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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don't think there is anything morally wrong with anti-depressants (which I've used) or obesity drugs. But I also think that skepticism about long term impacts of both is warranted, and I get tired of drugs being talked about like miracle cures when we don't have long term studies on them, and when sometimes the downsides or limitations emerge later and get ignored.

I say that as someone who really needed anti-depressants and am glad I got them, but will also do almost anything to avoid having to go on them again because far from the wonder drug they get marketed as, they caused almost as many problems for me as they solved. And I'd also recommend to others that if it's possible to address mental health in other ways (not just therapy -- I've found mindfulness training, float tanks, and EMDR to be useful), I might try those first because that stuff carries fewer side effects than the drugs. I've never considered taking weight loss drugs but I think my attitude would be the same -- great if it's the only thing that works, but still a drug and therefore not perfect and not for everyone, so let's keep talking about other ways to address these problems.

Drugs are morally neutral, but they are not the solution to every problem, either.[/quote]

That's fair enough. I grew up in a family that taught me that allowing depression or mental health problems of that type to get in the way simply reflected a lack of grit. And being fat simply reflected a lack of self-control. In my personal life, I've been lucky enough to be mentally pretty resilient and not subject to too many highs or lows. My weight has been pretty constant regardless of how much or little I eat or exercise. So, it's taken me a while to shake some of those attitudes I was raised with. But I've seen people battling depression that was utterly beyond any individual's control. And I've seen my wife restrict calories while marathon training and still gain weight.

Better living through chemistry is possible! [/quote]

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