Newly Approved Drug Heralded As 'Game Changer' In The Growing National Obesity Crisis

[appalachiablue]

Source: ABC News

(By Arielle Mitropoulos). The CDC says 42.4% of all adults in the United States suffer from obesity. A new weight-loss treatment is being heralded by some health experts as "groundbreaking," and a potential "game changer" in the growing epidemic of obesity.

Semaglutide, an injectable drug made by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, was approved Friday by the Food and Drug Administration, for patients struggling with chronic obesity. "We don't use those terms lightly," Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine professor Dr. Robert F. Kushner, an obesity medicine specialist and trial investigator for the drug, told ABC News.

"I've been involved in the field for 40 years. The reason we think that way, it results in amount of weight loss of an average of 15% or more, which we have not seen before." Currently, 42.4% of all adults in the U.S. suffer from obesity, defined as having a body mass index at or above 30, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Today's approval offers adults with obesity or overweight a beneficial new treatment option to incorporate into a weight management program," John Sharretts, deputy director of the Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement...(*Video has loud audio).

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/newly-approved-drug-heralded-game-changer-growing-national/story?id=78065574&cid=clicksource_4380645_1_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

---

- Also: "U.S. FDA approves Novo Nordisk's semaglutide as obesity treatment," Reuters, June 4, 2021.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday approved Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) once-weekly semaglutide drug as a treatment for obesity, a condition that affects nearly 70% of American adults.

The drugmaker said it was expecting to launch the drug, which would be sold under the brand name Wegovy, in the United States later in June 2021.

The regulatory nod is a big win for Novo, which has seen its core insulin business suffer from tough competition, prompting it to turn toward newer diabetes and obesity drugs to revive growth.

Novo's revenue growth has been driven by sales of its newer GLP-1 products, which imitate an intestinal hormone that stimulates insulin production, lowers appetite and increases feelings of fullness in patients...more.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/novo-nordisk-semaglutide-gets-us-fda-approval-obesity-treatment-2021-06-04/

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. We've had drugs to reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness for decades

Hell, amphetamines are like that.

Doesn't mean they're good for you.

A hell of a lot of people, if you just make them feel less 'hungry' ... will snack on junk food all day because they never feel hungry enough to plan out and eat a full meal.

A 'game-changer' would be a drug that increases your desire to eat more healthy foods, and to exercise.

[appalachiablue]

2. The ideal miracle drug you describe may be

a long time comin', Dr. Lebowski.

Amphetamines and other drugs certainly aren't good for people, neither is weighing 400 pounds.

[3Hotdogs]

17. Side effects include nausea and diarrhea.

[Wicked Blue]

34. Those can cause weight loss too nt

[3Hotdogs]

50. Tru dat.

[Kali]

3. game changer for Novo Nordisk, maybe

$1,349.02 for a 30-day supply - need to stay on it for life. yeah, I doubt it.

[Indykatie]

4. These New Drugs Are Only Game Changers if They're Reasonably Priced and They Won't Be.

It's highly unlikely that these drugs will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid and Commercial Insurance in the near term. It was decades before bariatric surgery was covered and some of the new less invasive surgical approaches were only approved recently by some carriers. These drugs that only come in injectable form will create another barrier for many folks and will add to cost as they will also require a medical visit.

[Hekate]

5. Remember PhenFen? It worked like a charm, as I recall. I was totally disinterested in snacks...

Last edited Sat Jun 5, 2021, 04:39 AM - Edit history (1)

…and was only hungry 3 times a day, so only ate 3 times a day, at meals. I had no “feeling of fullness” to deter me, it was more like a switch in my brain turned off.

Turns out it gave some people heart damage, though I escaped that. Still, I was very impressed.

The country has a problem. Personally, I think our highly refined food supply is contaminated past belief with substances designed to trigger more and more eating. However, since corporations make obscene amounts of money off Cheetos and Coke and things with HFCS in them, don’t look for the US to fix that any time soon.

At my age I’m not trying anymore pills, much less shots. But I have a friend who is easily 100 pounds overweight by now and is despairing over her “failure”. I really hope something along this line can help her and people like her, as this really impacts health.

