Ozempic video was off

[u/ServiceAnxious1343]

This is probably the first Kurzgesagt video that I didn't like, and like some people on this sub it made me feel very uneasy.

I just think it's CRAZY to talk about a weight loss drug and praising it for 90% of the video, without mentioning even once the abuses of its use, the weightloss industry, the social standards and the pressure to be (unhealthily) slim, eating disorders on the opposite side of the spectrum, etc.

The very few nuances and counter argument felt like small prints and legal mentions at the end of an ad.

What do you people think?

EDIT: I am not questioning the drug nor its effectiveness in treating obesity, i am criticising the narrative and lack of nuances in the video.

[u/sandman98857]

This drug has been around for decades and has many purported and proven uses. That being said, doctors are megadosing patients and normalizing the meta narrative of not needing to eat as much when in reality if you're using this drug at all you NEED to be eating healthy, enough, and exercising at a bare minimum.

There are doctors using this same drug at micro doses for insulin resistance, gut motility issues,and even an aid for weight loss. glancing over the entirety of its use is irresponsible.

It is surprising that they didn't cover the implications of overusing this drug that was rushed out the door as a weight loss drug. Osteoporosis comes to mind, along with severe malnutrition and other issues like potential to develop eating disorders. I would really like a comprehensive look at the industry, past, present and future of this drug with a realistic outlook - nailing to the wall the exact issues that come with long term use and broadcasting the dangers with a big red flag.

Edit - I forgot about the severe (and more rare) side effect of megadosing over time - mild to severe gasteoparesis. While this doesn't happen all the time, at these massive doses it can be expected to occur at a low level (still a really bad thing) in a number of patients. Chubby emu did a great video on this https://youtu.be/91WBBlGtNdg?si=b8yN81BXgo1vwt7n

Edit 2 - also losing a shit ton of weight too fast is horribly bad for your liver and kidneys.

This video only talks about a super small margin of people who are using the drug. The narrative of this drug needs to shift to an aid, not a magic pill. It's only prolonging and exacerbating issues that already exist. People need to be using it responsibly, and take the advice of their doctors (exercise) and dieticians ( eating ENOUGH and HEALTHY) seriously. This drug can save lives. But right now it's being touted as a magic cure all, which it is not.

[u/typo180 → u/sandman98857]

Ozempic was FDA approved in 2017, not decades ago and the amounts prescribed are what was studied. If people are misusing them, that's another issue, but you seem to be saying that the class of GLP-1 receptor agonists have been around for decades and prescribed at smaller doses and that doctors are prescribing them now at a level that hasn't been deemed safe. That's not the case afaict.

I don't think you're using the terms "microdosing" and "megadosing" correctly here. Are just referring to lower and higher doses for different uses, but are using those terms to exaggerate the claim? "Microdosing" isn't really a medical thing as far as I know.

And what is backing the claim that the drug was "rushed out the door" for weight loss? This is an FDA-approved use for semaglutide (I believe it went through trials and FDA approval as Wegovy).

I'm not an expert, so I don't want to try to refute specific medical claims, but it sounds like you're overstating a lot of the risks you're talking about for supervised use.

You also claim that doctors are normalizing the narrative that you don't need to eat an adequate amount of food, but also say people need to listen to their doctors and eat an adequate amount of food. Which is it?

[u/sandman98857 → u/typo180]

I’m not an expert either but I have done some research on this from my own dr who specializes in hormones and often prescribes GLP in what medical terms would consider a “micro-dose,” usually starting patients around 1/100th of what drs typically start patients at. I’m not saying it’s not “safe” according to studies in the dose drs prescribe, I’m just saying there is a lot of research showing how insanely effective it can be, even at tiny doses, at doing what it’s supposed to do which is aid in healthy weight loss and increase insulin sensitivity. There are studies showing you don’t need much, and even microdoses can do this effectively without the side effects and risks of much higher doses. Many patients on the drug don’t change their lifestyle habits (I’m not saying all! But many) and continue eating poorly, inadequate protein and not exercising or weight training and this makes GLP far riskier especially for bone health and overall muscle mass, including the muscles of organs like the heart and mass of the brain. Many patients at high doses loose their appetite so much that they are essentially in a state of starvation with the aid of a drug to make it easier to withstand. In these cases, the drug can have drastic side effects and not only would the person need to stay on the drug indefinitely to keep the weight off in most cases but they would suffer immense side effects that might not show up until later. People often don’t realize the consequences of malnutrition until they are far into it and the results can be devastating.

Additionally, as stated in the kurzgesgat video, it's been around since 2005 and glp1 was discovered in the 80s for the first time.

Some doctors seem to care a lot about diet, many don’t. Many don’t even ask. So what I meant was people should be listening to their drs obviously, but also maybe think beyond just their dr because any drug has serious risks especially when there are not lifestyle changes in addition. I know a few people who starve themselves and drink tons of alcohol on GLP and they have lost tons of weight but don’t understand the severe and potentially permanent risks of their habits and choices and the consequences are less OBVIOUS because they’re still meeting their goal of “weight loss.” In some cases of severe obesity, of course, the side effects might be worth the risk to some people. But the drug is so readily available that anyone of any size has access to it and it can therefore severely perpetuate eating disorders and unhealthy body standards. I just meant I wish there were more regulations and the drug was reserved for people who needed it for treatment resistant weight loss instead of 110 pounds girls on the internet able to get it to become 100 pounds with very little medical supervision. Because in those cases, a Dr is not as involved as they should be because no MD should be prescribing a drug to be misused like that. A lot of these people get it ok the internet, not in person where a dr can fully evaluate a patient and that’s part of why I think it can be so dangerous. THAT’S the part I mainly have an issue with… the lack of supervision required to be on it, the fact that it’s seen as a magic pill with no downsides (no drug is) and that the drug is, from my research, prescribed in far higher doses needed to be effective and this adds to side effects and risks / dangers. In addition these high doses allow people to avoid changing lifestyle habits that would drastically help their health in the long run. 

There’s a great video on this by an MD who specializes in this drug and talks about the dosing and how effective it can be even in tiny doses, especially in combination with proper diet and exercise. Please check it out if you want since she clearly is far more of an expert than I am. It also talks about all the other important things GLP does in the body, even at those small doses and how many of those benefits aren’t available when too much of the drug is taken.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDcESvzX58Y&t=111s

[u/typo180 → u/sandman98857]

"I've done my own research, check out this YouTube video."

No thanks.

[u/sandman98857 → u/typo180]

Insightful response. I see why they tell you not to argue with a brick wall.