Comment on Mounjaro maker pauses shipments of weight-loss drug to UK
infjarchninja@lemmy.ml 20 hours ago
Which can only be a good thing.
All these weight loss drugs remind me of methadone.
I was a care coordinator and methadone dispenser for 15 years.
Methadone, was developed by the Nazi’s in WW2 because the alies managed to prevent the importation of Morphine into Germany. The Nazi’s had no choice but to developed the synthetic drug Methadone to replace Morphine on the battlefield.
When a person is addicted to heroin and wants to quit. He has two choices, a maintenance prescription or a reduction prescription.
The idea of the maintenance prescription is to maintain the addiction by giving the user enough methadone so he does not experience withdrawal symptom and can engage in life without constantly getting involved in crime and unsafe practices by using and buying heroin. If the user stops taking his methadone prescription he will have to start using heroin again to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
The idea of the reduction prescription, is to slowly reduce the amount of methadone down to zero, over a period of time, so the user can be clean and free of heroin.
Weight loss drugs are like a methadone maintenance prescription.
In that it may reduce the overall weight of the person for short period, but ultimately the person is still reliant on the weight loss drug to reach their goals. This is an addiction.
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge (to lose weight) to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward (weight loss) despite substantial harm and other negative consequences.
Like heroin addicts stopping methadone and returning to heroin, those who are overweight will put on weigh as soon as the weight loss drug is stopped. So there is a great need to continue with the addictive drug.
Just like the cycle of change.
Flamekebab@piefed.social 19 hours ago
Whilst I don't disagree I would argue that it can be very useful because there are more moving parts to the equation. If it means someone can lose a load of weight to stave off diabetes and buy more time to build a healthier lifestyle then that's arguably a good thing, as an example.
In my family's case it meant we were not only able to have a child but to do so without IVF. My wife has indeed regained a load of weight but my daughter wouldn't exist without it.
infjarchninja@lemmy.ml 19 hours ago
Hey Flamekebab
Of course there will be instances where any drug will be of benefit to that person.
It is common for women to carry a little weight after birth.
She needs all those extra nutrients to support baby.
I am just very anti big pharma. I have seen far too much damage caused by fantasy drugs, since the introduction of Prozac (Fluoxetine) in the late 1980’s, working in substance misuse and in my practice as a psychotherapist.
For instance, the overprescribing of anti-depressants for the natural human experience of sadness is not OK with me. Sadness, because of death or loss is not clinical depression.
I am an existentialist and strongly believe that all people should take responsibility for their lives.
This also includes not relying on any medication to lose weight, which ultimately is avoiding the main issue at hand.
best of luck with young new addition to the world
Flamekebab@piefed.social 18 hours ago
I'm a bit more of a realist. If a solution has been given a fair attempt and doesn't work then it's not a solution:
This doesn't achieve the goal. Effectively this boils down to "treat weight gain as a moral failing". Let's assume it is (I don't think it is, but let's just assume it is for the sake of this line of argument) then why haven't we already solved it? The problem persists and is more prevalent than ever.
Taking that approach does not achieve the desired results.
Much like choosing not to look both ways before crossing a one-way street, being in the right doesn't matter if the end result is the same.
The deck is stacked and people are playing the hands they're dealt. Vast resources have been poured into fucking with people both chemically and psychologically to form poor eating habits, addictions, and limit economic choices. Personal responisbility is of course important but things are a smidge more complex than that.