THIS. My sister is diabetic and she had troubles accessing it because of people who wants ozempic for weight loss. If people with diabetes can’t have their own medication that’s problematic.
Girl, I assume "those who need it to live" refers to diabetics, and let me tell you, there are practically zero cases where ozempic is the sole treatment for diabetes, it is pretty much always combined with metformin or similar. And why do they use ozempic? Yes, it lowers glycaemia, for sure, but you know what else it does? It prevents further complications by making the diabetic lose weight and sustain that new weight, potentially preventing future CVDs, metabolic syndrome and worsening of diabetes itself. Now, if you hadn't noticed, these are the same risks obese people that haven't (yet) developed diabetes face. They rely on this medicine as much as diabetics do. Its use is more than justified for weight loss, and is increasingly prescribed by cardiologists and psychiatrist, where many drugs cause weight gain, which, as we said, leads to future complications. So stop thinking you're special here.
Who’s to say that someone with diabetes is more “worthy” of medication than someone who is morbidly obese? Mounjaro has totally helped me get my blood sugar under control where other diabetes meds didn’t (including Ozempic, oddly enough). But I can see that it helps someone who is obese as well.
@@donnaroberts281 the thing is, I believe people with diabetes that require it should take precedence over the weight loss crowd. While both can lead to complications I’d say that the ones with diabetes is more life threatening in the short term.
completely agree with your state regarding the food industry. Most people have no idea the extreme levels companies go to to convince people to consume their posion.
People also criticize others for pursuing weight loss surgery. And then accuse body positivity advocates of "promoting" obesity, saying that they're worried about health. Well which is it?
Them. Those ppl have been the common ground between all these. They're the problem. They gotta go and get themselves some better emotional regulation or at least better coping skills
It’s a pretty lousy cheat if it’s cheating. I’ve struggled with iron deficiency, and when it gets bad enough, it kills your appetite. It reminds me of the way people describe being on Ozempic. I was never hungry, and I mean never. Dinner out with friends? I’ll have a soda, I can’t eat right now. Starting to get dizzy because you didn’t have the willpower to get enough calories in? Time to force feed yourself! When your appetite is gone, there is no joy in food. Eating dinner feels like going to the gym or flossing your teeth: another boring habit you have to do to maintain your body. I’m glad I don’t live like that anymore. I’m a little heavier, but I’m stronger, and I don’t feel so depressed. I’m not keen on the idea of spending $1000/month to feel that way again.
That’s his point, he is being saracastic about calling ozempic users cheaters, he thinks it is a good thing that shouldn’t be stigmatised because it helps prevent many other conditions and I agree
@@jamesgent5897 It's crazy how much abuse obese patients are getting after being prescribed semaglutide/liraglutide (ozempic/saxenda) etc. and people find out. The online hate is incredible as well. I didn't know that trying to fix various health issues is considered evil and vain, and nobody should have them except diabetics -_-;;; Thing is, many of these patients might also be pre-diabetic. So, isn't it better to stem the problem now than to have them become diabetics? Mind-boggling how much stigma and abuse fat people still get. Bullying of these folks is still considered very much acceptable in general I realize. Like an unexplored great final frontier that nobody cares about. Not many people even bother to listen, let alone understand and defend them. 😂
I’ve just finished a diploma in health and social care. What he’s saying about the food industry is true. Fast food companies know less well off families are more likely to buy their products cause it’s cheaper and helps children feel fuller than vegetables do. Also according to The Food Foundation healthy foods are nearly three times more expensive than fast food. At the end of the day these corporations don’t care about the health problems they cause they’re just here for profit.
Genuine question. What do you mean fast food makes people fuller than vegetables? A regular Big Mac and fries feels like nothing to me, but a nice plate of salad, rice and some sort of veg like broccoli, peppers, tomato, mushrooms (not really veg but you get me) etc, plus a chicken breast or equivalent sized protein make me feel far more satiated, for much longer. And that’s definitely cheaper, and takes less time to make than driving to a McDonalds and waiting for the food.