ETA: genetics. My friend’s mother died when sh was 2 y.o., and her stepmother was a skinny little thing, as was her dad. It wasn’t until she visited her birth-mother’s home village in Italy that she saw
female relatives who were her shape, which at that time was probably 50 pounds over the American ideal.

[AnnetteChaffee]

38. PhenFen

I was on it - lost a TON of weight - and ended up in the class action lawsuit with heart damage that I am dealing with to this day. I could have benefited financially in a huge way (because the damage is classified as moderately severe) but the lawsuit came about 10 years after they stopped prescribing the stuff. The clinics all closed up and I could not locate them to get records or copies of my prescriptions (which they filled at the clinic). Without copies of the prescriptions you could not go on to the second level - the $500k level. I ended up receiving about 8k from the settlement, along with a heart valve that will probably eventually need to be replaced. Be careful of the "quick fix"...

annette

[Hekate]

43. I am so sorry. I was off it fairly quickly, as my doc tends to be cautious about certain things...

I know the longing for a quick fix, believe me. My gods do I ever.

Your experience with getting a settlement mirrors that of a friend who had one of those pelvic mesh things installed and removed — the disaster, the pain, the ongoing permanent damage — and her share of the class-action suit came to $10,000.

[GoneOffShore]

6. Fast food, processed food, energy drinks, industrial agriculture, all contribute to American obesity

And cars.

[Lemon Lyman]

7. And Genetics

Everyone who's overweight isn't naturally overweight. Some people live on crap and don't move much. Everyone who's thin isn't naturally thin. Some people sacrifice and work their asses off for it.

We all know people who can eat whatever they want/not work out/and stay thin. Whether they're healthy on the inside is another matter, but they stay thin out the outside. Ditto for some people who can't get away with eating anything unhealthy and/or have to exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight.

Some people are naturally tall. Some people are naturally short. Some people naturally have hair. Some people are naturally bald. Some people are naturally thin. Some people are naturally not.

All the things you listed contribute to obesity. But not in everyone.

You can probably guess I'm more the naturally rounder type. I've always had to "live on a diet" to be in shape. Then again, I've always had to work my ass off to learn and get good grades. It feels like have to read some paragraphs over and over. I have friends and family to whom learning comes much easier.

We're all different. It'd be a boring world if we weren't. But I'd love to be able to eat whatever I want without worrying about the pounds

p.s. I'm skeptical about a pill changing a person's metabolic makeup. Sounds way too good to be true. Maybe they'll come out with a pill that makes me look like JFK Jr someday too.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. The "eat whatever they want/not work out" myth

The myth is usually based on some observations of consumption when seen socially at meals and then questions leading to an answer like "yeah, I don't go to the gym".

I was like that, and still am somewhat. It is technically true, but misses some big points.

But, probably like many others characterized that way, I never shirked exercise. I always had something on the go, like a little bit of bicycling for economy and convenience; always volunteering to help people move and with heavy chores; walking a dog; gardening, etc.

Plus I didn't and don't snack much between meals.

Socially I would enjoy my food immensely, eating all the courses and seconds and cleaning my plate. Part of that taking the time to pay attention to the direct pleasures of the food, especially taste. Not distractedly guzzling even while eating a large quantity.

I have never eaten much fast food, except drinking litres of Coca-Cola at work for many years until I dropped it decades ago. But I was (am) a brain worker, and sugar is rocket fuel for the brain (and inflammation).

[GoneOffShore]

23. I'd love to be able to eat whatever as well.

But American portion size is a huge problem. And as you say genetics.

A pill isn't going to solve anyone's weight problem.

We have plenty of access to fresh locally produced food, so the processed thing isn't as big a problem for us. But I know lots of people who don't have that access.

