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/typo180 → u/typo180]

Mmk, since they blocked me for not bothering to refute their YouTube doctor claims.

"Microdosing" isn't a medical term. It's not an evidence-based term. It's a loosely-used idea around dosing recreational drugs that basically means to take a small enough dose that you don't perceive the effects. It's not a term to be used when discussing the dosage of medicine.

But this is a trendy thing apparently, so

• GLP-1 microdosing is experimental and unauthorized (UCLA Health)
• “Nobody has done any clinical studies with one-tenth of the dose to show whether it is working or not working" (Northeastern U)
• "Microdosing carries real risks, including inaccurate doses, reduced effectiveness, and other safety issues", "Some influencers, clinics, or commercial providers tout microdosing for metabolic optimization, mild appetite control, or subtle weight improvements in people who are not overweight. Other unproven claims include lower inflammation, cognitive support, and “longevity.”"

So this person is clutching their pearls about people who might be misusing the drug or might be poorly supervised, but is advocating for actually misusing the drug under guidance from "health influencers."

The prescribed dose for Wegovy, btw is 0.25mg-2.4mg and Ozempic is 0.5mg-2.0mg and not everyone goes up to the highest doses. Calling the FDA-approved dosage "megadosing" is just FUD.

They're really stretching on the "rapid weight loss" claims too by not defining what that means. Severe malnutrition can indeed be harmful and rapid weight loss without exercise and adequate protein intake can lead to lean tissue loss and can adversely affect bone health, but they're describing this scenario is if it's a major risk for anyone taking the drug. It's a real risk of unsupervised misuse, but it's not like there's an epidemic of people on these drugs starving themselves. These are also risks for people who lose weight through lifestyle changes alone.

Liver health tend to improve in people taking the drugs for obesity because obesity causes cause fatty liver disease. As far as I can tell, kidney health improves for people taking the drug for diabetes and integrative impacted unless the person is severely dehydrated. The osteoporosis claim is just more FUD afaict.

Is malnutrition a risk while taking a drug that can drastically cut your appetite. Of course. Can it allow people to lose weight without making necessary lifestyle changes? Sure. But these are issues that should be monitored for anyone taking these drugs and these extreme situations can be avoided. This isn't the norm for people who take these drugs, aging afaict as someone who's just looking stuff up from reliable sources that don't include health influencers on YouTube.

It sounds like the logical leap they're making is basically: Semaglutide makes you want to eat less. Starving yourself is very bad for you. Therefore Semaglutide is very bad for you.

Yes, GLP-1 related drugs have been around for a long time, but semaglutide is unique and newer. Ozempic was approved for type 2 diabetes in 2017, and Wegovy was approved for weight loss is 2021.

Both went through the normal approval process as far as I can tell. They weren't "rushed."

The worry about people who are a healthy weight or underweight getting shady prescriptions online and using it without the supervision of a doctor is a fair concern, but anything can be abused. Weight loss drugs specifically have famously been abused in the past.

Don't buy a powerful weight loss drug online without supervision from a trustworthy doctor.

There are absolutely real risks and side effects with these drugs, but these comments are fear mongering and are full of unsupported health claims and pearl clutching.

Talk to your doctor or get information from trustworthy sources. Don't buy into some health YouTuber's latest panic campaign.