Will Ozempic and other drugs like it eliminate obesity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Pp and others who believe people need to just suck it up and eat healthy believe that obesity is a moral failing, not a medical problem. The rest of us are over here talking about this from a policy and health perspective and they are in another place.

I would say you are definitely on another planet, no doubt. Your argument about obesity being a "moral failing" is hogwash. Choosing to eat horrible food is simply a choice and has nothing to do with morality. Same thing goes for refusing to exercise. I guess some people would call it laziness, but calling it a moral failing is a huge stretch.

By acting like this is 100% about individual food choices and ignoring the innumerable other factors involved you are actually moralising and oversimplifying an extremely complex problem. You merely calling high calorie food “horrible,” is a moral characterization, then you turn around and call overweight people lazy. You are too busy feeling superior to understand the conversation in this thread.

Your post is a total disaster. You're obsessed with portraying yourself as a victim. Please tell us about the innumerable other factors that have turned our society into a bunch of butterballs.

Let’s look at some of the deliberate policy decisions that have led to an obesity epidemic in the US and contrast to our European counterparts who DON’T have these problems:

1. An emphasis on cars and far flung suburbs where the average person cannot conceivably walk anywhere they would want to go
2. Light regulations on the chemicals in our food air and water that cause endocrine disruption and may lead to conditions like PCOS which have a major impact on weight
3. The massive subsidisation of corn, which leads to unhealthy corn based foods being far cheaper than actual produce
4. A highly dysfunctional healthcare system where people do not seek medical care until they have a crisis level issue
5. A culture that emphasizes long working hours without time to rest, reflect, exercise, or prepare healthy foods, no mandatory paid leave

Also, I’m fit, healthy, and have empathy and an education that allows me to see what this is: a policy and healthcare issue, not a moral one.

Talk about a laundry list of excuses
1. I can't possibly work out because there aren't enough sidewalks! And the sidewalks don't go to the gym...damnit!
2. The food air chemicals are making me fat! And same with the water! You know Flint and those pipes and that story! Water is making me fat!
3. No veggies for me because Twinkies and ChocoTacos are cheaper! YUM YUM
4. Even though over 90% of Americans have health insurance, I had to wait 2 months to see inner ear specialist so had to stuff my face while waiting.
5. After working 8 hours/day and playing with my phone for 2 hour, it's so hard to find time to cook chicken breast for 7 minutes in my George Foreman grill. Not enough time, girlfriend! I'd definitely cook more if I had some vaca time! Oh well, a girl can dream!

I'm hot and smart as a whip!

Omg you’re unhinged

PP is rude, but not unhinged. The underlying message is true. It isn’t more expensive to eat heathy foods and it doesn’t have to be more work. People speaks a lot of convenience foods and waste a lot of time in drive thrus, curbside pick up ques, waiting for delivery, waiting at a
Counter to order fast casual.

There are so many options for nutritious foods in basic grocery stores that can be prepared quickly. But people don’t WANT to. It is a choice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Pp and others who believe people need to just suck it up and eat healthy believe that obesity is a moral failing, not a medical problem. The rest of us are over here talking about this from a policy and health perspective and they are in another place.

I would say you are definitely on another planet, no doubt. Your argument about obesity being a "moral failing" is hogwash. Choosing to eat horrible food is simply a choice and has nothing to do with morality. Same thing goes for refusing to exercise. I guess some people would call it laziness, but calling it a moral failing is a huge stretch.

By acting like this is 100% about individual food choices and ignoring the innumerable other factors involved you are actually moralising and oversimplifying an extremely complex problem. You merely calling high calorie food “horrible,” is a moral characterization, then you turn around and call overweight people lazy. You are too busy feeling superior to understand the conversation in this thread.

Your post is a total disaster. You're obsessed with portraying yourself as a victim. Please tell us about the innumerable other factors that have turned our society into a bunch of butterballs.