@@hannahdeards9652Seriously? I'm vegetarian so haven't eaten a Big Mac in a long time but no matter the burger I'm always full afterwards and can't eat anything else. Although I also don't eat standard European portions but a little less than that. I've just never understood why people can eat so many calories at once. (I'm also just curious and not trying to offend you, I hope it doesn't sound that way) As for the healthy food you listed, I guess the difference is the amount of protein and fiber which makes you feel full for longer.
@@hannahdeards9652 and then to someone like me a big plate of vegetables, chicken and rice makes me feel extremely hungry within the next hour. Fast food is more salient and many people feel a lot more satiated eating it. Addressing the issue by assuming everyone is you is not the way to go. (Also less time to make than driving to a MacDonald's is very much not true for most people. Same with cheaper - look up what a "food desert" is)
There's also the fact that a lot of cash poor people are also time poor. They have to work more than 1 job to make ends meet and/or take public transportation, which is much slower than car travel in most areas. It's easy to have fresh produce rot in the fridge before you get time to cook it. Spending very limited funds on produce that goes bad in the fridge - or on frozen vegetables that kids won't eat - is a waste that people on a tight budget simply can't afford. Processed food doesn't just have an inoffensive taste - it lasts longer.
@@hannahdeards9652 You're not the norm, and fresh vegetables are subject to ADHD tax, autism tax, poverty tax, and require prep time and the mental capacity to make food. Driving can be done with barely any energy left, on what people call "autopilot". Preparing food, especially food you're not used to, and then eating it, absolutely cannot. Your microbiome will reject it, your appetite will reject it, your psyche will reject it, you will have to think about every step involved because it's new to you. These are things people who say what you just said never consider.
People who say it is cheating really need to see the bigger picture. Weight loss can cause less harm to the person. Less harm is good. For those that live in a country with universal healthcare, it helps take pressure off of the system or from increasing everyone's taxes is more people use a tool to make themselves healthier thus eliminating or minimising future needs of health issues that would require treatment and medication likely for the remainder of that person's life. Less harm for the person, less harm overall.
I have various chronic conditions that make cooking difficult and scary, I also have trouble exercising and I spent 28 years with a heart defect that meant prolonged exercise was extremely unpleasant so I never learned healthy habits. All of these things contribute to my obesity, it's not about being lazy etc. The truth is it's cheaper and easier to cook a noodle cup or microwave dinner or eat some nuts than spend the time energy and money on food that may or may not agree with my IBS on any given day. Most people who are obese have complex needs and get caught in a cycle that is difficult to explain and even more difficult to stop. Using medication to treat that and break a cycle that would otherwise not stop isn't cheating, it's treatment.
Yeah, I've been working on my diet due to high blood pressure (on top of diabetes), and eating lower sodium takes significantly more time and more mental load. Especially since non from scratch items that are lower sodium are often high sugar, and vice versa.
If using Ozempic is cheating, so is being financially well off. So is not living in a food desert. So is not having to take public transportation. So is living in a neighborhood where you can go out for a jog without getting shot. So is not having a sedentary job or having to work long hours, etc.
The whole idea that obesity is some kind of moral failure is ridiculous. There’s so many factors. Even the amount someone eats isn’t strictly a willpower issue because not everyone feels the same amount of hunger, and hunger pangs can be extremely distracting when you’re trying to work. I say this as a former twig now on the heavy side of healthy because my anti-anxiety medication made me as hungry as a teenager but without the teenage metabolism.
@@haruk2312 As long as you’re still healthy, I wouldn’t worry about it. Just enjoy being able to slip through small gaps and not having foot problems due to carrying around less mass all day If you ever have to start mental health meds, be ready to have to buy lots of pants over the course of a few years. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but it can. On the plus side, being able to float in water is awesome!
The biggest lie ever told is that you have to overeat or binge eat to be fat. My ED actually causes me to eat less than I should. But having several chronic illnesses and chronic pain has caused me to have a very sedentary life. I can't move like I want to like I used to. There's nothing to do with morals in any of this. Also, none of my illnesses are due to weight. I could be skinny as a rail and still have fibromyalgia, Meniere's Disease, hyperparathyroidism, etc etc.
@@mimsydreams No, that's not a lie, that's the rule. Exceptions to the rule doesn't invalidate the rule itself. Whilst there are several factors to weight gain, the biggest contributing factor by far are calories consumed.
