Sat, Mar-23-24, 00:23
|
 |
|
|
Plan: Muscle Centric
Stats: 238/153/160
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: UK
|
|
From Nina Teicholz, Unsettle Science:
Quote:
Still, we wonder: Is Oprah delivering her overweight fans from the burden of fat-shaming or has she simply moved over to thin-person camp, suggesting others can do the same? The show felt like an infomercial and featured experts funded by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.
Oprah’s latest is part of the normalization of a life-long commitment to the new drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists — Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro. In a discussion of the Oprah special on The View,Whoopi Goldberg revealed that she was taking Monjaro, which means injecting the drug once a week. Co-host Sunny Hostin admitted she was, too.
These drugs can jump-start weight loss, but whether they’re sustainable and safe for long-term weight maintenance remains to be seen. The weight loss from GLP-1-based drugs can come at a “terrible price”, says Benjamin Bikman, a professor of cell biology and physiology at Brigham Young University (who wasn’t talking about the financial costs, which can run over $10,000/year). One primary mechanism of action is a slowing of the intestines, which in some cases can lead to stomach paralysis with serious consequences.
“Additionally, with such a change in diet, up to 40% of the weight a person loses is due to lean mass loss,” says Bikman. “Unfortunately, when a person stops taking the drug and weight rebounds (which it does, and quickly), fat mass returns rapidly, while lean mass is likely gone for good.”
We wish the best for Oprah, Whoopi and everyone else on these drugs, and we recognize the benefits of being freed from the burdens of obesity. The long-term consequences of taking such powerful drugs is concerning, however, especially among younger people. Meanwhile, the truly unshackled victors from this week’s events are the drug companies, who now have major media moguls as their champions.
|
|