Let’s look at some of the deliberate policy decisions that have led to an obesity epidemic in the US and contrast to our European counterparts who DON’T have these problems:

1. An emphasis on cars and far flung suburbs where the average person cannot conceivably walk anywhere they would want to go
2. Light regulations on the chemicals in our food air and water that cause endocrine disruption and may lead to conditions like PCOS which have a major impact on weight
3. The massive subsidisation of corn, which leads to unhealthy corn based foods being far cheaper than actual produce
4. A highly dysfunctional healthcare system where people do not seek medical care until they have a crisis level issue
5. A culture that emphasizes long working hours without time to rest, reflect, exercise, or prepare healthy foods, no mandatory paid leave

Also, I’m fit, healthy, and have empathy and an education that allows me to see what this is: a policy and healthcare issue, not a moral one.

Talk about a laundry list of excuses
1. I can't possibly work out because there aren't enough sidewalks! And the sidewalks don't go to the gym...damnit!
2. The food air chemicals are making me fat! And same with the water! You know Flint and those pipes and that story! Water is making me fat!
3. No veggies for me because Twinkies and ChocoTacos are cheaper! YUM YUM
4. Even though over 90% of Americans have health insurance, I had to wait 2 months to see inner ear specialist so had to stuff my face while waiting.
5. After working 8 hours/day and playing with my phone for 2 hour, it's so hard to find time to cook chicken breast for 7 minutes in my George Foreman grill. Not enough time, girlfriend! I'd definitely cook more if I had some vaca time! Oh well, a girl can dream!

I'm hot and smart as a whip!

Omg you’re unhinged

PP is rude, but not unhinged. The underlying message is true. It isn’t more expensive to eat heathy foods and it doesn’t have to be more work. People speaks a lot of convenience foods and waste a lot of time in drive thrus, curbside pick up ques, waiting for delivery, waiting at a
Counter to order fast casual.

There are so many options for nutritious foods in basic grocery stores that can be prepared quickly. But people don’t WANT to. It is a choice

Nah PP is a psycho lmao

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymou[i wrote:s]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Approximately 10 percent of U.S. adults were classified as having obesity during the 1950s. Today it is over 41 percent. Do you think lifestyle choices such as big gulps, fast food, driving vs walking, desk jobs, and watching TV has anything to do with the increase? What has changed? Why was 90 percent of the population a healthy weight then?

You’re sooo close to the point. Telling people to eat less and move more does not fix any of the above. It also doesn’t help people be less fat. So we can either overhaul society and fix the current food and lifestyle environment (not likely) or encourage the use of tools like Ozempic etc to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight in our current environment.

Telling people may not help, but making lifestyle changes does help.

These are comments from someone taking Ozempic:

“I just kept gaining weight. I couldn’t lose it no matter what I did. I could eat salads for months, still couldn’t lose it.” “It was a constant struggle.”

K, who is prediabetic, found out her health insurance does cover Ozempic.

She began treatment in August 2021 and has lost 50 pounds since — 40 of which she attributes to the drug. She injects herself once a week in her stomach and describes the medicine’s effect as making her feel fuller faster.

“My complete diet has changed. I used to be able to eat a whole pizza and be completely fine and get it down. Now, if I try to get down like two slices, I feel completely sick. It’s too much grease. Greasy food in general is really hard for me,”

It's great that science and medicine are advancing and these drugs are available AND we need to overhaul society by getting people to understand it's best to eat one slice of pizza along with other filling, but not high calorie foods instead of the entire pizza or other greasy food and understand that it takes time to see the changes. More people have successfully lost and maintained with lifestyle changes than these drugs that's why I don't get the posters who insist that suggesting different food choices and more movement is judging or shaming.

Citation or hard evidence for the bolded? Please show me hard evidence that more people have lost weight and kept it off using lifestyle changes than the drugs. Thank you.

Using these drugs for weight loss is something that started a few years ago. Losing with lifestyle changes has being happening forever.

In their own words: Topic analysis of the motivations and strategies of over 6,000 long-term weight-loss maintainers. The first large-scale study to allow weight-loss maintainers to share what helped them succeed in their own words — was published in 2022 in the journal Obesity.

Long-term weight loss maintenance. Abstract
There is a general perception that almost no one succeeds in long-term maintenance of weight loss. However, research has shown that approximately 20% of overweight individuals are successful at long-term weight loss when defined as losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining the loss for at least 1 y. The National Weight Control Registry provides information about the strategies used by successful weight loss maintainers to achieve and maintain long-term weight loss.