Yeah, many people just hate fat people and thus, if they might have a lifeline to become healthier in life, boom! No! That's cheating! Do it through hard work like tons n tons of exercise! (It doesn't work like that, but they don't know and don't care I guess.) So, it was an easy bandwagon to jump on, the bashing of these drugs and their side effects, so as to shame obese patients. However, they never ever stop the diabetics from taking the drugs even though they might have the same side effects. That's just so weird, isn't it? I've been on it before and I'd say yeah, it does have some side effects and I've experienced quite a range of them, even really unpleasant ones. However, the body adjusts and gets used to it eventually. If there are any really bad adverse effects for a patient, the doc would've stopped prescribing it to that patient. Overall, it is not an easy drug to use, that's just my opinion.
Two reasons… The demand skyrocketed right out of the gate and it takes time to build additional manufacturing facilities. Lilly (maker of Monjauro/Zepbound) is supposed to have a factory converted and online in January 2025 that will hopefully help. And second, in the U.S., the name brand drugs are only available with the auto injector pens which are apparently very hard to make and they've had problems getting enough pens through quality control to keep up with the amount of actual medicine they're making. Hope that helps.
I was waiting for a video on this, since people don't stop talking about it. Thanks for clearing it up in such a nice and to the point kinda way.❤ But what I do have to say ...the sudden spike in interest in Ozempic hasn't been responded well by the company producing it. Here in Germany the pharmacies had trouble getting it at all suddenly, when we had patients taking it for years to manage their diabetes. They where terrified when we had to tell them: 'We ordered 2 weeks ago an nothing is turning up. We can order another rn, but we only get cancellations on our orders.' I mean, how can you stay calm, when suddenly your medication isn't there anymore?! That was reality and it was very scary for everyone involved.
"using ozempic is cheating!" Yeah and treating my chronic depression with sertraline is cheating too, I guess We should all just believe harder in being thin and happy lol 🙄
My husband has been using Monjaro for diabetes and has lost about 70 lbs. he is 30 lbs from his goal. But most importantly is this is the first time since elementary school that he’s not in the morbid obese category. And it’s the only medicine that has actually controlled his sugar levels. BUT I have a question 🙋♀️ he’s been on it for 4 months and he has had some low blood sugar feelings and when he tested it was still normal at 80, but he felt immediately better after some juice or a peice of candy. Is there a different level that would be considered low for people on Monjaro?
Agreed. Plus both obese people and those with diabetes should be given counseling for lifestyle changes to support a healthy lifestyle and better weight control as well as blood sugar control by improving what they eat. I have known people with diabetes that eat the worst sugary fatty crap and say they'll just take more insulin, they aren't going to give up anything they want to eat.
Most important here is, its UNAFFORDABLE for most of overweight everyday people! Insurance copay is usually 6 to 700 dollars! Who the hell can cough up that and still live in this economy? .....Hollywood of course!
Compounded medication and I buy it larger amounts with an equally not rich friend, brings the per dose cost down. I am able to dose what I feel is correct for my body which is less than the pens. I could cry for the relief I have had since taking these shots, I am grateful. I am going to be purchasing more around the 4th of July because it will be on sale AND get the lesser price by buying larger amounts with my friend.
I don’t know if this applies to Ozempic, but with some obscenely expensive drugs, the manufacturer offers a coupon to lower (in some cases, eliminate) the copay. Hopefully that is an option, or will be soon. It’s ultimately a shell game, though: If a drug company just lowers a drug’s price, that lowers how much the health еxtоrtⅰоn - sorry, I mean health “insurance” - companies pay them for it. An enormous price tag lets the drug vultures wring more money out of the “insurance” parasites, but then patients can’t afford the copay and the drug won’t sell much at all. So they make copay coupons, cutting the link between what the patient pays and what the “insurance” racket pays. Of course, we all end up with higher premiums to cover it. So in the end, it’s still you and me who have to pay more just cause some drug lord wants another yacht 🤷♂️
Ozempic isn't cheating and neither is using steroids if you're not in a competition where it matters. People say cheating because "You're in better shape than me but didn't get in shape the specific way I wanted you to"
It's not "cheating". You don't need to respect them or congratulate them for it though. Becoming less obese is becoming less obese. It's vastly preferable to surgeries imo. But as I said, it's not worth congratulating them over. Weight loss with exercise, diet and other lifestyle choices is commendable and worthy of some respect for that specific accomplishment. (doesn't mean overall respect for the person has to exist beyond baseline that exists for everyone.) They can be proud of *keeping the weight off* after using ozempic, but being proud or asking for praise for using the medicine to lose weight is like asking for compliments for using ibuprofen and "curing your own headache all by yourself".