[Skittles]

8. I live on fast food, processed food, energy drinks but have never been overweight

I also move....a LOT......I average between 17,000 and 20,000 steps a day

[milestogo]

19. Wow, who are you chasing?

[Skittles]

49. heh

it cracks me up that the standard goal is "10000 steps a day"....I get half of that just looking for my keys

[Evolve Dammit]

52. That made me laugh. I spend may steps figuring out what the hell I was doing. Is that good??

[reACTIONary]

59. Or, being chased by. nt

[Elessar Zappa]

33. Yes, some people are like you.

But many people can’t slim down on exercise alone. They have to cut calories to a normal level to achieve a desired weight. Now, one can live on fast food and, if the caloric intake doesn’t go above, say, 2000 calories in the day, they’ll stay a normal weight.

[slightlv]

9. I retired two years ago

Everything you guys have written above is true. I especially agree about the HFCS. But, there are other environmental factors to consider, as well. We have no ideas what chemicals pumped into the air are doing to us (besides giving us cancer). Also, sleep has been shown to be a factor in weight, too. Probably (I think) because of stress hormones if we don't get enough of it.

I retired two years ago. I weighed the most of my life - 210. Over the last year of work, I was diagnosed with lupus and was constantly fighting for a part-time telework for my position. I also became caregiver for my mom, who could no longer take care of herself, and was rapidly losing the battle against dementia. IOW, my stress levels were off the scale. Today, I weigh 102 pounds. I don't diet, I eat whatever I want, whenever I want. True, I don't eat as much as I did, because I find I don't want it anymore. You know the one thing that DID change, tho? I sleep whenever I want, for as long as I want. No longer do I have to fit my night owl body rhythm to the 8-5 world -- something else I'd fought my whole life. While I still have stresses (including a husband who's showing the first signs of Alzheimer's) I still maintain a weight between 100-104 pounds without trying. In all these diet studies, I don't know of any that have singled out night owls versus morning people vs placebo groups, although, like I said, there have been studies showing how important sleep is to maintaining a healthy weight.

Obesity and being overweight may be one of the costs of trying to conform to a "normal" workday for some people. Certainly, not everyone. But I would love to see a true, well-designed study on circadian rhythms and weight. Forcing night owls to conform to a morning person's schedule is incredibly stressful to the body, mind, and soul. I know... I've worked since I was 14, and I'm 65 now.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Good sleep is key to health including so much beyond weight. Kudos & thx posting key point. . . nt

[tanyev]

24. Wow, that's interesting.

I'm not a night owl, but on my days off I like to wake up naturally and putter around the house for awhile before building up to the shower/get ready/leave the house (maybe) process. Can't wait until I can do that every day.

[Hekate]

44. Another night owl here. I would also be interested to know. nt

[Jon King]

10. Its a weekly injection....

Geez, I guess for some people that have tried everything else on earth. I'll stick with exercise and proper nutrition though.

[Marrah_Goodman]

25. Those things don't work for everyone.

I was adopted by a very health conscious family. Had to play sports and eat right. We never ate out at fast food places, etc. I still became over weight by about 3rd grade. After that I tried every diet in the book and always lost some weight but then gained it right back plus some. Fast forward to age 33 when I found my birth family. All were obese and my birth mom had recently had bariatic surgery. It was like a lightbulb going off in my head.

I had surgery when I was 49. It was the very best gift I ever gave myself. For the first time in my life I was not hungry. I am down 1/3 of my former size and I feel wonderful. I can walk normally again. I can get out in the yard and mow, garden, plant things. No more type 2 diabetes or HBP also.

If there is something that can help people from getting to the size I was, that is fantastic.

[reACTIONary]

28. If there is something that can help people...

...fantastic!

Right on!

[deurbano]

32. Congrats on the successful surgery! What a great result! Yay, you!

[moriah]

51. Not sure which procedure you had, but....

.... I'm going to say something that I wish both my mother and someone I saw as a second mother knew before/early in their journey:

Please, PLEASE take some kind of liquid multivitamin, and use calcium/mag/zinc liquid instead of pills to ensure you have enough calcium to avoid osteoporosis.... and most of all, try to use the surgery to recognize old eating patterns and change them rather than, for example, dealing with dumping syndrome more than once every two weeks (if even that) cuz it's very hard on the pancreas.