Dr. Dennis Gage, MD, FACP of Park Avenue Endocrinology and Nutrition says approximately 11% of people who try WW have long term success. That's over 500,000 people.
He also says. "As with any diet program, progress is highly likely to be lost if a person's eating habits are not changed permanently."

So no actual cites to back up your statement, as expected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymou[i wrote:s]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Approximately 10 percent of U.S. adults were classified as having obesity during the 1950s. Today it is over 41 percent. Do you think lifestyle choices such as big gulps, fast food, driving vs walking, desk jobs, and watching TV has anything to do with the increase? What has changed? Why was 90 percent of the population a healthy weight then?

You’re sooo close to the point. Telling people to eat less and move more does not fix any of the above. It also doesn’t help people be less fat. So we can either overhaul society and fix the current food and lifestyle environment (not likely) or encourage the use of tools like Ozempic etc to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight in our current environment.

Telling people may not help, but making lifestyle changes does help.

These are comments from someone taking Ozempic:

“I just kept gaining weight. I couldn’t lose it no matter what I did. I could eat salads for months, still couldn’t lose it.” “It was a constant struggle.”

K, who is prediabetic, found out her health insurance does cover Ozempic.

She began treatment in August 2021 and has lost 50 pounds since — 40 of which she attributes to the drug. She injects herself once a week in her stomach and describes the medicine’s effect as making her feel fuller faster.

“My complete diet has changed. I used to be able to eat a whole pizza and be completely fine and get it down. Now, if I try to get down like two slices, I feel completely sick. It’s too much grease. Greasy food in general is really hard for me,”

It's great that science and medicine are advancing and these drugs are available AND we need to overhaul society by getting people to understand it's best to eat one slice of pizza along with other filling, but not high calorie foods instead of the entire pizza or other greasy food and understand that it takes time to see the changes. More people have successfully lost and maintained with lifestyle changes than these drugs that's why I don't get the posters who insist that suggesting different food choices and more movement is judging or shaming.

Citation or hard evidence for the bolded? Please show me hard evidence that more people have lost weight and kept it off using lifestyle changes than the drugs. Thank you.

The drugs are relatively new for weight loss...

They’ve been around for over a decade with weight loss being cataloged the entire time. If what PP asserted was true, she should be able to bring facts and studies to bear to prove her point. There are many studies about this class of drugs at this point.

[Anonymous]

How about people stop eating themselves to obesity in the first place? It doesn’t happen overnight. When you no longer can button your pants and have to size up isn’t that a clue to change your diet, intake, activity? I honestly don’t get these posts about gaining 30+ lbs with Covid shutdown, or 50 lbs over the past several yrs. Why did morning change after the first 10 lbs was gained?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about people stop eating themselves to obesity in the first place? It doesn’t happen overnight. When you no longer can button your pants and have to size up isn’t that a clue to change your diet, intake, activity? I honestly don’t get these posts about gaining 30+ lbs with Covid shutdown, or 50 lbs over the past several yrs. Why did morning change after the first 10 lbs was gained?

wtf is it to you that people are getting shots to help with a serious health problem? Just shut up and mind your own business. Either a troll or a petty fool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymou[i wrote:s]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Approximately 10 percent of U.S. adults were classified as having obesity during the 1950s. Today it is over 41 percent. Do you think lifestyle choices such as big gulps, fast food, driving vs walking, desk jobs, and watching TV has anything to do with the increase? What has changed? Why was 90 percent of the population a healthy weight then?

You’re sooo close to the point. Telling people to eat less and move more does not fix any of the above. It also doesn’t help people be less fat. So we can either overhaul society and fix the current food and lifestyle environment (not likely) or encourage the use of tools like Ozempic etc to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight in our current environment.

Telling people may not help, but making lifestyle changes does help.

These are comments from someone taking Ozempic:

“I just kept gaining weight. I couldn’t lose it no matter what I did. I could eat salads for months, still couldn’t lose it.” “It was a constant struggle.”

