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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My wife started on semaglutide a couple of months ago. When the "food noise" went away, she was astounded. Kind of a "this is how it works for other people?!?" perspective.

What do you mean "food noise"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife started on semaglutide a couple of months ago. When the "food noise" went away, she was astounded. Kind of a "this is how it works for other people?!?" perspective.

What do you mean "food noise"?

Something in your brain always chattering on about food. Maybe telling you you’re hungry. Or that it’s x amount of time until you eat next. Or that you’ve already had this amount of food today & you only get this much more. Or you’ve eaten way too much you fat pig, you’re a bad person. You’ve already blown past your goal today, might as well keep eating. And so forth.

[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.

I have not fallen victim to the "obesity epidemic" because whenever I have gained 10-15 lbs, I step back, change my diet and exercise more. I realize it is much easier to control at only 10lb+ than at 50lbs. There is no magic drug for weight loss. People can use it in conjunction with diet, but diet and exercise must be a part of a long term plan. Follow a diabetic diet and most will loose weight. Watch your carbs, and even then make the carbs you do eat be "healthy carbs"---so sweet potatoes and other starchy veggies and fruits....mostly eliminate breads, sweets, worthless carbs and calories from your diet and you will be healthier and loose some weight. We should be eating plates filled with low carb veggies, a few fruits and starchy veggies (not white potatoes) and good quality protein. Do that for 2-3 months along with some exercise and most will loose weight and be healthier.

It's very similar to ADHD medication---imo, nobody should just take the medication without therapy in conjunction. Yes, kids and adults benefit from the drugs, but they will do much better if they have therapy along with it to help them learn how to deal with it. Similar to diabetics---don't just give them medications, but also give them diet/nutrition counseling and help them make those changes. Medications alone will not solve these issues, they need to be used along with therapies, dietary changes, exercise, etc. We as a society have forgotten that, and many just want a quick fix...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My wife started on semaglutide a couple of months ago. When the "food noise" went away, she was astounded. Kind of a "this is how it works for other people?!?" perspective.

Yes I think this is common. It’s definitely how I feel.

[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.

I have not fallen victim to the "obesity epidemic" because whenever I have gained 10-15 lbs, I step back, change my diet and exercise more. I realize it is much easier to control at only 10lb+ than at 50lbs. There is no magic drug for weight loss. People can use it in conjunction with diet, but diet and exercise must be a part of a long term plan. Follow a diabetic diet and most will loose weight. Watch your carbs, and even then make the carbs you do eat be "healthy carbs"---so sweet potatoes and other starchy veggies and fruits....mostly eliminate breads, sweets, worthless carbs and calories from your diet and you will be healthier and loose some weight. We should be eating plates filled with low carb veggies, a few fruits and starchy veggies (not white potatoes) and good quality protein. Do that for 2-3 months along with some exercise and most will loose weight and be healthier.

It's very similar to ADHD medication---imo, nobody should just take the medication without therapy in conjunction. Yes, kids and adults benefit from the drugs, but they will do much better if they have therapy along with it to help them learn how to deal with it. Similar to diabetics---don't just give them medications, but also give them diet/nutrition counseling and help them make those changes. Medications alone will not solve these issues, they need to be used along with therapies, dietary changes, exercise, etc. We as a society have forgotten that, and many just want a quick fix...

But there are magic drugs for weight loss and ADHD. How does therapy help what these drugs prove is a chemical imbalance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife started on semaglutide a couple of months ago. When the "food noise" went away, she was astounded. Kind of a "this is how it works for other people?!?" perspective.

Yes I think this is common. It’s definitely how I feel.

Like I would say if you imagine you’re super hungry and have been working in a room all day. A pizza arrives. You’re ravenous for the first slice right? But less hungry for the third one, especially if you wait for a while.

I kind of understood that, like in the way a psychopath understands empathy. But actually I’ve always wanted more pizza the same amount. Ozempic makes me not want the second piece nearly as much as the first one. I can just think rationally about whether I need it, nutritionally, and make a choice without feeling like I’m holding back the tide. It’s like a miracle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who is even taking about this IRL? I could not care less how/why someone lost weight and I don’t ask and don’t want to hear about it. Why do you think thin people care how you lost weight? We don’t

My best friend is taking it and has lost a bunch of weight. She looks and feels great. I’m happy for her because I know this has been a struggle for her for years. So we are talking about it IRL. But I guess you need to know who you’re sharing the info with and whether they’ll be judgy or glad for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is so interesting to learn about. I’m a naturally thin person (thanks genetics) and I was constantly starving while breastfeeding. And I couldn’t lose the baby weight until I weaned. As soon as I did the pounds immediately shed and I wasn’t so hyper focused on food. So I can appreciate how hormones definitely play into this and it would be a difficult way to live. Now I’m back to there being days where it will be 2 pm and I realize I’ve barely eaten, and when I do get hungry, I fill up on fairly small portions.

