs a new hip. The doctor wont perform the surgery until he gets down to 340. He has lost a little weight but still goes out to eat 2x/day, pounds rum and cokes (full sugar cokes) and wonders why the drugs arent working. I think friend #2 is closer to the norm for people who take these drugs.
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I don’t know why but that reminds me of an interaction previously where I was asking about vegetables. And this person told me they ate vegetables with almost every meal. I was skeptical and asked which vegetables. They said they ate French fries with almost every meal. That was their vegetable. That one staggered me a bit. 😆
 
j0nesy said:
Ask yourself, as an adult over 40 - ever have abs? I have, its tough. It requires discipline training and discipline eating. Essentially, tailor your life towards that goal. Want memories of those abs? Take a picture on day one of your vacation, by day two of eating at the buffet and drinking they are washed out.

Now, not everyone wants abs. Most simply want a healthy weight and possibly to be thin. I just wanted to point out how tough it is to get rid of bodyfat that has accumulated at some point in your life.

This is an interesting look at what it takes to get in shape, an absolutely worthy watch.



Safe drugs are needed for a lot of folks to get in the healthy range. Drugs or no drugs, it is our duty to maintain our health. Weight is simply one part of that equation and is not the sole indicator of health.
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It's basically sociopathic discipline, or having a second part-time job which is just working out.
 
They are probably beneficial for some but… without a lifestyle change, eating and exercise, they are temporary. With a little discipline one can easily grind off 1-2 lbs a week. The benefit to slow and steady is that your body gets used to the changes and it becomes ingrained
 
jbb2388 said:
Not sure I understand your point on this statement. My argument would be it could reduce them by decreasing the percentage of overweight people in society
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This won't happen because of the cost of the drugs. They cost more to take per year than the average fat person will incur in healthcare per year if they don't take them which @tahoebum alluded to and as @GolferGal alluded to nearly everyone who takes these and loses weight has to stay on them to maintain that weight loss. As soon as they stop they gain the weight right back. Also there are some somewhat serious side effects to these medications as one of the reasons you lose weight is because they stall out your digestive process so you feel full all the time, but it causes poop to move very slowly through the intestinal track. Poop exists to get waste out of our body because it's not good for our body. When it sets in there for 5-7 days at a time instead of 1-3 it's not good for us.
 
JB said:
Not to make light of anybody's situation, but can someone tell me which drug company is going all in on this?
I just want to make sure I buy their stock.
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Novo Nordisk makes Ozempic and Wegovy
Eli Lilly makes Mounjaro and Trulicity and is in the process of getting another drug called Zepbound approved

They are in a class of medications called Glucagon Like Peptides or GLP1's as the industry refers to them.
 
baylrballa said:
I don’t know why but that reminds me of an interaction previously where I was asking about vegetables. And this person told me they ate vegetables with almost every meal. I was skeptical and asked which vegetables. They said they ate French fries with almost every meal. That was their vegetable. That one staggered me a bit. 😆
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Sounds like a tasty plan. I love french fries, i eat them once a month.....I didn't realize i was depriving myself of valuable nutrients....
 
DataDude said:
Novo Nordisk makes Ozempic and Wegovy
Eli Lilly makes Mounjaro and Trulicity and is in the process of getting another drug called Zepbound approved

They are in a class of medications called Glucagon Like Peptides or GLP1's as the industry refers to them.
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They all have pretty catchy jingles on the ads.
 
My wife's cousin is taking Semaglutide and lost 45 lbs. she was not way overweight, just heavier than she wants to be. They just went to Punta Cana and Julie said she's looks great now!
 
I want to scream change you and what you put in your body as drugs will be only a temporary help BUT I refrain and think of another situation.

Think about Statin's for a moment- drugs that I have seen lower cholestoral. They are now low cost and work for many. I take a a baby dose and have for years and my numbers are so low my Dr brought up he still recommended becasue they have proven other benefits.

My point is this- I guess it matters what the long term consequences and results end up being. In the case of statins, they end up having some benefits outside original purpose at least in low dose. I don't know anything about the drugs for weight loss and maybe no one should until they have been around for 20+ years
 
GolferGal said:
Only 5% of people who get weight loss surgery actually keep the weight off. I don't see these drugs doing anything more than that as well. Unless you can change a person's behavior and habits, nothing will change long term.
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100% agree and I think it makes it a tough call as to whether or not it’s a good investment option. On one hand people are desperate to lose weight and are always trying something. On the other hand no pill will ever be a permanent solution so these will “fail” for the same reasons exercise and eating a healthy diet fail…people.
 