Hi Dr. Karan. A longshot but could you talk about the new study that came out about low calories sweeteners xylitol and erythritol increasing chances for blood clotting and doubling the risk for heart attack and stroke
In and of itself, obesity does not increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. What does is insulin resistance, which is the cause of both obesity and type 2 and most, if not all, chronic disease. To reverse IR, you need to eat fewer carbs less often. Overall, obesity is not as complicated as this video portrays, and ozempic is not needed for it or type 2. In fact, it makes both worse in the long run, because it doesn’t treat the root cause. BTW - statins are also a waste of money.
Ozempic is a life saving drug for people who have Diabetes. People using it for Obesity (and doctors prescribing it for Obesity) are causing a shortage that prevents many diabetics from getting it (I work in the industry, and it sucks to talk to diabetics who have to travel from pharmacy to pharmacy just to get a months supply).
I so appreciate your voice of reason approach to controversial health advice. Patients need medically qualified coaches & navigators just to be able to make wise decisions.
Not cheating at all, but there are too many folks NOT getting the support to make long term change. Ive personally met three folks of the "weight loss without having to give up pizza and cookies" club, which begs questions about the docs/clinics they got their drugs from
The ones who literally want to have their cake and eat it too. I had a friend have bariatric surgery years ago. Her physician required potential patients to attend a couple of explanatory seminars so they fully understood the changes they would need to make to be successful. There were a couple of ladies there who had already had the surgery that started telling her how she could cheat and eat more. Letting her know how she could get her stomach to stretch so she could eat more. There's always some idiots trying to game the system.
I lost twice over 50kg. First time i got weight back but this time i am keeping it at bay. Turns out there was nothing wrong with my body but it was my poor mental state that was the problem. I havent even realized how much impact all those little things combined have. Getting fat is not about just sitting and eating a giant meal, its about many little bad habits that you do over the years. And the biggest game changer for me was when i tossed out all liquids except for water. Only liquid that i drink is water and nothing more. No sodas, no coffee, no juices, nothing except water. It was tough getting off coffee but it was worth it...
People should really start minding their own business, they clearly have no idea about the realities of obesity. I'm just concerned about the side effects and why anyone who has other options and doesn't actually need it to be healthy would voluntarily take it. Since I have gastroparesis myself, that's the side effect I know the most about and it's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. With that in mind I wonder why someone with a healthy weight or mild obesity would even want to risk it.
I get so sick of reading comments from typical arrogant know all's that just think all people need to do is move more and eat less. This drug probably should only be available through a specialist prescription from a medical professional and not available over the counter. This should also stop the typical finger pointing over shortages for diabetics.
Hi Doctor Karan. First of all....ur doing an amazing job of spreading honest medical awareness among people. Really Great Work Doctor. Hats off. 🎉🎉 I want to clarify a fact because it's interesting yet bit difficult to believe... "The fact : Women always releases oxytocin after sex but men only release oxytocin if their in love with that woman if not then men will release testosterone." Is this true Doctor ? And more over is it scientifically proven ?? Because some psychiatrist and certain people are claiming so. You probably won't see this comment but if you did please clarify my doubt Doctor. Thank you so much ❤️🥰 God bless you ✨
Why would the weight return? Because they still havnt changed their life style or??? Like if they lost weight them watched caloric intake would they keep it off??
I don't think it's cheating, but I do think it's currently being abused by most. I'm not a doctor, but I've had many average-weight people, maybe slightly heavier than average, tell me they're using Ozempic. They have a lot of money, and all of them are taking it for solely aesthetic reasons when they were most definitely able to achieve weight loss naturally. I think a lot of doctors are handing it out like free candy.
