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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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. [/quote]

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

The drugs help balance the chemicals, but the therapy helps provide guidance for how to deal with ADHD.  Very few people have just adhd alone that a magic pill will solve all problems. Most have low EF, anxiety, etc along with it.  Therapy helps them deal with lack of Exec functioning, impulse control, etc.    Used together it is much more useful than just a pill and no changes to your life.  Teaching a kid about impulse control and giving them the tools to deal with their issues in conjunction with medication to help them will be 1000x better than just the medication.

Same for weight loss---the drug may help you, but ultimately goal is to develop a healthier lifestyle so you don't always need the drug, or don't need higher levels of the drug.  A type 2 Diabetic can reverse course with diet and exercise---they can keep themselves off of insulin, or reduce the insulin dosage.   And for weight loss, you want to develop a healthier lifestyle so you can maintain the weight loss without being on drugs the rest of your life.  It is possible, but you have to do some work, it's not a magic pill.  But Seems much better to take the meds, jumpstart loosing weight and develop a plan for better eating, exercising, etc.  
But most Americans just want the magic pills and "simple solution"
Very few people have medical issues that make them obese, they have choices they make in life that cause it.  Ultimately you want to address those issues and therapy along with nutrition counseling/exercise counseling will help maintain a healthy lifestyle for decades[/quote]

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