K, who is prediabetic, found out her health insurance does cover Ozempic.

She began treatment in August 2021 and has lost 50 pounds since — 40 of which she attributes to the drug. She injects herself once a week in her stomach and describes the medicine’s effect as making her feel fuller faster.

“My complete diet has changed. I used to be able to eat a whole pizza and be completely fine and get it down. Now, if I try to get down like two slices, I feel completely sick. It’s too much grease. Greasy food in general is really hard for me,”

It's great that science and medicine are advancing and these drugs are available AND we need to overhaul society by getting people to understand it's best to eat one slice of pizza along with other filling, but not high calorie foods instead of the entire pizza or other greasy food and understand that it takes time to see the changes. More people have successfully lost and maintained with lifestyle changes than these drugs that's why I don't get the posters who insist that suggesting different food choices and more movement is judging or shaming.

Omg, how are you not getting this? You understand that without the Ozempic, two slices wouldn’t fill her up right? She was still really hungry after just two pieces. She knew it was best not to eat a whole pizza before, she isn’t a moron, but she was hungry and it’s not sustainable for most people to be hungry day in and day out long term. Her body wanted the calories it needed to support her weight, whatever it was, and her hunger reflected that. She couldn’t implement the lifestyle changes without the drug.

DP. This is interesting. More and more we are witnessing disclosures about overweight people in fact eating more ("are more hungry"), than others. In the past, almost by default we'd hear in RL and most posts on this forum, that they don't really eat that much; it's was often explained by genetics or/and some undiagnosed condition.

I think this is a good question that I am also trying to understand. If you are overweight/obese (before taking drugs), is it because:

1) You eat primarily healthy food but are still hungry, so you end up eating large quantities. And that made you gain weight.

2) You eat some healthy food but are still hungry, so you round it out with eating some fattening/unhealthy foods.

3) You are constantly hungry and basically eat whatever you want, as much as you want.

I'm trying to understand what the drug does to fix this. Does it make you less hungry for all foods? Does it make healthy foods seem more appealing than pizza and ice cream?

I have always been average weight and I find it almost impossible to eat if I am not hungry. Like, if there is an office party in the afternoon and I am still full from lunch, I can barely get a slice of cake down even if I really want to. I also have an aversion to overly sweet foods (they make my teeth hurt) so naturally don't eat desserts.

I am the PP with the (formerly) obese friend who has had great success with Wegovy. You are responding to one of the useless obnoxious posters in this thread, but your questions seem genuine so I will share my observations.

Prior to Wegovy, I don’t think my friend was ever full. What you describe in the bolded, I don’t think she ever felt. I’ve felt it, and I know what you mean, but she was never satiated. She could always eat more. I’ve been friends for many many years, and I’m convinced there is something deeply physiologically different with our bodies. If we went to dinner, I wouldn’t want dessert because I was too full, but she would want dessert but make herself refuse it for health reasons (she rarely eats dessert). So while I had the advantage of feeling satiated, she never felt “full” no matter how much she ate. Interestingly you didn’t list what I think was her reality in your numbered list: she was never satiated, so kept eating a lot of mostly healthy food. In other words a mix of all your numbers, but I think the key is that while I could eat a reasonable amount of healthy food and feel full, she could not. I don’t think you understand just how profound your advantage is with the bolded as far as weight control.

With Wegovy, she feels full for literally the first time since she was a child. She eats basically like I do now. She leaves food on her plate, and is uninterested in eating again for several hours after dinner (not the case before). She had a short period where she went off the drug because of supply chain issues and what she told me was that the feeling of never being satiated and of always being hungry came back.

In terms of foods, the drugs have made certain foods entirely unappetizing. She does not like dense proteins like red meat, and can only have a few bites if she has them. She doesn’t eat a lot of sweets. My friend can’t stand the taste of alcohol at all any more, though she was never a heavy drinker. I would say that she tends to make and eat soups, salads, tofu, and softer less dense proteins (cheeses as opposed to meats, fish instead of red meat). It seems like a pretty sustainable and healthy diet to me. When we have gone out to dinner together now, she orders appetizers for her main course because she gets full. Usually it’s something like a side salad with a cup of soup or something like that. No bread, that fills her up immediately.

