Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity impacts 42% of Americans? That is so many of us! Just under half of Americans are obese. The percentage grows to an incredible 69% (Harvard) when rates of obesity are combined with those of us who are overweight. The trends for obesity are pretty startling because only 13.4% of Americans were obese in 1980 (the National Library of Medicine). In 1980 I was still in elementary school. That is such a significant increase during my lifetime.
All that digging into obesity statistics was prompted by an article that I read in this morning’s New York Times, and my subsequent dive into obesity trends weren’t the only part that gave me pause:
Obesity affects nearly 42 percent of American adults, and yet, Dr. Engel said, “we have been powerless.” Research into potential medical treatments for the condition led to failures. Drug companies lost interest, with many executives thinking — like most doctors and members of the public — that obesity was a moral failing and not a chronic disease.
We Know Where New Weight Loss Drugs Came From But Not Why They Work
There it was written so casually, “moral failing”. There is something really terrible about thinking about obesity as being a “moral failing”. Everything about weight gain is hard, and then knowing that society views weight gain as a character flaw just makes it all so much worse. It’s as though everyone is looking for that “quick fix”. Anyone can lose weight; however, there are no easy solutions.
Weight Loss Drugs
Here are my top takeaways after reading the article:
- The discovery of weight loss was accidental. Researchers introduced massive amounts of a natural hormone to the brain and that triggered weight loss.
- Medical experts and researchers do not know what the long-term effects of using these drugs will be.
- These medications are intended to be used for life. if the medication is stopped people will gain back weight.
- The drugs work by suppressing appetite, and not changing metabolic rates. People are satisfied with smaller portions.
- Clinical trials show that Wegovy also gives some protection from heart attack and stroke.
I don’t think weight loss drugs are the answer for me. I am getting good results following the Weight Watchers plan. I am also learning a lot about myself on this journey. This is true for me, and I cannot underscore that enough, it’s working for me, The only one common thread we all share is that everyone is so different. For some, the internal struggle with food is constant, and for others, behavioral changes can make a tremendous impact on weight loss.
My wish for you is that you do the work of knowing yourself well, understanding what you want, and developing a plan for how you will get it. My hope is that you realize you’re not alone. We are all in this together, and we can support each other along the way.
Getting to Goal 