The rise of Ozempic

[Participant]

Next you’ll be telling people with depression to just cheer up.

I think there's a fine line between needing help with mental health and relinquishing all personal accountability for mental resilience.

Mental fortitude is still something to be celebrated despite today's society, something we might all be reminded of when the next significant global event occurs.

 

[ivrytwr3]

I must admit I'm tempted to give mounjaro a go.

My brother is on it and he's lost loads of weight.

I'm not that overweight, I walk and do a kettle bell workout, pushups etc most days of the week, but still, I reckon I'm 2 stone heavier than I should be.

Part of me thinks if I can shift that using this drug and stay there.

Took me 6 months to lose 1 stone I wasn't gym'ing it, just calorie counting. 2 months on MJ and 2 stone gone.

I'm not saying it works like that for everyone, you have to put the work in too.

 

[ivrytwr3]

What are the downsides to it? Presumably there are side effects etc.
The way people are so casually using it to lose weight doesn't seem particularly healthy.

Some people have side effects, some don't. You can google the most common.

My only side effect (so far) was constipation - i couldn't go for 5 days!! All good now though, i guess my body has adjusted.

 

[ivrytwr3]

Woah I just looked it up Mounjaro is expensive, minimum £150 a month, you can get Wegovy for £80 a month, but apparently it isn't quite a good.

Wegovy is still effective, people have moved across simply due to the recent price increase.

I think it's 17% weight loss with WG compared to 22% with MJ, so not a huge difference.

 

[ivrytwr3]

You don't need to do some form of exercise though. As you say it suppresses appetite and another big one is suppressing craving for alcohol. Calorie deficit will cause people to lose weight without any exercise. Not that it's good for you, but people are taking these things to lose weight. The only people I know on mounjaro are ones who never do any exercise.

You do need to exercise. You don't just lose fat, you lose muscle, which is why a lot of weight loss jabbers end up looking gaunt and like a cancer victim.

You really should do strength training.

 

[ivrytwr3]

Does it suppress the urge to drink alcohol in people's experience?

I was on the vodka redbulls most nights - work stress etc. I have had one glass of wine since Jul 25 and tbh, i don't miss it.

 

[Moothead2]

We basically have a cure for one of the biggest problems facing western society and people still whinge because you're not doing it the way they want you to.

Humans will never make it.

 

[Participant]

We basically have a cure for one of the biggest problems facing western society and people still whinge because you're not doing it the way they want you to.

Humans will never make it.

I can relate to this point of view and the societal benefits are and will be HUGE. That doesn't mean however that the pros and cons shouldn't be debated.

 

[Moothead2]

I can relate to this point of view and the societal benefits are and will be HUGE. That doesn't mean however that the pros and cons shouldn't be debated.

Absolutely, but 'debates' that consist of "Waah you're just lazy. Waah you're taking a shortcut. Waah you have no self restraint" are asinine and not worth listening to.

 

[Participant]

Absolutely, but 'debates' that consist of "Waah you're just lazy. Waah you're taking a shortcut. Waah you have no self restraint" are asinine and not worth listening to.

I didn't read any "Waahs" so I think you might be reframing the discussion to indulge your own penchant for whining, but there are certainly some people taking these drugs as an easy way out because they're too lazy to diet, so it's a valid discussion.

 

[Penfold101]

I think there's a fine line between needing help with mental health and relinquishing all personal accountability for mental resilience.

Mental fortitude is still something to be celebrated despite today's society, something we might all be reminded of when the next significant global event occurs.

Agreed - nothing is ever black and white.

My example is comparable to those saying ‘just don’t eat the pies’ as a solution to obesity, as the mental aspect of being able to resist food you enjoy when it’s sat right in front of you plays a much bigger role than just being lazy.

I could never understand people who couldn’t get through the day without drinking alcohol or smoking, until I understood what gave me my weight problems and my relationship with food. It’s not an addiction, but it is the mind making you want things you know you shouldn’t have. I’m teetotal, I just get my enjoyment from other things but some can’t understand why I don’t drink.

