Ozempic, The Atlantic, and the Dangers of Anti-Exercise Rhetoric

[Peter1469]

The "quick fix" diabetes drug for weight loss isn't a quick fix. If you want to keep weight off, you become a life time member of the Big Pharma drug. And that weight loss. Sure some fat. But also lean muscle mass and bone density. So how long will you survive with a healthful life on it? Exercise should mitigate this. Resistance training, not cardio.

Ozempic, The Atlantic, and the Dangers of Anti-Exercise Rhetoric



In the age of Ozempic, is there any point in working out? This is a question that was recently asked by The Atlantic's Xochtil Gonzalez. Provocative in the extreme, the writer’s piece acted as a sort of advertisement for Semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempic, made by pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. “If they can now stay skinny with just an injection and a few picked-over meals, will they abandon fitness?” asked the New York Times bestselling novelist,


I would encourage readers to check out the article for themselves. Gonzalez appears to have a poor understanding of what benefits are actually offered by exercise, and an even poorer grasp of the dangers posed by Ozempic. Now, some might say, the article was simply clickbait, and Ms. Gonzalez, with The Atlantic’s blessing, was on a fishing expedition. This may be the case. Nevertheless, it takes nothing away from the fact that the pro-Ozempic message, dangerous in the extreme, was spread by one of the country's biggest online magazines.


Gonzalez was, deliberately or otherwise, pushing the idea of a "quick fix". Considering 42 percent of American adults are now obese, and half the country's adults will be obese by the end of the decade, a desire for a "quick fix" to a ballooning problem is understandable. Lazy people often look for lazy solutions.


However, it's important to remember that quick fixes are the stuff of dreams. Which brings us back to Ozempic, very much the stuff of nightmares. Hailed as a miracle drug, Ozempic, originally designed to treat diabetes, is now being used to help people lose weight. But, it’s important to remember, not all weight loss is healthy. As Dr. Peter Attia has noted, Ozempic, a once-weekly injectable medication, results in the shedding of lean muscle mass as well as bone density deterioration. Furthermore, Ozempic is an injection that must be taken for the entirety of one’s life. If an individual decides to stop taking Ozempic, there is an incredibly high chance that he or she will put all the weight back on. Concerningly, earlier this year, the FDA approved high-dose Ozempic for obese children.


Why is this troubling? Because it’s effectively creating lifelong customers for the pharmaceutical industry. The younger they "sign" someone up, the more profitable the treatment process becomes. In truth, Ozempic is not a cure for anything; it’s an addictive drug.


And it is no replacement for exercise. That’s because exercise is so much more than a weight loss treatment. According to a new study, published by academics at the University of Calgary, Canada, not only does exercise build stronger muscles and bones, it also improves an individual’s gut health. The researchers found that exercising for at least 150 minutes per week increases the diversity of the human gut microbiome (worryingly, more than 75 percent of Americans aren't getting enough exercise, and 25 percent of Americans are completely inactive). The gut, otherwise known as our “second brain,” utilizes the same type of neurons and neurotransmitters that are found in the central nervous system. Ozempic, it’s important to note, appears to actually disrupt the microbiome.


Ben Singh, an expert in nutrition and human performance, told me that exercise “has been shown to have a positive impact on physical health, mental wellbeing, emotional stability, and even social connections.” According to Singh, a man who has studied the many benefits of exercise in great detail, although medications like Ozempic may be a useful tool in some cases, “it's hard to beat the comprehensive benefits of incorporating regular exercise into your lifestyle.” These benefits include improved mental health, including reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, improvement in mood, and the promotion of better sleep. In fact, Singh and his colleagues have shown that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective at reducing mild-to-moderate symptoms of depression and anxiety than medication or cognitive behavior therapy.

[donttread]

The "quick fix" diabetes drug for weight loss isn't a quick fix. If you want to keep weight off, you become a life time member of the Big Pharma drug. And that weight loss. Sure some fat. But also lean muscle mass and bone density. So how long will you survive with a healthful life on it? Exercise should mitigate this. Resistance training, not cardio.

Ozempic, The Atlantic, and the Dangers of Anti-Exercise Rhetoric



In the age of Ozempic, is there any point in working out? This is a question that was recently asked by The Atlantic's Xochtil Gonzalez. Provocative in the extreme, the writer’s piece acted as a sort of advertisement for Semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempic, made by pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. “If they can now stay skinny with just an injection and a few picked-over meals, will they abandon fitness?” asked the New York Times bestselling novelist,


I would encourage readers to check out the article for themselves. Gonzalez appears to have a poor understanding of what benefits are actually offered by exercise, and an even poorer grasp of the dangers posed by Ozempic. Now, some might say, the article was simply clickbait, and Ms. Gonzalez, with The Atlantic’s blessing, was on a fishing expedition. This may be the case. Nevertheless, it takes nothing away from the fact that the pro-Ozempic message, dangerous in the extreme, was spread by one of the country's biggest online magazines.


Gonzalez was, deliberately or otherwise, pushing the idea of a "quick fix". Considering 42 percent of American adults are now obese, and half the country's adults will be obese by the end of the decade, a desire for a "quick fix" to a ballooning problem is understandable. Lazy people often look for lazy solutions.


