Excellent NYT piece about shaming people to take Ozempic, etc for weight loss

[Anonymous]

If you walk around asking people how they lost weight, the problem is you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you walk around asking people how they lost weight, the problem is you!

So many people talk about using the drugs to lose weight though. It’s like a weird status thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem with anyone taking Ozempic to lose weight. But for the love of God, please stop telling us you lost 75 pounds this last month doing yoga. Please, please stop.

It's ok to admit you have to take drugs to deal with your disorder. It's OKAY.

This has such strong angry SIL vibes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All I ask is that these people be honest about taking drugs to lose the weight. Stop telling me that you lost 100 pounds in 8 weeks because you 'found yourself'.

If you want to lie, than don't complain when people call you out on it.

Nobody owes you an explanation about anything. And you shouldn’t be asking anyways.

Now, if the person in question is out loud acting like they found some miracle unrelated to these drugs - totally different story. I have seen no such example.

"Wow, you look amazing!"

--"Yeah, Ive lost about 100 pounds. I just decided that I needed to meditate and find myself"

"That's fantastic. So, you meditated your way to a 100 pound weight loss over 8 weeks?"

--"Yep! It was that easy."


Don't insult my intelligence. You don't owe me an explanation, but don't clutch your pearls when the entire world is talking about the fact that you are clearly on drugs to lose the weight.

You made up this steaming BS to argue with a fake person on an anonymous website? Pathetic.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I’m not shaming anyone for taking these drugs! I’m just worried that we don’t know enough about the side effects long term.

They have been on the market for many years for diabetics. They’re pretty well understood at this point.

That’s the problem - for diabetes or serious obesity, yeah, the risk of long term side effects may be comparatively less important. The worry is when people start taking them to get down to a BMI of 19. And also the rebound for people who cannot tolerate them.

Okay. What long term side effects in the population are you referring to that are comparatively less important? Specifically

It’s a risk-benefit calculation obviously.

Yes. My question is which risks SPECIFICALLY are you worried about drawing from the data of populations that have already been on the drug many years.

Fen-phen was also on the market for years. Like all new medications, we won’t know until we know. The rebound effect seems pretty clearly established though.

The first Fen-Phen study was published in 1992. It never received FDA approval for obesity. It was banned by 1997.

A minute of googling yeilds a fen-phen paper from 1984: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/604539

Obviously they are completely different drugs, but there is ample reason to be concerned.

There is whatever reasons to be concerned that you can identify in the copious high quality data we have. What are your specific reasons?

My specific reasons are that Ozempic already has a long list of known side effects and we have *no idea* what will happen with long term use in non-diabetics. You’d frankly have to be an idiot to pretend it’s all sunshine and roses.

Stay mad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem with anyone taking Ozempic to lose weight. But for the love of God, please stop telling us you lost 75 pounds this last month doing yoga. Please, please stop.

It's ok to admit you have to take drugs to deal with your disorder. It's OKAY.

No one lost 75 pounds in a month, even if they stopped eating altogether. Your crazy post tells us you are making up straw men and fake scenarios. There is no one who needs to "please, please stop" saying this, because it didn't happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you walk around asking people how they lost weight, the problem is you!

So many people talk about using the drugs to lose weight though. It’s like a weird status thing.

So should people talk about it or not talk about it? Can't win. More people are looking and feeling great, and feeling confident to get out there at work and in their social lives. Is that what you don't like?

Doubters, you need to learn to be happy for other people! More happy, healthy and confident people is a GREAT thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We will remain a deeply troubled society as long as we deny science and assert that ‘willpower’ and ‘character’ are actual things that are stronger than intricately evolved hormones functioning in a biological being.

Nova on PBS just did a couple of episodes on neuroscience called Your Brain. They are designed for non scientists to grasp and reveal the complexities of the human brain and the reality that so much of what we think we are is just not true.

The obesity epidemic is a biological response to a broken food system that is entirely predictable given what we already know about how the human body works, including the brain and gut. Thin people are accidents of genetics and quite often not healthy - weight is not determinative of health, all the research bears that out.

Folks here who settle on an attitude of superiority because they haven’t fallen victim to the obesity epidemic are just proving how ignorant they are of science and when they argue at the science they just prove that they are willfully ignorant which is about the worst ‘character’ a person can develop in life.

Blah blah blah "deny science" blah blah blah. People eat too much. Portions are too big. Food is too processed. It really is that simple.

Your post ain't about science. Science isn't a pearl clutching word you bandy about to pretend you have legitimacy when in reality your post is filled with personal belief, not scientific data.

Anyway, if pills help fat people lose weight, I'm all for it. Fat people are at high risk for significant health problems. Fat shaming is important because the obesity crisis is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Yes, some people are furious at the discovery that they aren’t thin because of their moral superiority. It is a blow to their sense of self.

They still haven’t truly accepted this. The drugs work by reducing disproportionate hunger that thinner people do not have. But they really believe it’s doing something else as some sort of cheat code.

