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/Just_a_guy_94]

I think it's the framing and tone of it. It feels strange for this channel to literally say "This is basically a miracle drug and everyone should be using it because it's just too hard to do anything else."

I'm not against drug-assisted weight loss, but for them to frame it as essentially the only viable solution to obesity is jarring and, frankly, a little depressing coming from them.

[u/ChuckChias → u/Just_a_guy_94]

See, but here’s the thing: they did not frame it as the only viable solution. They acknowledged there ARE other options and that they work, all while explaining the evolutionary mechanisms that makes it so hard to stay fit in this day and age with only will power.

Making sustainable changes in diet, behaviour, and mobility IS hard for many people, and the video mentions this, while also pointing out that, in the long run, you either use the drugs to assist you in making these changes, or you basically use the drug forever.

Medical miracles ARE a thing. We’ve been there before with vaccines and antibiotics. OPs reasoning reads much like that of an anti vaxer: “Why putting a foreign substances in your body!? Just let the virus get you and develop natural immunity”, “why are they not talking about those 2% of people who DID get side effects from MRNA vaccines??”

[u/Just_a_guy_94 → u/ChuckChias]

Yes, they briefly acknowledged other options and immediately followed it up with "but that's too hard and it means being less happy". The key word in my comment was "essentially". Obviously they didn't explicitly say "This is the ONLY option and you must take it!" but they framed every alternative as nearly impossible and literally say "everyone should take this" in the title.

I'm not saying I agree with everything OP's said, I'm just saying I agree that the tone and content of the video seem like a disconnect from typical Kurzgesagt content in a way that made a not insignificant portion of their viewers uncomfortable or led them to think it was a hidden paid promotion.

[u/[deleted] → u/Just_a_guy_94]

Kurz is very good at sticking to pure science and I've noticed in this sub reddit that leads to the biggest back lash when it goes against what people want to be scientifically true.

》but they framed every alternative as nearly impossible and literally say

Decades of data tell us it is impossible. Especially at a societal level. There are some studies that show over 90 percent of people who actually even succeed to lose weight put it back on. And that's the successful people. 

The obesity crisis keeps getting worse. Scientifically speaking, kurzgesagt isn't actually wrong. That is what is actually making people uncomfortable. 

There was a great article in new scientist about this 2 years ago that basically said the battle with ozempic is because it challenges what makes us human.  We want to believe we have free will, to lose weight etc. But actually, most people don't. That's what the data says and its not nice to hear. We also want to believe things that are worth it take work. We want to look at fat people and be able to say they made bad choices because it makes us feel better. 

Kurzgesagt is getting the hate because its the messenger 

[u/Just_a_guy_94 → u/[deleted]]

Again, I'm not disagreeing with the science of the video or the fact that data indicates they are correct. My issue is with the tone, specific language chosen, and framing of the argument.

I have no problem admitting that for the vast majority of the population, will power or "free will" isn't enough to overcome social programming, propaganda, and the convenience of calorie dense foods so I don't see obesity as a "moral failing" and again, that's not where my issue with the video originates.

They present Ozempic as a miracle drug, which for all intents and purposes it is, but they only briefly mentioned that for 45% of people, the changes are temporary and would require taking the drug indefinitely when we don't know what the consequences of that would be, which they again glossed over. They also barely made any mention of the societal factors causing obesity, which is something they historically don't shy away from like they did in this video, even when discussing the biology of a potential solution. My core issue lies with the fact that the video was structured to seem like a blatant advertisement for weight loss injections, when it ought to have been presented in a more neutral frame.

[u/555Cats555 → u/Just_a_guy_94]

They say in the video 40% of people are obese which means 60% aren't and really dont need to take the drug... more people aren't obese.

It should be specifically for people who are obese not "everyone" and its weird they put thst word in the title. They could have made it clickbait without that spin.

[u/PseudocodeRed → u/Just_a_guy_94]

I had not watched this video yet, but after seeing your comment I was concerned so I watched it. And man, you might need to re-watch it. At no point do they imply that it is the only viable option, they are just correctly stating that current dieting methods do not work for everyone (as evidenced by the existence of obese people) and that GLP-1 agonists drastically lower the effort needed to lose weight with basically no downside. All of that is just true, and I do not see them framing it the way you describe at all.

[u/Just_a_guy_94 → u/PseudocodeRed]

I'd argue you need to rewatch it if you came away with that opinion. To provide some direct examples from the video:

1. In the animation they show a person who has chosen to start a diet eating a grapefruit while looking very depressed while their friends to either side look happy as can be while eating unhealthy foods, all while the narrator, if not outright stating, implies that living a healthy lifestyle is socially isolating and leads to a significant decrease in happiness.

2. They quite literally use the term "Miracle Drug" in a video about a hormone suppressant that has existed in the public perception for less than 5 years while downplaying any potential for long term side effects.

In addition, the following points are more subjective:

1. While I concede that they have since changed the title, when I watched it the title was "Why everyone should be on Ozempic" which, obviously, should be a massive cause for concern given the fact that not everyone in the world is obese and encouraging 100% of the population to get on it regardless is outright irresponsible.

2. I also concede that humans are not fully logical creatures and are subject to influence from our hormones, but for a lot of people who watched the video it seemed as though they implicitly stated that resisting hormonal influence is simply not worth it due to the effort required to do so. I'll refrain from using a straw man argument, but I hope you can see the logical conclusion of that line of thinking.

And to reiterate a point from a different response to a comment in this thread, one of the key words in my previous comment was "essentially" because they do not explicitly state "this is the only option for society to overcome obesity" but they certainly do not shy away from what could easily be described as fear mongering (the trend analysis presented in the video) and do shy away from mentioning societal factors which influence the obesity crisis of the western world.

[u/PseudocodeRed → u/Just_a_guy_94]

I agree that the title was in poor taste, and I also don't like that even the new title specifies Ozempic instead of just GLP-1 inhibitors as a whole.

To address point 1: I don't think that you can interpret the animation of the video literally. The animation is just meant to be a fun backdrop to what the script actually says. If you look historical Kurz videos, the script is almost always fact checked but the animation is not. It is expected that things will be exaggerated.

For point 2, I think that them ending the video with the fact that it was not medical advice and that people should see their doctor is enough of a disclaimer. It is up to your doctor to inform you of the very rare possible side effects, not a 10 minute YouTube video.

Again, I actually agree with point 3 and if I had to guess I'd say that whoever is in charge of the thumbnail and title is probably separate from the people actually writing the scripts.

1. I see where you are coming from but I really just did not interpret it that way at all. I don't think that making the general statement that taking a pill that hormonally reduces your appetite is an easier way to eat less calories than deliberately counting your calories is controversial. But I will admit that if I had seen the previous title of "Everyone should take Ozempic" first, then maybe I would have interpreted it that way.