The joke about Ozempic and Wegovy, as well for example Victoza and Saxenda, is the huge marketing and profits pharmaceutical companies are making on that. Regards my job(in Germany) I've been forced in the latest times to say people they need either to get a private prescription for getting Wegovy, thus to pay for that even if they've an insulin-resistence or diabetes type 2(or more recently could be also used for early type-1), as Ozempic is not available and that's the only one the medical insurance would pay, or to switch back to the previous therapy with all the side-effects included. The black market of these products is also another part of the story. It's a really sad situation and Novo Nordisk should be investigated as the ratio Ozempic/Wegovy is basically 5/100.
The issue is when it’s being used for rich people but poor people can’t get it when they need it, if it was plentiful and cheap then no one would care who used it
If the problems are biopsychosocial,a drug won't fix it all. Having yo-yo'd all my life, putting more on each time, my only success has been low carbs. Still fancy a chip butty though. Each to their own.
Feels like this video was created for me!! I'm in the UK and I've been on Wegovy for about 6 months. So far I've lost about 3 stones (42 lbs). Weekly injections, the cost, and the side effects means this is no fat person's first choice to lose weight. I've followed different diets, personal trainers etc- I feel the fat and the discomfort with every step and have avoided social situations for years. However, this weight loss has given me confidence , and although I'm still obese I'm going to a summer ball next week (and I'm looking forward to it!). P.S. anyone who says it's just a case of eating less and moving more should shut up and sod off because they clearly don't understand the complexity of it. I recommend any book or podcast with Dr Giles Yeo for education on obesity.
Why is this even a question? Are we going to stigmatize people who get medicines that prrvent heart attacks, too? My only concern is that this turns out to be like the weight reduction drugs that caused serious health problems in the 80s and 90s. But if it works, people need to stop the ridiculous moralizing. Let people get healthier, for crying out loud.
I actually really like the idea of using a "careful selected group" of test participants. It severely alters the output data of the study to no longer encapsulate the average patient, but I imagine it would greatly lower the risk of adverse complications with such a powerful medicine and show that its totally safe in these scenarios!
0:53 that's the key right there, actually changing fundamental habits and lifestyle while losing the weight on the drug, so that the person can get off the drug and be in a much better place going forward. My concern is that too many people are in fact using Ozempic as an easy and quick fix. For-profit drugs companies love that, because abusing Ozempic will likely lead to far greater profits in the long term, even if people's health doesn't improve.
What the hell is "easy" about having to take medication. Are you alright? Cause how could you make the same dumb argument as in the video just by using more fancy words? What was your problem in understanding "reduction of risks" and why the freaking hell are you shaming ppl for "easier than what they otherwise tried". Imagine that, ppl face a dozens of challenges every damn day and we all have to pick our damn battles. And if you can afford to only be dealing with one and the extensive manner, then congratulations on your privileged life and now pay some respect to the ppl most likely wrecking their health in unseen and underpaid labor while battling "sh*t life syndrome" and it's 1000 manifestations while enabling said life of yours. Be glad you don't have to battle chronic illness that disables your ability to battle the manifestations of it. Be glad you were lucky and be respectfully quietly so, while ppl are attending to their lives the best they can and it's none of your "well meaning (not)" business. Rude.
Once you start taking Ozempic or we go to for a weight loss, you start losing weight but the moment you stop is when everything starts to revert back to square one I’d rather just put in the work myself change my eating habit to my mental habit and keep it off Then use something that’s going to revert back the moment I stopped taking it
I'm working to become less fat at the moment because being obese and the inflammation that goes with it and the other health conditions/diseases as well can lead to cancer. My dr said "make your choice". I am using a weight loss shot.
Everything causes cancer in specific people under specific conditions. It only requires a genetic predisposition plus a triggering event to overwhelm the immune system or for the cancer cells to ESCAPE detection. These are your own body's cells. EVERYONE has cancer cells, whether or not you are diagnosed with the disease is a matter of how effective your body is at eliminating them.