I'm sure the doctor told you about these kind of things, as well as seeing a bariatric guy if you start vomiting while still eating small amounts of food vs more than your stomach normally can take. They may not have told you that if you start having unexplained fits of abdominal pain (upper or lower) to take it very seriously instead of trying to tough it out. Or to see them if there is other torso pain that a doctor can't explain -- it could be referred pain.

And with B vitamins..... aside from the multivitamin, since a "gastric bypass" limits absorption of B vitamins specifically, along with B-12 shots that are normally recommended try liquid B vitamins too. The worst it's going to do is darken your pee, stink when you take it (hold your nose but it's worth it), and cost a little money. But it gives your gut every chance to absorb those vitamins. The entire B complex family of vitamins really are essential for health on all levels.

------

My mother had a revision because her guts were twisting due to a then-unknown issue with the Roux en Y procedure done in the 90s and earlier that caused patients to have bowel torsion. She'd had chronic gut and back pain for so many years, and every doctor told her they saw nothing. When they finally realized what was wrong, she was not allowed to leave the hospital until she had surgery.

The other woman I knew ended up having adhesions inside her abdomen. She was the type to tough it out, unlike my mom who was more willing to see a doctor to figure out why she had pain. Once she did go, it was because she had a vomiting fit that lasted four days but it was clear that it wasn't an esophageal blockage. Again, emergency surgery because her gut was entrapped by the adhesions.

I am not saying that anyone should avoid a surgery recommended to them by their doctor. I do, however, recommend remaining vigilant and have seen when both of them changed from pills that are hard to digest to liquid vitamins. Then the Bs helped a lot with energy and again, were easier to absorb.

[Marrah_Goodman]

53. I had the sleeve procedure, not the bypass

They basically just took out 80% of my stomach. The only time I vomit or my stomach hurts is if I take that one extra bite. I try very hard not to do that. Also I take special bariatric vitamins twice a day.

This is the best thing I ever did for myself.

[moriah]

63. Glad you're taking care of your body and can still absorb B vitamins.

Mom never really addressed her disordered eating before a full-on Roux en Y bypass.

So she ended up having to have the stoma linking the esophagus to the stomach pouch stretched several times, because she ended up developing a form of bulimia. She also really gave her pancreas a workout with regards to "dumping syndrome", and became the first in the family to develop diabetes.

Also, alcohol hit her quickly, even just wine. Either she didn't admit she used to be able to "hold her liquor" and was used to drinking that way, or they never really explained to her just how it *would* hit after the surgery. Only one scene of her crying outside of a bar on NYE, so she realized early on she couldn't drink like that. But yeah, wine hit her like liquor. I don't know much about the sleeve operation wrt that.

Still, I'm glad you're taking care of yourself. She could have avoided some of these issues with better therapy beforehand, but this was in 1994. So there might not have been as much done back then before surgery.

[Marrah_Goodman]

64. So sorry your mom went through all that

[bucolic_frolic]

11. There's a lot going on in intestines, liver, pancreas, gall bladder

The idea we've found a switch to curb appetite ....

Adjust one part, you effect another. How about examining the flood of highly processed oils and fats and chemicals in our diets? Were there obese Pilgrims? Native Americans? Of course there was King Henry VIII. He ate a rich diet of everything in sight!

[MattNC2021]

12. How about we start regulating food like other countries? They have junk food...

but it's no where near what we have in the US. Food is engineered to cause obesity for profit and then we tell people if they just exercise they can fix everything.

I've been working with a personal trainer for a month 70-80% of success is based on what you eat.

Would like to see if food companies also own the meds being developed. Profit both ways.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. Europe doesn't do it by regulation. I think cultural attitudes play a key role

Welcome to DU (your second post).

I'm speculating that there isn't much regulation. I think how Europe does it, is by respecting food and eating, in so many ways. From what I know of European culture, some things stand out.

I have heard that they do not understand how Americans could even think of eating while walking.

Food and cooking are more appreciated as arts. Not "fine dining out", but on a two or three times daily engagement. Food is bought more frequently, closer to home, fresher, more locally produced and baked, more likely to be bought in specialty small businesses. Cooking is more likely to be shared rather than solitary, more likely to be more complex. Eating is more likely to be together and take longer.

