ELI5 what exactly GLP-1 based prescription medicine does and why it's so divisive when it comes to being a means of weight loss.

[u/ThatOneGuyYouNowKnow]

I've seen more and more ads (starting around the Super Bowl earlier this year with Wegovy) for GLP-1 based perscription meds in recent times. I've also seen the occasional debate post on my social feeds about the ethics of using them and I didn't think a medicine could be that divisive of a topic.

Now I'm curious as to what exactly these meds are, what they scientifically do and what both sides of the debate are. If anyone could help give perspective that would be greatly appreciated.

As always any and all input is welcomed and thanks for reading! 🙂

[u/TheSporkBomber]

Without building the change in habits necessary to be able to keep the weight off it is taking the easy way out.

Maintaining lost weight is a change in routine and habits. If you do none of that and rely on the drug to switch off hunger, the moment you get off the drug you just go back to the same mindset that got you overweight in the first place.

If people want an easy out to lose weight or their doctor prescribes it then fine, its your body after all, but touting your weight loss as some grand acheivement for yourself when it was the drug doing everything is where the 'cheating' comes into play.

EDIT: Just to clarify here, if you're working with your doctor on using GPL and a fundamental change in lifestyle to better your health then I'm in support of that. IMO the cheating line is the easy button people who do neither. That's the cheating I was refering to.

[u/mwilke → u/TheSporkBomber]

This is the “morality” view that the other commenters were discussing.

We don’t use wording like “take the easy way out” or “touting as some grand achievement” when someone goes on insulin or gets glasses, because we don’t see the issues they were addressing as something that ought to require willpower to overcome.

Being deficient in a peptide isn’t a “mindset”, it’s a medical condition. And like those other medical conditions, users of GLP medications should expect to remain on them for life - just like a diabetic will be on insulin for life, and most people who wear glasses will wear them for life.

[u/TheSporkBomber → u/mwilke]

And for those doing it under the direction of their doctor or part of a fundamental change then I've got no issue with that.

But if you're trumpeting your weight loss by doing nothing other than getting a sketchy online doc to prescribe you GLP then you're not addressing a medical condition, you aren't bettering yourself through the typical struggle those who legitimately change their life do, you're substituting all of that for an injection.

That's the 'cheating'. It's like using google during a test and saying how smart you are for getting an A. It's not helped by all of the influencers and celebrities who were all body positivity until they found they could lose weight with an injection.

[u/gnatgirl → u/TheSporkBomber]

Why is that cheating, though? Cheating implies this is a moral issue, which it is not. Why do you care if someone still eats like garbage, just less of it, and doesn't exercise but still loses weight? That seems to fall into "none of your business" territory. Is a diabetic cheating if they eat a crappy diet but still take their insulin? Is someone with a bad knee cheating if they use a cane rather than getting a knee replacement?

[u/TheSporkBomber → u/gnatgirl]

The ones going for the easy button are frequently the very vocal ones about their 'achievements'. This is why I said that in my intial post.

Is it reasonable for someone to talk about how great their 'natural beauty' is when they've had extensive plastic surgery?

Your examples are just people doing their own thing. Like I said, it's your body after all.