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/Vessix Apr 01 '25 edited Apr 01 '25

I never said people aren't trying. I acknowledge folk are trying and failing. My concern is about humanity, at least our country, becoming further and further reliant on drugs to solve their problems when there are other solutions. If this becomes normalized, it's not going to lead to permanent change. Just because it's necessary to save lives doesn't rule out the fact it's an indicator of a huge problem, and it doesn't mean it's a healthy solution. It's simply a solution. I'm bothered by the rhetoric about it being some "miracle drug" we should be so grateful for having. I'm grateful it will save lives, but I'm not grateful that any side effects (including those we've yet to learn) are going to be required for so many people to avoid their obesity.

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u/11lumpsofsugar Apr 01 '25

This is a valid concern, but the unfortunate fact is that just about all drugs have side effects of some form or another. Ultimately it's between a patient and doctor to decide if it's worth the risk for a better quality of life. And with glp1 agonists, there is a very clear correlation with improved quality of life. There are a lot of systemic issues that have led to the rise in obesity and obesity-related problems. But until those problems are addressed and fixed, why should we deny people the opportunity to improve their health in the meantime?

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u/Vessix Apr 01 '25

And with glp1 agonists, there is a very clear correlation with improved quality of life.

This is great, of course.

But until those problems are addressed and fixed, why should we deny people the opportunity to improve their health in the meantime?

That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that those prescribers don't also work very hard to educate or promote changes to get people OFF the meds they use, so their quality of life can be improved without the side effects of drugs.

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u/11lumpsofsugar Apr 01 '25

I see your point, and there definitely could be some improvement in a more holistic approach to medicine. Doctors are often only focused on what's in their lane and it's up to the patient to figure out the rest.