However, it's important to remember that quick fixes are the stuff of dreams. Which brings us back to Ozempic, very much the stuff of nightmares. Hailed as a miracle drug, Ozempic, originally designed to treat diabetes, is now being used to help people lose weight. But, it’s important to remember, not all weight loss is healthy. As Dr. Peter Attia has noted, Ozempic, a once-weekly injectable medication, results in the shedding of lean muscle mass as well as bone density deterioration. Furthermore, Ozempic is an injection that must be taken for the entirety of one’s life. If an individual decides to stop taking Ozempic, there is an incredibly high chance that he or she will put all the weight back on. Concerningly, earlier this year, the FDA approved high-dose Ozempic for obese children.


Why is this troubling? Because it’s effectively creating lifelong customers for the pharmaceutical industry. The younger they "sign" someone up, the more profitable the treatment process becomes. In truth, Ozempic is not a cure for anything; it’s an addictive drug.


And it is no replacement for exercise. That’s because exercise is so much more than a weight loss treatment. According to a new study, published by academics at the University of Calgary, Canada, not only does exercise build stronger muscles and bones, it also improves an individual’s gut health. The researchers found that exercising for at least 150 minutes per week increases the diversity of the human gut microbiome (worryingly, more than 75 percent of Americans aren't getting enough exercise, and 25 percent of Americans are completely inactive). The gut, otherwise known as our “second brain,” utilizes the same type of neurons and neurotransmitters that are found in the central nervous system. Ozempic, it’s important to note, appears to actually disrupt the microbiome.


Ben Singh, an expert in nutrition and human performance, told me that exercise “has been shown to have a positive impact on physical health, mental wellbeing, emotional stability, and even social connections.” According to Singh, a man who has studied the many benefits of exercise in great detail, although medications like Ozempic may be a useful tool in some cases, “it's hard to beat the comprehensive benefits of incorporating regular exercise into your lifestyle.” These benefits include improved mental health, including reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, improvement in mood, and the promotion of better sleep. In fact, Singh and his colleagues have shown that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective at reducing mild-to-moderate symptoms of depression and anxiety than medication or cognitive behavior therapy.

My doc talked to me about this but we are delaying the choice for insurance reasons. He told me what I didn't want to here. As good doctors do. I'm in a cycle of exercise , injury, with corresponding effects on my weight. Sugar is the base problem but that's easy to say and hard to stop. I just feel better when I get decent exercise, even walking 1-3 miles.
Knees holding up but ankle/foot isn't (Achilles injury and plantar fasciitis) so nothing that a couple of months of rest won't help, but that means no exercise , etc. Hence the cycle.
So I may try the med if it is covered. Everything else was fixed by Gastric Bypass (portions frequency of meals) and I am about 80 lbs lighter than I was 12 years ago. But at one time I had lost 130.

[Mister D]

My doc talked to me about this but we are delaying the choice for insurance reasons. He told me what I didn't want to here. As good doctors do. I'm in a cycle of exercise , injury, with corresponding effects on my weight. Sugar is the base problem but that's easy to say and hard to stop. I just feel better when I get decent exercise, even walking 1-3 miles.
Knees holding up but ankle/foot isn't (Achilles injury and plantar fasciitis) so nothing that a couple of months of rest won't help, but that means no exercise , etc. Hence the cycle.
So I may try the med if it is covered. Everything else was fixed by Gastric Bypass (portions frequency of meals) and I am about 80 lbs lighter than I was 12 years ago. But at one time I had lost 130.

Unfortunately, you found out the hard what years of being obese does to your joints and connective tissue.

[carolina73]

First thing is that it is temporary weight loss.

Second is that there are unpleasant side effects that naturally help you lose weight like vomiting and diarrhea.

Third is that long term effect weakens the natural process of producing insulin.

[donttread]

Unfortunately, you found out the hard what years of being obese does to your joints and connective tissue.

Yes. And no
I had major surgery on each knee before my 22 birthday and A
Arthur was released long before I stopped being scrawny, much less obese. But 30 years of being fat has not helped.

[Peter1469]

My doc talked to me about this but we are delaying the choice for insurance reasons. He told me what I didn't want to here. As good doctors do. I'm in a cycle of exercise , injury, with corresponding effects on my weight. Sugar is the base problem but that's easy to say and hard to stop. I just feel better when I get decent exercise, even walking 1-3 miles.
Knees holding up but ankle/foot isn't (Achilles injury and plantar fasciitis) so nothing that a couple of months of rest won't help, but that means no exercise , etc. Hence the cycle.
So I may try the med if it is covered. Everything else was fixed by Gastric Bypass (portions frequency of meals) and I am about 80 lbs lighter than I was 12 years ago. But at one time I had lost 130.

Any positive changes are good!

[donttread]

Any positive changes are good!

Exercise has been my release since I was little as near as I figure. Playing in the yard, later sports, including endless hours in the sandlot. Later I used booze ,drugs and tobacco. But now I'm back to exercise, when I/ can. Full circle I guess

[Peter1469]

Exercise has been my release since I was little as near as I figure. Playing in the yard, later sports, including endless hours in the sandlot. Later I used booze ,drugs and tobacco. But now I'm back to exercise, when I/ can. Full circle I guess

It is ag good habit!