I hope this helps explain a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymou[i wrote:s]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Approximately 10 percent of U.S. adults were classified as having obesity during the 1950s. Today it is over 41 percent. Do you think lifestyle choices such as big gulps, fast food, driving vs walking, desk jobs, and watching TV has anything to do with the increase? What has changed? Why was 90 percent of the population a healthy weight then?

You’re sooo close to the point. Telling people to eat less and move more does not fix any of the above. It also doesn’t help people be less fat. So we can either overhaul society and fix the current food and lifestyle environment (not likely) or encourage the use of tools like Ozempic etc to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight in our current environment.

Telling people may not help, but making lifestyle changes does help.

These are comments from someone taking Ozempic:

“I just kept gaining weight. I couldn’t lose it no matter what I did. I could eat salads for months, still couldn’t lose it.” “It was a constant struggle.”

K, who is prediabetic, found out her health insurance does cover Ozempic.

She began treatment in August 2021 and has lost 50 pounds since — 40 of which she attributes to the drug. She injects herself once a week in her stomach and describes the medicine’s effect as making her feel fuller faster.

“My complete diet has changed. I used to be able to eat a whole pizza and be completely fine and get it down. Now, if I try to get down like two slices, I feel completely sick. It’s too much grease. Greasy food in general is really hard for me,”

It's great that science and medicine are advancing and these drugs are available AND we need to overhaul society by getting people to understand it's best to eat one slice of pizza along with other filling, but not high calorie foods instead of the entire pizza or other greasy food and understand that it takes time to see the changes. More people have successfully lost and maintained with lifestyle changes than these drugs that's why I don't get the posters who insist that suggesting different food choices and more movement is judging or shaming.

Omg, how are you not getting this? You understand that without the Ozempic, two slices wouldn’t fill her up right? She was still really hungry after just two pieces. She knew it was best not to eat a whole pizza before, she isn’t a moron, but she was hungry and it’s not sustainable for most people to be hungry day in and day out long term. Her body wanted the calories it needed to support her weight, whatever it was, and her hunger reflected that. She couldn’t implement the lifestyle changes without the drug.

DP. This is interesting. More and more we are witnessing disclosures about overweight people in fact eating more ("are more hungry"), than others. In the past, almost by default we'd hear in RL and most posts on this forum, that they don't really eat that much; it's was often explained by genetics or/and some undiagnosed condition.

I think this is a good question that I am also trying to understand. If you are overweight/obese (before taking drugs), is it because:

1) You eat primarily healthy food but are still hungry, so you end up eating large quantities. And that made you gain weight.

2) You eat some healthy food but are still hungry, so you round it out with eating some fattening/unhealthy foods.

3) You are constantly hungry and basically eat whatever you want, as much as you want.

I'm trying to understand what the drug does to fix this. Does it make you less hungry for all foods? Does it make healthy foods seem more appealing than pizza and ice cream?

I have always been average weight and I find it almost impossible to eat if I am not hungry. Like, if there is an office party in the afternoon and I am still full from lunch, I can barely get a slice of cake down even if I really want to. I also have an aversion to overly sweet foods (they make my teeth hurt) so naturally don't eat desserts.

The bolded is the key. With semaglutide, I finally feel this. I'm thinking this is the normal I've never had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Why are half of people in our country obese now? It didn't used to be that way. Can one of our internet scientists answer that question?

Because they eat unhealthy food and don't exercise! And they keep gaining and gaining.

And yet, people who in the 80s ate the same amounts and moved the same amount weighed less. What’s up with that?

Not sure that is true. You also made no mention as to what people are eating.

Why do YOU think they have gained weight?

According to a study at the York University, it *is* true.

https://www.thecut.com/2015/10/harder-to-be-thin-than-it-was-in-the-80s.html

Researchers at York University in Toronto found that members of Gen Y weigh more than adults did in the ‘70s and ‘80s, even if they ate the same amount of food and exercised just as much.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871403X15001210

RE why *I* have gained weight? I haven't. Why do you ask?