Being obese "causes cancer", so what you're really asking is, "is the statistical chance of cancer greater on ozempic than without ozempic if you remain the weight you are because it didn't help you change your lifestyle?" Real questions aren't black and white, and that's something to consult your doctor about.
The thing is people will consume food that's unhealthy and take drugs that's unhealthy to reduce weight. So, it affects them both ways negatively compared to avoiding it altogether. I understand it's more complex than that but that's my main point.
Statins can be a very difficult medicine. My own Dr told me that it can cause pain in some people. I think eating a balanced diet is much healthier. There are too many risks to it.
It may cause neuropathy. The pain you speak of, that's just a side effect though. There are 5 formulations (last I checked) so you could try one of the other formulations. I just cycled my rosuvastatin a week off then on and eventually my neuropathy stopped happening. I take it normally for years and no neuropathy.
Statins are prescribed to the people for whom eating a balanced diet doesn't help, or for those who can't eat a balanced diet. That's like saying "medication for treating your condition has side effects, it's better to not have the condition!!!!" it sounds smart, but it's a nothingburger.
Thank you Dr K! I am on Trezepitide and with diet, lifestyle changes, group and individual therapy, I’ve lost 100lbs. I was boarderline diabetic and had metabolic disorder. Now my labs are normal and I’ve gone from 245lbs-147lbs over two years. I wish people would stop demonizing GLP1’s. They only result in weight loss if you make real changes. I know many people who didn’t change their diets, their A1C is still high and they haven’t lost any weight.
Thars not even the issue. The issue is that it is hard to get now due to how many people use it and it is not used for its intended purpose, diabetes. A lot of people just buy and use it to keep the weight off even if they were not a risk for diebetes just to be skinny. There are people who need it to keep weight off for a risk of diabetes but that seems to be less common
The same drug is used to treat both conditions under different names and at various dosages. Obesity is not a disease of lesser importance than diabetes ESPECIALLY given the fact that the USUALLY go hand in hand with type 2
@@deedrole5296 Well said. I'd quite like if people stopped using my medical needs to justify downplaying other people's. Obesity is difficult, complicated, and one of the few things we know for certain it contributes to is, drum roll, diabetes type 2! Preventative medicine is always superior to treating issues after they arise - if someone can use Ozempic now to reduce their risk factors and not develop diabetes it helps all of us. Especially because there are other medications for people with diabetes that are not impacted by this supposed "shortage", that would be with an influx of new diabetics.
Unfortunately the focus isn’t on bettering their health but on improving their aesthetics and conforming to societal pressures on outward appearance. Plus it’s even creating shortages for those relying on it for the authorised medical reasons.
While there are clearly exceptions, there are still parameters that they have to consider. You can’t go to your doctor with a BMI of 21 and get the prescription. They relaxed the rules to obtaining it and made it easier to qualify for the prescription. They just didn’t make it more affordable.
1. Semaglutide is licensed for weight loss. 2. How the hell do you know that people are using it for aesthetics? Have you spoken to every single person talking the drug? Some idiots might be, but the majority *of the people it’s intended for* take it to improve their physical health. You’re probably the kind of person that whines that obese people use too much health care.
Let's say you're obese and it's completely your fault. You would have been completely healthy if you had taken good care of yourself, but you don't exercise and you eat garbage and there's no mental illness involved - you're just lazy. Let's suppose that's all true. Who have you morally failed? Yourself, arguably. Your loved ones, indirectly, arguably. The stranger in the grocery store who thinks you're unattractive because of your weight, definitely not. It's not that it's not a moral failing because it's more complicated than just "exercise and eat better," although yes, it is more complicated than that. It's not a moral failing because it's not harmful to others. And before you say, "But if it's normal, then more people will do it!" People make their own choices. No one is making anyone else be fat by existing in public spaces while being fat. You know what IS harmful? The way people publicly treat obese people. You're never going to shame someone into losing weight. You're never going to make people hate themselves so much that they start taking better care of themselves. You know this. You've always known this. Don't pretend that you insulting fat people has anything to do with any kind of moral cause you're championing. All it amounts to is bullying someone for having a medical condition. Stop normalizing THAT. They're minding their own business; why don't you mind yours?
