GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs

[River Dog]

I'm sure that you folks have heard of them. They've become very popular over the past few months, but in case you haven't or aren't fully aware of what they are and what they do, here's a snippet from the Mayo Clinic that gives a good layman's description of them:

We all have GLP-1s in our bodies. These are naturally occurring hormones which are released from our gut after we eat. The function of GLP-1s is to boost the amount of insulin our bodies make to keep our blood sugar within a normal range, as well as provide the sensation of fullness after a meal. The same effect on insulin regulation and appetite happens when GLP-1 receptor agonists come into play. People who take GLP-1 agonists will:

Feel fuller after and between meals
Have improved glucose levels
Experience reduced thoughts about food

They've been around for a while and have been approved by the FDA to treat diabetes and other weight related diseases. I've been at least mildly overweight for most of my adult life, ranging anywhere from 20-50 pounds over what I consider to be a good, manageable weight for me. Last year when I queried my PCP about them, he said that they cost $1400/month for someone like me who would use them strictly for weight loss, so I passed. But when I had another visit with him this past February, he said that the cost had come down to $500/month and that he personally knew of some MD's who had taken it and had successfully lost weight with them, so I asked him to prescribe me some, which he did.

The drug I'm taking is called Zepbound. I get it via mail order directly from the drug manufacturer, Eli Lily. It's a weekly injectable that has to be kept refrigerated. I started on it on March 11th, the day after I returned from my tour of Australia. I started out on a 2.5mg dose for 4 weeks then increased it to 5mg. I've been weighing myself almost every evening, and after 6 weeks, I've lost 18.2 pounds. I'm about halfway to my goal. In addition, I've seen a decrease in my blood pressure, which has been mildly elevated for some years.

It's always irritated me at how our society treats individuals with weight problems. Many if not most feel it's simply a matter of will, that if a person would only do as they do, eat healthy, exercise regularly et al, that they wouldn't have such a problem. But there has to be something more. It's not a coincidence that some families have obesity problems while others don't. It has to more than just an environmental or lifestyle problem. Genetics has to be involved, at least in some cases. Such is the case with me as nearly all of my blood relations, both older and younger than me and which included my mother and father, have had a weight control issue at some point in their lives.

I can definitely tell a difference in taking this drug. My problem has always been at supper time. I'll eat a very modest breakfast and perhaps a bag of popcorn or handful of nuts mid-day but nothing else until dinner time. And it's not the type of food I eat that has been my nemesis, it's portion size. I'll start each dinner with a large green salad with plenty of veggies, but I'll end up just stuffing myself, pigging out. Now with the weight loss drug, I'm leaving food on my plate, even stuff that tasted amazingly good to me. To be fair, I've been much more conscious of my weight, weighing myself overnight, skipping the mid-day snack, etc, so for me, it's a combination of the drug and a lifestyle change.

Anyhow, I'm curious as to what you folks' comments are about this are. Our HHS Secretary RFK Jr. has come out strongly against them, says that if people would just eat healthy and exercise more, that all their problems would be solved, that these drugs are unnecessary.