[Anonymous]

It's like some of you don't realize that our bodies are all different. And these examples are merely anecdotal. If figuring out why people gain/lose weight, why s I some are satiated easand others are not, it wouldn't be the billion dollar business that it Is. And Pharma wouldn't spend millions of dollars and spend years trying to develop drugs on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Pp and others who believe people need to just suck it up and eat healthy believe that obesity is a moral failing, not a medical problem. The rest of us are over here talking about this from a policy and health perspective and they are in another place.

I would say you are definitely on another planet, no doubt. Your argument about obesity being a "moral failing" is hogwash. Choosing to eat horrible food is simply a choice and has nothing to do with morality. Same thing goes for refusing to exercise. I guess some people would call it laziness, but calling it a moral failing is a huge stretch.

By acting like this is 100% about individual food choices and ignoring the innumerable other factors involved you are actually moralising and oversimplifying an extremely complex problem. You merely calling high calorie food “horrible,” is a moral characterization, then you turn around and call overweight people lazy. You are too busy feeling superior to understand the conversation in this thread.

Your post is a total disaster. You're obsessed with portraying yourself as a victim. Please tell us about the innumerable other factors that have turned our society into a bunch of butterballs.

Let’s look at some of the deliberate policy decisions that have led to an obesity epidemic in the US and contrast to our European counterparts who DON’T have these problems:

1. An emphasis on cars and far flung suburbs where the average person cannot conceivably walk anywhere they would want to go
2. Light regulations on the chemicals in our food air and water that cause endocrine disruption and may lead to conditions like PCOS which have a major impact on weight
3. The massive subsidisation of corn, which leads to unhealthy corn based foods being far cheaper than actual produce
4. A highly dysfunctional healthcare system where people do not seek medical care until they have a crisis level issue
5. A culture that emphasizes long working hours without time to rest, reflect, exercise, or prepare healthy foods, no mandatory paid leave

Also, I’m fit, healthy, and have empathy and an education that allows me to see what this is: a policy and healthcare issue, not a moral one.

Obesity is also an issue in Europe.

apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/353747/9789289057738-eng.pdf

Overweight and obesity affect almost 60% of adults and nearly one in three children (29% of boys and 27% of girls) in the WHO European Region. Recent estimates suggest that overweight and obesity is the fourth most common risk factor for NCDs in the Region, after high blood pressure, dietary risks and tobacco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Why are half of people in our country obese now? It didn't used to be that way. Can one of our internet scientists answer that question?

Because they eat unhealthy food and don't exercise! And they keep gaining and gaining.

And yet, people who in the 80s ate the same amounts and moved the same amount weighed less. What’s up with that?

Not sure that is true. You also made no mention as to what people are eating.

Why do YOU think they have gained weight?

According to a study at the York University, it *is* true.

https://www.thecut.com/2015/10/harder-to-be-thin-than-it-was-in-the-80s.html

Researchers at York University in Toronto found that members of Gen Y weigh more than adults did in the ‘70s and ‘80s, even if they ate the same amount of food and exercised just as much.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871403X15001210

RE why *I* have gained weight? I haven't. Why do you ask?

I bet they got fat eating all those veggies and drinking lots of water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Why are half of people in our country obese now? It didn't used to be that way. Can one of our internet scientists answer that question?

Because they eat unhealthy food and don't exercise! And they keep gaining and gaining.

And yet, people who in the 80s ate the same amounts and moved the same amount weighed less. What’s up with that?

Not sure that is true. You also made no mention as to what people are eating.

Why do YOU think they have gained weight?

According to a study at the York University, it *is* true.

https://www.thecut.com/2015/10/harder-to-be-thin-than-it-was-in-the-80s.html

Researchers at York University in Toronto found that members of Gen Y weigh more than adults did in the ‘70s and ‘80s, even if they ate the same amount of food and exercised just as much.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871403X15001210

RE why *I* have gained weight? I haven't. Why do you ask?

I bet they got fat eating all those veggies and drinking lots of water.

Do you understand how studies are conducted?

Do you also deny that climate change and gravity are real? That owls exist?