PuffChippy said:
That's what medical science is slowly coming to understand, that what we used to see as the cause is actually just another symptom. That's why approaching it by treating the symptom has essentially never worked long term. Just being a bit overweight is one thing, but for many with chronic obesity, telling them to put down the fork and take a walk is about like telling a bipolar schizophrenic that they just need to cut the crap and stop acting crazy.
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You can’t compare a person with a mental disorder they can’t control to a person who knows what they are doing is hurting themselves and still continues to do it. With that said, I think both should consider therapy, but for very different reasons. Being obese is like being addicted to nicotine, except you need food to survive making it much harder to quit. Giving someone a pill or a shot and telling them it will help them lose weight won’t stop them from the bad habits until they are ready. Again, this is no different than a less invasive version of weight loss surgery, and the stats still show only 5% of those people succeed, and they were willing to put themselves under the knife.
 
GolferGal said:
You can’t compare a person with a mental disorder they can’t control to a person who knows what they are doing is hurting themselves and still continues to do it. With that said, I think both should consider therapy, but for very different reasons. Being obese is like being addicted to nicotine, except you need food to survive making it much harder to quit. Giving someone a pill or a shot and telling them it will help them lose weight won’t stop them from the bad habits until they are ready. Again, this is no different than a less invasive version of weight loss surgery, and the stats still show only 5% of those people succeed, and they were willing to put themselves under the knife.
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The amount of people who lose transplanted organs because they couldn't be bothered to take the immune suppression meds is staggering.
 
GolferGal said:
It's like smoking, breaking the nicotine habit is probably easier than breaking the actual habit of smoking, what I mean by that is a smoke after coffee, a smoke after spicy food, a smoke for whatever, the physical act of smoking can be just as addicting as the nicotine, and food is the same, except we need food to survive so you can't just stop eating.
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As someone who has struggled to quit smoking, this is 100% correct. Getting rid of the addiction to nicotine isn't even 20% of the battle.
 
baylrballa said:
That’s 100% what should happen. But it’s more time and money, and people don’t prioritize their health over other things.
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To be fair, for some, prioritizing their health is a near impossibility when they live paycheck to paycheck and are barely keeping food on the table. Even with insurance, it's very tough for some. Now, that's not to say that there aren't things that people can (and don't) do to help themselves. But even a simple $75.00 co-pay at a specialist is a "no can do" for lots of people right now. 🤷‍♂️
 
tucsoncacti said:
Also just want to state that after Phen-Phen I would never trust any weight loss drug the a pharmaceutical company was pushing. I have seen multiple women die from it, and a family member debilitated from it.
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This, also, is a reason that I don't trust new drugs. There's been nowhere near enough research on the long term effects of these drugs for me to ever assume that they're "safe".

I'm diabetic and I'm working on getting my AC1 numbers to a point that my doctor feels comfortable. He mentioned that Ozembic may be a next step. I told him that's a straight up f*ck no. We'll figure it out another way. 🤷‍♂️
 
GolferGal said:
I would rather see the drugs be paired with therapy to get to the root of the issue. These are of course just my opinions, and maybe I have just watched too many episodes of my 600lb life haha.
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Honestly, watching my 600lb life was a big life changer for me.

I was 1/2 the size if the people on that show and it scared me that if i didn't change I could get there. I'm 100 lbs less right now than I was back then. I've gone up some in weight but am in the process of going back down. I'm not using any drugs to do it. I'm doing it the old fashioned way with exercise and better eating habits.

As you've mentioned drugs or bariatric surgery don't work unless those fundamentals change. No matter what people need to live a healthier lifestyle to keep things in check. A drug might help me take off the weight faster but I'd never keep it off if I don't stick to those fundamentals. It sucks to have to stop myself from eating a lot of the things I love but it's the price to pay to generally feel better in life.
 
There’s a bunch of housewives around me who have taken this to drop 10 pounds a couple weeks prior to going on vacation. No doubt these drugs will be getting abused in the wrong way across the country.
 
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