It’s not that thinner people aren’t hungry, they just resist the hunger. I have nothing against people using Ozempic and don’t judge them for it, but doesn’t this just prove that it IS about willpower? There’s all this justification that has been used that obesity is due to genetics or hormones or some type of disorder, but a drug that is able to reduce hunger has basically cured all these issues. The problem all along, it seems, is that some people can’t resist the urge to eat. I do think a lot has to do with the American diet (e.g., eating a lot of simple carbs and not enough protein causes insulin crashes that makes people eat more, not enough protein and fiber to suppress hunger), but ultimately it’s all within a person’s control.

I agree, mostly. I think the majority of people fall on the bell curve of they need to (and it is within their capabilities) exercise some amount of discipline with both their diet and activity level to be at a heathy weight. But then on either side, there are people that just cannot have that control/discipline over what/how much they are eating and then those that it takes zero amount of effort and discipline to be a heathy weight. But most people fall somewhere in between the two extremes.

Either way- I’m glad there is an option for people that are unsuccessful at getting to or maintaining a heathy weight- whatever their reason is. It in no way takes away my sense of well being or accomplishment for staying in shape by eating well and exercising. That is my preferred option

So you are completing ignoring the metabolic components of obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic disorders, endocrine disorders? That there are mechanism we don't understand and that people react differently and more importantly, women- especially women- are less likely to be treated for any hormonal insufficiencies unless they cause death and even then, it takes 10-30 years to be diagnosed?
Again you talk about a spectrum of discipline but cant see to fathom that a level of X might be within the average/norm but person A can exist optimally with X and person B could be the complete opposite.

Majority of people aren’t born or develop a metabolic disorder that makes them guaranteed to be obese. Most people become obese over time, due to poor lifestyle and diet and as the pounds/excess fat accumulate the metabolic problems happen. 70% if the population doesn’t have a metabolic problem, they have an eating and lifestyle problem

Explain the twin studies where twins raised apart have the same issues with weight.

There was a pbs show about weight that was really depressing. In part of it they followed a contestant on the biggest loser who lost a ton of weight and after the show they followed him. They did all kinds of medical tests and it was clear, he was going to gain weight if he did not starve himself. After the show he began to gain weight on a very low calorie restricted diet. His body was over efficient at storing fat no matter the number of calories. This isn't someone with poor will power.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, some people are furious at the discovery that they aren’t thin because of their moral superiority. It is a blow to their sense of self.

They still haven’t truly accepted this. The drugs work by reducing disproportionate hunger that thinner people do not have. But they really believe it’s doing something else as some sort of cheat code.

It’s not that thinner people aren’t hungry, they just resist the hunger. I have nothing against people using Ozempic and don’t judge them for it, but doesn’t this just prove that it IS about willpower? There’s all this justification that has been used that obesity is due to genetics or hormones or some type of disorder, but a drug that is able to reduce hunger has basically cured all these issues. The problem all along, it seems, is that some people can’t resist the urge to eat. I do think a lot has to do with the American diet (e.g., eating a lot of simple carbs and not enough protein causes insulin crashes that makes people eat more, not enough protein and fiber to suppress hunger), but ultimately it’s all within a person’s control.

I agree, mostly. I think the majority of people fall on the bell curve of they need to (and it is within their capabilities) exercise some amount of discipline with both their diet and activity level to be at a heathy weight. But then on either side, there are people that just cannot have that control/discipline over what/how much they are eating and then those that it takes zero amount of effort and discipline to be a heathy weight. But most people fall somewhere in between the two extremes.

Either way- I’m glad there is an option for people that are unsuccessful at getting to or maintaining a heathy weight- whatever their reason is. It in no way takes away my sense of well being or accomplishment for staying in shape by eating well and exercising. That is my preferred option

So you are completing ignoring the metabolic components of obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic disorders, endocrine disorders? That there are mechanism we don't understand and that people react differently and more importantly, women- especially women- are less likely to be treated for any hormonal insufficiencies unless they cause death and even then, it takes 10-30 years to be diagnosed?
Again you talk about a spectrum of discipline but cant see to fathom that a level of X might be within the average/norm but person A can exist optimally with X and person B could be the complete opposite.

Majority of people aren’t born or develop a metabolic disorder that makes them guaranteed to be obese. Most people become obese over time, due to poor lifestyle and diet and as the pounds/excess fat accumulate the metabolic problems happen. 70% if the population doesn’t have a metabolic problem, they have an eating and lifestyle problem

Experts in bariatric don’t think you’re correct. But it’s important to you to believe you are so there’s no dissuading you with facts.

They think 70% of people have a metabolic problem? But people before the 1980’s didn’t have these problems?

[Anonymous]

I agree with OP. I’m taking ozempic and I live in LA, where people wear being thin like a badge of superiority. I’m constantly accused of being on ozempic, and guess what, I am. Because I have diabetes!!! That shuts people up REAL quick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We will remain a deeply troubled society as long as we deny science and assert that ‘willpower’ and ‘character’ are actual things that are stronger than intricately evolved hormones functioning in a biological being.