[Anonymous]

Diet, exercise and will power. With enough of all of those, most people can lose weight. The problem is it's really, really hard, to sustain long enough to see payoff. These drugs force diet, and make the will-power part easier. It's still slow, but I'm ok with losing 3 lbs a week when I don't have to constantly fight cravings and hunger.

(I've been a faithful gym goer - strength 3x week and HIIT 2x weekly - for 3 years and without ozempic went from 270 down to 240 - in a very strict gym nutrition challenge - back to 267, and now in the past 4 months on ozempic down to 237.) Before Ozempic my diet was probably 75% healthful and it was so hard to even do that well. Now I'm probably 85-90% healthful diet and it honestly takes very little will-power because the cravings and hunger just aren't there anymore. If I do have a craving, it's for various proteins, not carbs. I have posted upthread about being worried about the future, but am starting to consider this might be a lifetime medicine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymou[i wrote:s]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just eat less? More raw fruits and veggies. Pound a glass of water first and see if that fills you up.

I hate most unseasoned veggies so if I’m eating them, it’s because I’m actually hungry. A small amount fills me up.

You just have to get over the idea that food should bring you pleasure.

LOL

“You should just get over your biological wiring that has evolved over millions of years to seek out food that tastes good”

Honestly how can some people be so stupid?

Why the name calling? Why do you care that many of us on this thread are able to overcome whatever (wiring or laziness or whatever) and maintain a healthy weight? No one cares that you are obese and want to take a drug to lose weight. There are plenty of healthy, low calorie foods that taste good. When I was having a health issue I went to a provider who advised that I eat and move like my geat grandmother. That generation did not eat processed food or lead sedentary lifestyles. Once I made the changes the health issue disappeared. It wasn't easy and it cost more money and took longer than take out, but I didn't want to take the medicine.

Good luck to you.

I’m very glad you are able to maintain a happy weight without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Love that for you. Unfortunately, many many people aren’t. To say that it’s as simple as eating less and moving more is asinine. If it was so simple, nearly half of people in our country wouldn’t be obese.

Approximately 10 percent of U.S. adults were classified as having obesity during the 1950s. Today it is over 41 percent. Do you think lifestyle choices such as big gulps, fast food, driving vs walking, desk jobs, and watching TV has anything to do with the increase? What has changed? Why was 90 percent of the population a healthy weight then?

You’re sooo close to the point. Telling people to eat less and move more does not fix any of the above. It also doesn’t help people be less fat. So we can either overhaul society and fix the current food and lifestyle environment (not likely) or encourage the use of tools like Ozempic etc to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight in our current environment.

Telling people may not help, but making lifestyle changes does help.

These are comments from someone taking Ozempic:

“I just kept gaining weight. I couldn’t lose it no matter what I did. I could eat salads for months, still couldn’t lose it.” “It was a constant struggle.”

K, who is prediabetic, found out her health insurance does cover Ozempic.

She began treatment in August 2021 and has lost 50 pounds since — 40 of which she attributes to the drug. She injects herself once a week in her stomach and describes the medicine’s effect as making her feel fuller faster.

“My complete diet has changed. I used to be able to eat a whole pizza and be completely fine and get it down. Now, if I try to get down like two slices, I feel completely sick. It’s too much grease. Greasy food in general is really hard for me,”

It's great that science and medicine are advancing and these drugs are available AND we need to overhaul society by getting people to understand it's best to eat one slice of pizza along with other filling, but not high calorie foods instead of the entire pizza or other greasy food and understand that it takes time to see the changes. More people have successfully lost and maintained with lifestyle changes than these drugs that's why I don't get the posters who insist that suggesting different food choices and more movement is judging or shaming.

Omg, how are you not getting this? You understand that without the Ozempic, two slices wouldn’t fill her up right? She was still really hungry after just two pieces. She knew it was best not to eat a whole pizza before, she isn’t a moron, but she was hungry and it’s not sustainable for most people to be hungry day in and day out long term. Her body wanted the calories it needed to support her weight, whatever it was, and her hunger reflected that. She couldn’t implement the lifestyle changes without the drug.

