[parpfish]

There’s a very vocal, puritanical anti-semaglutide crowd that thinks using the drug is a way of subverting the moral order. “You have poor willpower, you’re SUPPOSED to be fat as a punishment!”

They don’t care that it helps people stick to their healthy diets and get better. They need these people to bear the stigma of the gluttony.

[wonderwonder]

These people should be firmly ignored. I am very open with my drug use. If anyone objects I have labs that I will happily compare to anyone's and I am in better shape than 95% of 20 year olds. There should be no stigma associated with being the master and commander of your own body and health choices.

[jjcob]

Why are you taking testosterone?

[wonderwonder]

Started out as Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). I had low overall testosterone due to age (low 300's). Mid 40's. Not necessarily low for my age but low overall. Who wants the testosterone levels of an old man? Before I got on I was lethargic, unfocused and had no real drive. My evenings would consist of just sitting on the couch. I had been like that for years. I was middle aged. I didn't want to be like that so I saw a hormone doctor and got on. Best decision I have ever made. I am in the best shape of my life and the only time I sit on a couch is if I am watching something with my family. I have get up and go in spades now.

Still on it, I occasionally take a full steroid cycle once a year though to accomplish certain physical goals.

Generally run a single 14 week cycle each year where I essentially triple the amount of testosterone I take. I may add another substance for the 14 weeks as well. Then I return to the regular testosterone replacement therapy dose.

I feel and look 20+ years younger. I get blood work done 3x a year and additional 2x while on a cycle to ensure I am good.

My wife has also gotten on TRT, testosterone is required for women as well, just at much lower doses. Her levels were very close to zero, even her OBGYN was surprised. She has seen good results as well. Not the full new lease on life I have had as Testosterone is not as critical for women but an increased sex drive and more energy. She is very closely monitored by her doctor as too much will have negatives for women.

I'm also on GLP-1 medication (Semaglutide), I got on in January and have lost 30lbs. Started at 240lbs and am now 210lbs. I have visible abs again and can bench 405lbs. These are the only medications I am on. Blood pressure is perfect, cholesterol is perfect, etc. Only negative I have is fatty liver which I was diagnosed with in my mid 20's. I'm going to self prescribe Metformin in a couple months (I am currently on cycle) to see if I can resolve that. If I can fix that then I will essentially be healthier that I have ever been in my life.

[zdragnar]

This is not a charitable take of the critics.

If you go on a fad diet, lose weight, then gain it back when you stop, well, you haven't really lost anything other than time.

If you go on semaglutide, lose weight, then gain it all back when you stop, you're out thousands of dollars, I'm out money when my insurance premium goes up to support the new expensive drugs, and you might have permanent health complications (rare though they might be).

I haven't heard any success stories of people keeping the weight off after they stop taking it, though I've heard plenty of people gaining everything back, and being miserable from the side effects while they were on it.

If semaglutide worked as a stopgap to help you get to the point where you could manage your weight on your own, I think it would be hard to argue with it. So far, though, I've had people tell me that it should be treated as just another vitamin supplement that you'll be on for life, albeit one that costs $12k a year or whatever the case may be.

[const_cast]

Most obese people are going to be on lifetime drugs anyway, in the form of metformin, statins, insulin, you name it.

The "ooo scary medicine!" thing doesn't really work for people who are already sick and suffering. That ship has sailed.

[thebigman433]

A year after quitting semaglutide, 20% of people maintained their achieved weight. But, some 44% regained weight. Of that 44%, most (59% of them) still had improved weight: their weights had not fully rebounded to their pre-semaglutide level! Possibly even more importantly, the remaining 36% continued losing weight, either mildly (47%) or majorly (53%)

https://archive.md/Wsuoz

[zdragnar]

That's certainly a significantly better rate of success than what I'd heard from the people I know who took it! Perhaps there's just some weird selection bias in my network.

[mc3301]

Bad news spreads better than good news.

[throwaw-zxcvbn]

Do you hear more from people that made money in crypto or that lost money?

[Yossarrian22]

People buying crypto gain more from others buying crypto

[Spivak]

> I'm out money when my insurance premium goes up to support the new expensive drugs

It's a good thing then that insurance won't pay for it and these services don't even bill insurance.

It's also not $12k a year for the generic, it's around $1200 a year. The drug isn't that expensive to make, the brand is just jacking up the price.

[lotsofpulp]

> and you might have permanent health complications (rare though they might be).

Does obesity have permanent health complications and cost you extra in premiums?

[zdragnar]

There are other options for addressing obesity than "semaglutide or nothing".

[jjcob]

Yeah, but they don't work for most people.

For example, I could say, just start running/cycling/swimming if you want to lose weight. It's really easy! If you slowly work up to working out 5 hours a week, and keep at it, your obesity will probably disappear.

However, most people won't be able to do that, because it's boring, takes a lot of time, and they will stop sooner or later. There are some success stories of people who stuck with it and lost 50kg, but these stories are so rare that they are noteworthy.

Taking daily meds on the other hand is something that most people manage to do just fine.

[wonderwonder]

Best part is most GLP-s are not even daily, just once a week. Even easier.

[lotsofpulp]

Not according to the data about the change in proportion of obese people over time.