Social media is stoking enthusiasm about the new weight-loss drugs, but these medications can cost $15,000 a year. They were developed to treat type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes treatment costs per member are almost $17,000 per patient per year and $9000 is attributable to diabetes. Wegovy costs $15,000 a year. That will double the cost of diabetes care. Patients can lose weight on a drug protocol that costs $31 dollars a month. and keep the weight off if they eat lean meat, eggs, low fat dairy, seafood, fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, and nuts--real whole foods. Two thirds of my patients lost weight. Durable weight loss requires a change in what we eat. When a patient stops Wegovy, they will gain their weight back if they don't change what they eat.
I weighed 307 pounds. I did not lose weight until I understood the root cause of weight gain. We are fat because we eat food that combines fat, salt, sugar, and carbs in combinations that are irresistible and addictive. We will eat them when we are not hungry and the more we eat the more we want. When we eat carbs and sugar, insulin levels increase to increase appetite and fat deposition. Eating real food works for a long time. I am in my mid-seventies and I can still lose weight. I have lost 60 pounds and kept it off for 20 years. My most successful patient lost 150 fifteen years ago and is still a size 8. That is the approach that works and we should try that before we do dangerous weight reduction surgery or use very expensive drugs that will break the bank.
Food companies have a fiduciary responsibility to make more money for stockholders. They make more money by selling more products. They sell more products by making food that many of us will eat all day. You can't eat just one potato chip. Massive advertising campaigns hook our kids on sugar in juices, sugar in breakfast cereals, and fast foods. Then, drug companies with a fiduciary responsibility to stakeholders deploy massive advertising campaigns. to sell medications that cost $15,000 a year to lose the weight the food companies created. I helped patients with chronic disease and weight problems understand that this was done to them. They were not weak or defective. 2/3 of them lost weight and 4 lost over 100 pounds. One third were too addicted to do anything about it. If you want to solve your weight problem, eat real, whole food. You will save a ton of money and enjoy much better health
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When I cut back on my sugar intake . . not just desserts, but bread, pasta, and rice - my weight decreased. I also find that exercising makes a difference - at least for me.
Losing weight is not easy for everyone. Women especially as they get older can eat the right foods, exercise, meditate and still the scale doesn’t move. This leads to a lot of anxiety and stress that have secondary health consequences. The SGL1s are game changers for diabetes and help many others to get the weight off so they can maintain it with the healthy habits already adopted. We can’t assume everyone who is overweight eats poorly.