DP. This is interesting. More and more we are witnessing disclosures about overweight people in fact eating more ("are more hungry"), than others. In the past, almost by default we'd hear in RL and most posts on this forum, that they don't really eat that much; it's was often explained by genetics or/and some undiagnosed condition.

I think this is a good question that I am also trying to understand. If you are overweight/obese (before taking drugs), is it because:

1) You eat primarily healthy food but are still hungry, so you end up eating large quantities. And that made you gain weight.

2) You eat some healthy food but are still hungry, so you round it out with eating some fattening/unhealthy foods.

3) You are constantly hungry and basically eat whatever you want, as much as you want.

I'm trying to understand what the drug does to fix this. Does it make you less hungry for all foods? Does it make healthy foods seem more appealing than pizza and ice cream?

I have always been average weight and I find it almost impossible to eat if I am not hungry. Like, if there is an office party in the afternoon and I am still full from lunch, I can barely get a slice of cake down even if I really want to. I also have an aversion to overly sweet foods (they make my teeth hurt) so naturally don't eat desserts.

I am the PP with the (formerly) obese friend who has had great success with Wegovy. You are responding to one of the useless obnoxious posters in this thread, but your questions seem genuine so I will share my observations.

Prior to Wegovy, I don’t think my friend was ever full. What you describe in the bolded, I don’t think she ever felt. I’ve felt it, and I know what you mean, but she was never satiated. She could always eat more. I’ve been friends for many many years, and I’m convinced there is something deeply physiologically different with our bodies. If we went to dinner, I wouldn’t want dessert because I was too full, but she would want dessert but make herself refuse it for health reasons (she rarely eats dessert). So while I had the advantage of feeling satiated, she never felt “full” no matter how much she ate. Interestingly you didn’t list what I think was her reality in your numbered list: she was never satiated, so kept eating a lot of mostly healthy food. In other words a mix of all your numbers, but I think the key is that while I could eat a reasonable amount of healthy food and feel full, she could not. I don’t think you understand just how profound your advantage is with the bolded as far as weight control.

With Wegovy, she feels full for literally the first time since she was a child. She eats basically like I do now. She leaves food on her plate, and is uninterested in eating again for several hours after dinner (not the case before). She had a short period where she went off the drug because of supply chain issues and what she told me was that the feeling of never being satiated and of always being hungry came back.

In terms of foods, the drugs have made certain foods entirely unappetizing. She does not like dense proteins like red meat, and can only have a few bites if she has them. She doesn’t eat a lot of sweets. My friend can’t stand the taste of alcohol at all any more, though she was never a heavy drinker. I would say that she tends to make and eat soups, salads, tofu, and softer less dense proteins (cheeses as opposed to meats, fish instead of red meat). It seems like a pretty sustainable and healthy diet to me. When we have gone out to dinner together now, she orders appetizers for her main course because she gets full. Usually it’s something like a side salad with a cup of soup or something like that. No bread, that fills her up immediately.

I hope this helps explain a little.

There have been studies to show that once you become obese, you mess up your hormones permanently so that you are always hungry and never satiated.

Here is an article from The Economist. It is pretty old but it makes sense and also explains why obese people find it so hard to get back to a normal weight. It also explains why they need these drugs.

https://www.economist.com/special-report/2012/12/15/the-cavemans-curse

Animal experiments show that when rodents first consume a sugary food the brain releases dopamine, a chemical also involved in drug addiction. It signals pleasure and helps drive motivation. The more scrumptious the food, the more dopamine is produced. The same reaction is found in humans. But over time a glut of sugary foods seems to change the brain’s circuitry. Obese people become conditioned to getting excited by the sight of yummy food. Just a glance at a fried Oreo can trigger higher activity in the frontal cortex (linked to reward and motivation) of a fat person than it would in those of normal weight. At the same time fat people seem to have fewer dopamine receptors. This is a dangerous combination—they get more worked up by the prospect of junk food, but also get less pleasure from eating it. This may drive compulsive overeating. And as an individual gets fatter, levels of leptin, the fullness hormone, rise so much that the brain seems to stop responding to it. When he starts to lose weight, leptin levels drop and the brain signals that he is starving, even if he still has plenty of fat to spare.