Of course these are generalizations for which I will be corrected quickly ("supermarkets are an infestation on the landscape of Europe!" ).

And also, of course, obesity is growing in Europe too, especially for some reason the UK.

[lark]

26. Even the "supermarkets" in France carry fresh local food.

Of course their supermarkets are a fraction of ours but more space has fresh food and they have stands of fresh sandwiches, made fresh daily. My usual lunch when I was there for a month was one of the sandwiches from a Simply shop. Jambon e frommage was my favorite, the lettuce and tomatoes were always so crisp, the cheese and jambon (their version of ham slices?) delicious and fresh as well. Not sure I'm spelling the meat right, it's been 11 years now since I was there.

[appalachiablue]

22. + 2 These associations & motives could explain a lot.

> This long rant relates to the 'weight loss' topic of the post I did, not so much directed at you, but more for general info. So apologies for the overwhelming length! *And welcome to DU, I just noticed you're new..

Food here definitely needs regulating, more like Europe but it'll take monumental efforts given the power of Big Ag, Big Food, Big Pharma. Never before has there been this much cheap, poor quality junk food and processed stuff in cans, boxes, packages and containers. And many busy, rushed Americans live unhealthy sedentary lives- spent in offices, watching TV or on the computer, rarely walking or being physically active.

I read that the average supermarket chain adds about 2,000 new food and personal care products a year. Why we need 30 kinds of cola, 50 shampoo brands, and 13 kinds of apples I don't know. Industry 'food chemists' in R & D work on preservatives, additives, flavors, chemicals and toxins in our diet, it's a major part of the business. Healthier whole foods, organic, etc. is the way to go.

Food, Inc. resembles the tobaccco industry which years ago began adding chemicals- up to about 2,000 (how is that possible?) to cigarettes mainly to enhance flavor and speed up the absorption of nicotine in the body and brain for the 'high.' All so people would find smoking more enjoyable, and, 'buy more.' $$
The industry even added vasodilators (meds) to facilitate quicker intake of tobacco and chemicals I learned.



The best-selling book,"FAST FOOD NATION" by Eric Schlosser (2001) is an excellent source on the modern American food business from soup to nuts. Highly rec. but serious stuff. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation
---------
In 40 years, the growth of drive- thru places and convenience stores has exploded. Packaged salty and sweet foods on racks in retail stores everywhere so you can chow all day long and 'want more.' Giant portions and 'dinner' plates that were once 8" have become large platters. How shocked my grandparents and father would be today.

The urban- city Metro area I'm in has interesting sites and parks, a nearby historic, small town that's great for walking and atmosphere, and also suburbs ranging from the 1940s through the 80s exurbia trend and beyond.

Years ago I noticed many F & F who visited - people in good health, aged 28- 62, not obese or elderly- had difficulty (endurance) walking city park areas for 30-40 minutes at a leisurely pace and stopping briefly to look at a few sites - nothing strenuous. It was the same in the closeby old town with cute shops, pubs, bookstores, and a small walkable riverfront and park. The exception was my wonderful mom, always in good shape and interested in everything she never had difficulty walking or travelling anywhere, Manhattan, Santa Fe, Paris.

Years later, it occurred to me that it relates to the fact that the grumblers I love live in suburbs and smaller cities that mostly lack usable sidewalks, and the car is the main means of transportation-drive to the shopping ctr., park, then shop at Walmart, etc., and similar work pattern. It's unfortunate but reality in this troubled nation of ours.. End of massive rant. Sorry again..

[reACTIONary]

29. Big Ag, Big Food, Big Pharma...

...and "We the People".

Sorry, but I don't want you or anyone else telling me what I can and can't eat.

[appalachiablue]

40. Who is 'you'- moi? I don't get your meaning

[reACTIONary]

41. The author of a "rant" who stated...

... "Food here definitely needs regulating, more like Europe but it'll take monumental efforts given the power of Big Ag, Big Food, Big Pharma."

I am against food being regulated to any extent that would seem acceptable to the author of this "rant". I'd rather "Big" this and that be able to offer products and I be able to choose from amongst them.

