How will weight-loss drugs change our relationship with food?

[Nearly Sane]

I fear that for some politicians they could be seen as a panacea here.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g518d5j5lo

[ad_orientem]

"Is obesity something that people bring on themselves and they just need to make better life choices? Or is it a societal failing with millions of victims that needs stronger laws to control the types of food we eat?"

The answer probably lies somewhere in between. I could rant about this for a while but I'll refrain. Of course, no one thinks "when I grow up, I want to be fat" but neither can you just give people a free pass when it comes to personal responsibility. It's complicated. If drugs like this can help, surely it's a good thing but it's not a cure, just a plaster.

[Nearly Sane]

"Is obesity something that people bring on themselves and they just need to make better life choices? Or is it a societal failing with millions of victims that needs stronger laws to control the types of food we eat?"

The answer probably lies somewhere in between. I could rant about this for a while but I'll refrain. Of course, no one thinks "when I grow up, I want to be fat" but neither can you just give people a free pass when it comes to personal responsibility. It's complicated. If drugs like this can help, surely it's a good thing but it's not a cure, just a plaster.

I think there's the possibility of a lot of unintended consequences, and I'm not sure of what politicians will do, see thread here

https://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=22202.0

I'm also not convinced that a situation caused in part by the way we now produce food is best dealt with by drugs.

[ad_orientem]

I think there's the possibility of a lot of unintended consequences, and I'm not sure of what politicians will do, see thread here

https://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=22202.0

I'm also not convinced that a situation caused in part by the way we now produce food is best dealt with by drugs.

As I said, it's complicated. I understand your point about it being used as a political tool and about food production. Both valid concerns. As I also said, such drugs are not cures, merely plasters. If you were to ask me, I'd say "losing weight is fucking easy". But if this can help some, I think that's a good thing.

[jeremyp]

In summer of 2023 I was technically obese based on BMI. I retired from full time work in December 2023 and have, since then, lost 17kg. That's 2 stone 9 in old money. How did I do it? I had the time to cook for myself, so I stopped eating ready meals and supermarket pizzas. This was not a conscious effort to lose weight, it was just a byproduct of the fact that I had time not to eat processed foods.

There has to be something wrong with our processed foods, if just cutting them out of my diet can have such a dramatic effect.