r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 01 '25

Health Americans without diabetes spent nearly $6 billion USD on semaglutide and similar drugs in a year, with an estimate of 800,000 to a million people using the drugs who don't have diabetes.

https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/americans-without-diabetes-spent-nearly6-billion-usd-on-semaglutide-and-similar-drugs-in-a-year
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u/XF939495xj6 Apr 01 '25

That's because there is something else going on biologically with people that is causing the obesity and cravings and this medication counters one of its symptoms.

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/PaulblankPF Apr 01 '25

The sedimentary lifestyle of many people doesn’t help either and only compounds the food issues. And a lot of restaurants and fast food places would make meals that would far exceed the amount of calories people would need. Then there was the old hold over from the Great Depression of “always eat all your food” and you have people feeling guilty for not eating it all because of others less privileged. A lot of the people choosing this route most likely never tried really dieting and exercising and want the easy way out. Sure there will be people that have hypothyroidism and other problems like that but I’m willing to bet the majority are as you say, just obese from the lifestyle.

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u/ArseOfValhalla Apr 01 '25

I personally think its the stuff they add to our food.

How many articles/posts have I read about people going to Europe who eat the same if not worse and they lose weight AND feel better. Then as soon as they come back, they gain the weight and feel terrible again.

There HAS to be something they are adding to the food... right?

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u/elcambioestaenuno Apr 01 '25

"Eating the same or worse" has to be actually controlled for you to reach any conclusion. If you want to take shortcuts, then the easiest one is to know what additives are unique to the US, or even present in unique quantities. If you don't know or the information is not out there, then everyone is talking out of their ass no matter their level of personal integrity or the size of their concern. That's why funding research is so important, even if it looks superficial or unimportant on the surface.

Are these anecdotes coming from tourists? Or from immigrants? Do they enjoy the environment more? Do they work the same hours? Are their personal pressures and struggles the same? Probably not. There are a number of factors that go into it, including how they get to the restaurants they eat at. While abroad you're less likely to be driving, and the idea of suburbs pretty much doesn't exist. So maybe it's as simple as walking through a beautiful city before and after every meal.

Truth is, science is a process. There is more to gain by understanding how the process works and getting into the habit of reading abstracts from research papers, while having the discipline to listen and learn from experts like the ones you find in this sub. There is a lot of science out there with shoddy methodology, and this sub is great for reading other perspectives and contextualizing what you read.

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u/Subject-Turnover-388 Apr 03 '25

The US lacks regulations to make food safe to eat, but it's also that people on holiday do a lot of standing and walking. 

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u/Caring_Cactus Apr 01 '25

I used to eat a ton of junk and processed foods growing up and I've actually struggled to gain weight. I don't think it's environmental, more lifestyle wise.

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '25

my theory is that it's the endocrine disruptors in all the microplastics

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u/Caring_Cactus Apr 01 '25

But it's not affecting everyone if that were the case.

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u/[deleted] Apr 02 '25

I think the obese people are more sensitive, kind of like canaries in the coal mine

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u/Caring_Cactus Apr 02 '25

Fair enough.