[appalachiablue]

45. You're not understanding my comments

and if what I, 'the author' wrote is a 'rant' then so is 50% of what's on this board.

You have nothing to fear 'author' regarding food choices, move onward into the light.

[reACTIONary]

46. Sorry for missunderstanding...

... You did, however, characterize your post as as "This long rant". Not sure why you did that if you don't consider it to be one.

And I am definitely against regulating food and agriculture to the extent that I often find advocated on DU. Maybe you are more moderate in that regard than the impression I received.

[TeamProg]

57. Food and drink are highly regulated. Processed foods can only have so many PPM of waste products,

dead matter, bugs, flies, dust, metal particles and other non-organic matter - even known toxins in some cases.


This real issue is how much regulation should we have?

It would be impossible to regulate consumption, so calories, ingredients (protein, salt, sugar, non-organic matter, etc) are about the best we can do.

And to what degree do we want our food regulated?

Some people say "You can't regulate firearms!" Sorry, they already are and btw, we obviously need more regulation of firearms.

More than one person has said "It's DIET Coke, so I can drink four time as much!"

[reACTIONary]

58. You are right, it is more a matter of degree...

... than a matter of absolute principle.

However, the concerns sometimes expressed about food go beyond reasonable and are puritanical; a concern about "purity" that is pretty much the defining characteristic of puritanism.

I am not a puritan, and I certainly do not want puritans telling me how to live my life.

BTW - I am not making this up - I knock down somewhere around 4 to 5 liters of Diet Coke every day. Honest!

[Lars39]

36. We decided to stay in the town we're presently living

because of the "livability factor"...it has sidewalks, sleepy streets, and bike trails, all very near a lake where we can kayak.
In the tiny town I grew up in, you'd see old people just sitting on their front porches day after day. That's not how I want to be in my retirement years.

[appalachiablue]

39. You have good sense & that sounds great, esp.

the lake and kayaking. Water is so essential, calming and part of us as well. Thanks to my dad & brother I've been around rivers, ponds, oceans & boats for quite a while.

Enjoy your retirement!!

[Lars39]

42. Well, we're not retired yet!

Just thinking ahead...next up is renovating our ranch house to accommodate aging in place. That should add the requisite gray hair.

[appalachiablue]

55. Good luck with the renovation & whenever

you do retire have a wonderful experience!

Old is Gold

[Lars39]

56. Thanks, appalachiablue!

Gotta remember that one...Old is Gold

[pandr32]

37. Exactly

Big Food doesn't care about quality here. We shortcut natural processes to increase profits with little regard for health, and I should add the environment as well. The diet industry is another Goliath of profit.

[oldsoftie]

16. BMI isnt nearly the best way to judge obesity

Its just the easiest way to measure.
You can be all muscle and be at 30.

[Woodwizard]

18. I agree I am 5 8" and allowed to be 165 per BMI

My second year in the army I was over that and had what they called a pinch test I was allowed 184 after that. My bone structure and muscle mass is larger than average for my height.

At 57 I am at 190 I eat well and do 26 mile bike rides 2-3 times a week I feel great.

I think the the explosion fast food stores and quick frozen meals since the late 70's has a lot to do with it.

[reACTIONary]

30. In defense of BMI...

... I have read (no source, just memory) that people who are all muscle and 30 generally end up having the same general health problems as others who are at 30 as they age. They don't stay all muscle as they grow older.

[TheRickles]

20. It's the American way - focus on the symptoms, not the causes.

Drug companies make a bundle by addressing the symptom of obesity, so we can continue to avoid looking at the underlying lifestyle causes. Addressing them would require a remake of our economy, our psychology, our way of life - as other posters have noted. Some symptoms are dangerous, of course, and should be suppressed, while addressing causes at the same time.

[Marrah_Goodman]

21. That is good news

I had bariatric surgery and have currently lost about 1/3 of my weight. I still have about 25% of my current weight left to lose.

If they can help people lose the wieght before they become morbidly obese, that would be fantastic.

[TexasBushwhacker]

27. The thing that's funny is that bariatric surrgery

affects the very same hunger and fullness hormones that this medication affects. If the medication can make the person feel less hungry and full quicker, without the risks of surgery, it could indeed be a game changer. I'm glad the surgery worked for you, but it killed a friend of mine.