Especially as I’m in the military…

 

[Penfold101]

I didn't read any "Waahs" so I think you might be reframing the discussion to indulge your own penchant for whining, but there are certainly some people taking these drugs as an easy way out because they're too lazy to diet, so it's a valid discussion.

I assume you feel the same about nicotine patches? Can’t people just stop smoking? How about methodone? Just don’t take heroin!

 

[steinooo]

On Mounjaro for 4 months, alongside eating healthier and weightlifting 3 times a week. I’ve lost 3 stone. Down from 18 stone 11 to 15 stone 10 as of this morning.

I am scared about coming off it. Heard it’s really hard. That’s why I’m getting into good habits while on it.

Despite using it, I do actually sympathise a bit with some of the arguments about accountability. And I think some people use it and don’t change their habits at all. And when they come off it they’ll likely regain all the weight. They’re the type of people for which it’s never their fault and it’s always some other factor(s) for their predicament. I’ve never been like that. I was fat because I ate a **** diet and didn’t do enough exercise. If anything I’ve always been too self critical.

On the other hand though, I think it’s best if you view it as an addiction. And then ask yourself: would you view someone using nicotine patches to help give up smoking in a bad light vs going cold turkey? An alcoholic going to AA vs going cold turkey? A gambling addict getting help?

I’ll step off my pedestal now.

What have you heard about coming off it please

 

[Participant]

I assume you feel the same about nicotine patches? Can’t people just stop smoking? How about methodone? Just don’t take heroin!

I've just been reflecting on my relationship with alcohol and I need to drink less of it. That's my weakness rather than food and if I could inject something that made me not want it, I'd immediately do that. Hence my question above.

I guess that could equally be considered weak willed and lazy. But all I'm saying is that there is a place for good old fashioned willpower too and I don't want drugs to replace that, as it makes us all weaker.

 

[Penfold101]

I've just been reflecting on my relationship with alcohol and I need to drink less of it. That's my weakness rather than food and if I could inject something that made me not want it, I'd immediately do that. Hence my question above.

I guess that could equally be considered weak willed and lazy. But all I'm saying is that there is a place for good old fashioned willpower too and I don't want drugs to replace that, as it makes us all weaker.

I think the other difference is that we do need to eat to survive - other examples like alcohol, drugs, gambling etc can be tackled by going cold turkey (I know this isn’t a good way but it is a possibility) but seeing as starvation isn’t great either you cant just cut out food in the same way.

It’s finding that balance which is the biggest issue.

 

[Mason-]

What have you heard about coming off it please

Mainly ravenous hunger.

 

[steinooo]

Mainly ravenous hunger.

Hmm. I wondered whether that would happen.Wonder if it’s the body trying to grab back the calories it feels like it’s missed out on lol

 

[Felon]

For me, the world is a fundamentally different place than it was 10 years ago, from a food perspective. 'Food' that's bordering on poison being the norm, is being forced onto people (mostly aimed at children) to a point where it's just ridiculous.

People say or think that the jabs are cheating, I see it more as levelling the playing field.

When you go into a petrol station and you're forced to go through a maze of addictive junk food to get to the tills (a maze that's been specially engineered by people trying to sell junk food), who exactly is cheating? people using jabs, or the people who created this stupid mess in the first place?

Ultimately, I see the jabs as an American solution to an American problem - but results are results, and considering the environment that's being forced on us, it's the lesser of two evils.

 

[EvilRob]

When 65% of adults in the UK are overweight or obese, criticizing people for using medical help to take control of their weight is so facile.
Firstly, weight reduction via willpower alone is clearly just not possible at the population level - long term weight loss is very rare without it. Secondly, they are obtaining great personal benefits via quality of life improvements and giving great benefits to society via reduced healthcare burden and improved workforce productivity. Thirdly, as others have said, medications aren't a magic bullet and to be sustainable still need to be used alongside lifestyle changes.

 

[tamzzy]

Where is the old ozempic/mounjaro thread? Lol