Nova on PBS just did a couple of episodes on neuroscience called Your Brain. They are designed for non scientists to grasp and reveal the complexities of the human brain and the reality that so much of what we think we are is just not true.

The obesity epidemic is a biological response to a broken food system that is entirely predictable given what we already know about how the human body works, including the brain and gut. Thin people are accidents of genetics and quite often not healthy - weight is not determinative of health, all the research bears that out.

Folks here who settle on an attitude of superiority because they haven’t fallen victim to the obesity epidemic are just proving how ignorant they are of science and when they argue at the science they just prove that they are willfully ignorant which is about the worst ‘character’ a person can develop in life.

Blah blah blah "deny science" blah blah blah. People eat too much. Portions are too big. Food is too processed. It really is that simple.

Your post ain't about science. Science isn't a pearl clutching word you bandy about to pretend you have legitimacy when in reality your post is filled with personal belief, not scientific data.

Anyway, if pills help fat people lose weight, I'm all for it. Fat people are at high risk for significant health problems. Fat shaming is important because the obesity crisis is ridiculous.

Ah, but fat shaming doesn't work. When it's actually studied it is a counterproductive strategy to make other people lose weight in general.

But it is highly successful at making one group of people feel bad and another group feel superior -- and that's what is really important, isn't it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im on Ozempic and this is truly the first time in my life I havent been controlled by food. I have always thought about food all of the time. What Im eating next, when Im eating. What I can eat to meet whatever calorie goal Im shooting for. I have been binging since elementary school. There was never a feeling of “full”. Diet pills of diff kinds would keep me from eating when I wanted to lose weight, but the obsession w food was always there.

But now, that noise is all gone. I can look at food as more of a bystander vs an addict and make healthy decisions. I can eat a normal amount and get full. I can (for example) eat one piece of candy vs the whole bag.

It is seriously life-changing and I envy those of you have never had a problem with food, and this think fat people just need to have willpower/not eat too much.

This is truly amazing. What does Ozempic do exactly? Does it change your brain chemistry? How does it make a person stop thinking about food?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, some people are furious at the discovery that they aren’t thin because of their moral superiority. It is a blow to their sense of self.

They still haven’t truly accepted this. The drugs work by reducing disproportionate hunger that thinner people do not have. But they really believe it’s doing something else as some sort of cheat code.

It’s not that thinner people aren’t hungry, they just resist the hunger. I have nothing against people using Ozempic and don’t judge them for it, but doesn’t this just prove that it IS about willpower? There’s all this justification that has been used that obesity is due to genetics or hormones or some type of disorder, but a drug that is able to reduce hunger has basically cured all these issues. The problem all along, it seems, is that some people can’t resist the urge to eat. I do think a lot has to do with the American diet (e.g., eating a lot of simple carbs and not enough protein causes insulin crashes that makes people eat more, not enough protein and fiber to suppress hunger), but ultimately it’s all within a person’s control.

I agree, mostly. I think the majority of people fall on the bell curve of they need to (and it is within their capabilities) exercise some amount of discipline with both their diet and activity level to be at a heathy weight. But then on either side, there are people that just cannot have that control/discipline over what/how much they are eating and then those that it takes zero amount of effort and discipline to be a heathy weight. But most people fall somewhere in between the two extremes.

Either way- I’m glad there is an option for people that are unsuccessful at getting to or maintaining a heathy weight- whatever their reason is. It in no way takes away my sense of well being or accomplishment for staying in shape by eating well and exercising. That is my preferred option

You think most people have access to healthy food?

The group of people that have access to these drugs absolutely have access to nutrition rich whole healthy foods.

Nutrition-rich whole healthy foods will still cause obesity in those disposed to obesity.

+1 It sounds like for many of these people, even if you had them eat nothing but super healthy fiber rich foods, they’d still be obese. They’d binge on millet and quinoa and become overweight anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Im on Ozempic and this is truly the first time in my life I havent been controlled by food. I have always thought about food all of the time. What Im eating next, when Im eating. What I can eat to meet whatever calorie goal Im shooting for. I have been binging since elementary school. There was never a feeling of “full”. Diet pills of diff kinds would keep me from eating when I wanted to lose weight, but the obsession w food was always there.

But now, that noise is all gone. I can look at food as more of a bystander vs an addict and make healthy decisions. I can eat a normal amount and get full. I can (for example) eat one piece of candy vs the whole bag.

It is seriously life-changing and I envy those of you have never had a problem with food, and this think fat people just need to have willpower/not eat too much.

This is truly amazing. What does Ozempic do exactly? Does it change your brain chemistry? How does it make a person stop thinking about food?

It works on hormones that send signals to your brain. It’s amazing.

They call it food noise - for me it was constantly thinking about food: when would I eat next? What should I have for lunch? If I eat this for lunch then I could have that for dinner.

The medicine works on appetite suppression, satiety and delayed emptying. So net net is that you consume less and are no longer constantly thinking about or desiring food.