Every hormone and chemical in your body has a normal range. Some people may naturally have too much hunger hormone and not enough fullness hormone. For those people, gaining weight is probably very easy and losing is very hard. This injection is just a higher dose of the drug Ozempic, which has already been on the market for 4 years.

[reACTIONary]

31. Thanks for the info nt

[Marrah_Goodman]

47. I had the sleeve surgery

I did not get the bypass one. This one they just removed about 80% of my stomach.

I am really glad they giving this a shot.

[JohnSJ]

35. This is a diabetes drug and has been around for a while, known as ozempic

[roamer65]

61. Metformin is used for weight loss off label as well.

[TexasBushwhacker]

62. Yes. It is Ozempic at a higher dosage n/t

[Probatim]

48. The BMI (Bullshit Measurement Index) needs to go.

The BMI lists me at a 30.4 - which puts me at Obese. I'm 5' 11" tall and weigh 218#. Last night, I covered 15 miles in an hour on a rails to trails ride on my bike (including one three mile climb) and then ran a trail 10k at 8:00 am. My image of Obese doesn't include that level of activity.

Sure, I have some extra around the middle (I'm 52 and could eat better), but I've got a lot of muscle in my legs and ass. BMI doesn't account for that. It doesn't account for upper body mass either.

To say that 42% of adults are Obese is horseshit and is counterproductive to healthy body images.

[marie999]

65. I like the Navy Method Body Fat Measurement Calculator.

My body fat is 22% and my husband's is 14%. We are both in our 70s. 4 months ago my husband was diagnosed with the start of type 2 diabetes. We are both 5'8". He weighed 215 pounds and I weighed 203. We went on a diet and exercise program and now we are both about 160 pounds and very healthy. We are hoping to start boxing lessons this Summer.

[Probatim]

66. The Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) is a good indicator as well.

Per Wikipedia:

The WHR has been used as an indicator or measure of health, and the risk of developing serious health conditions. Research shows that people with "apple-shaped" bodies (more weight around the waist) face more health risks than those with "pear-shaped" bodies (more weight around the hips).

WHR is used as a measurement of obesity, which in turn is a possible indicator of other more serious health conditions. The WHO states that abdominal obesity is defined as a waist-hip ratio above 0.90 for males and above 0.85 for females, or a body mass index (BMI) above 30.0.[6] The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) states that women with waist-hip ratios of more than 0.8, and men with more than 1.0, are at increased health risk because of their fat distribution.

Per Me - WHR makes me feel better since BMI undervalues muscle mass.

[TeamProg]

54. Americans are SO FAR removed from nature that we no longer know what to eat.

Most of us are more in touch with our phones than with with our bodies.

I also think that many Americans have replaced regular sex with food as a form of satisfaction not received elsewhere.

We Americans are excellent consumers -or, I should say very good at consumption, especially if it's advertised.

We consume fads, technology, entertainment to the extreme, why not food?

[Xipe Totec]

60. They way it works is by depleting your wallet of money so that you cannot buy food to eat.

[Happy Hoosier]

67. For me, cutting out added sugar and most carbs has so far done the trick

I've always been heavy and in the past 20 years would be consider "very fat indeed."

For me, the wake-up call was an A1C of 10.4. Ugh. Insulin shots were in my future.

My Mom had died from complications of diabetes, so I decided it was time to get serious.

I love pasta. I love rice. They had to go (at least for now)

I took a Ketogenic diet approach. No added sugars and very few carbs. Moderate protein and high in fat. I began this last September.

I met my primary goal.... my A1C has dropped to 5.3.... in the normal range. But a nice side benefit is that I have now lost 107 lbs. And I am rarely hungry. The fact is, I don't think about food much. What I eat is satisfying and keeps me full between meals. On previous "diets," I felt hungry and deprived all the time. I just couldn't stick to it. This has been a game-changer for me.

I do still take diabetes meds (Farxiga), but the cost is very manageable compared to what these drugs appear to appear to cost.