[Anonymous]

I'm just waiting for the commercials promoting the class action lawsuit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just waiting for the commercials promoting the class action lawsuit.

They could come. Nothing is certain in this world. But the reason you’re anticipating them probably has to do with a Puritan-influenced worldview. Weight has a moral component, cheating to lose weight is immoral, and in a just universe, immorality will be punished.

But the fact is, sometimes technology makes the world better and easier for humans. Maybe this is one of those times.

[Anonymous]

For some people, I think therapy in conjunction with these drugs makes a lot of sense. Maybe their eating habits are a coping mechanism for something else. Or maybe their weight gain was a function of their biology but the way they’re treated & perceive themselves as a fat person has created psychological scars.

[Anonymous]

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.

Agree! I didn’t read the article but I am thrilled for all the people getting skinny from taking Ozempic! It brings me joy that naturally thin people are irritated over this.

I think some of you really need to unpack your feelings on the “naturally skinny”. Truly. I guess if it makes you feel better about yourself to think that thin people are jealous of you for….also being thin, good for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife started on semaglutide a couple of months ago. When the "food noise" went away, she was astounded. Kind of a "this is how it works for other people?!?" perspective.

Yes I think this is common. It’s definitely how I feel.

Like I would say if you imagine you’re super hungry and have been working in a room all day. A pizza arrives. You’re ravenous for the first slice right? But less hungry for the third one, especially if you wait for a while.

I kind of understood that, like in the way a psychopath understands empathy. But actually I’ve always wanted more pizza the same amount. Ozempic makes me not want the second piece nearly as much as the first one. I can just think rationally about whether I need it, nutritionally, and make a choice without feeling like I’m holding back the tide. It’s like a miracle.

Thank you for explaining this! I was confused about food nose because I do think about food a good deal — when I’m going to eat next what, what I have in my kitchen, what meals I want to make/eat in the next week. But I’m definitely the second scenario with the pizza — the first one is amazing but I’m not so hungry for slices two and three. This is a really clear explanation to me, a naturally healthy weight person (I can’t say skinny b/c I live at the upper end of healthy but I stay there without any especial effort on my part).

[Anonymous]

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.

Agree! I didn’t read the article but I am thrilled for all the people getting skinny from taking Ozempic! It brings me joy that naturally thin people are irritated over this.

I think some of you really need to unpack your feelings on the “naturally skinny”. Truly. I guess if it makes you feel better about yourself to think that thin people are jealous of you for….also being thin, good for you?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife started on semaglutide a couple of months ago. When the "food noise" went away, she was astounded. Kind of a "this is how it works for other people?!?" perspective.

Yes I think this is common. It’s definitely how I feel.

Like I would say if you imagine you’re super hungry and have been working in a room all day. A pizza arrives. You’re ravenous for the first slice right? But less hungry for the third one, especially if you wait for a while.

I kind of understood that, like in the way a psychopath understands empathy. But actually I’ve always wanted more pizza the sameamount. Ozempic makes me not want the second piece nearly as much as the first one. I can just think rationally about whether I need it, nutritionally, and make a choice without feeling like I’m holding back the tide. It’s like a miracle.

Thank you for explaining this! I was confused about food nose because I do think about food a good deal — when I’m going to eat next what, what I have in my kitchen, what meals I want to make/eat in the next week. But I’m definitely the second scenario with the pizza — the first one is amazing but I’m not so hungry for slices two and three. This is a really clear explanation to me, a naturally healthy weight person (I can’t say skinny b/c I live at the upper end of healthy but I stay there without any especial effort on my part).

I'm staying on the upper end of healthy weight with effort, although now that I finally (at 50+ years old) eat sufficient healthy foods to stay satiated, it's not really too much effort. I still think about food and plan ahead to make sure I have something to eat versus getting to the ravenous phase and eating everything in sight (usually not healthy choices).

I think I have a lot of "food noise" and always have, but I've managed to control it without pharmaceutical intervention.

That's not to say I think others should be able to; just sharing my experience. My concern about the drug is long term safety. Remember the miracle solutions in the past, like Fen-Phen.