Monday, 13 March 2023

Pay and Display

Semaglutide was originally conceived as an antidiabetes medication. Enthusiasm for its employment as a 'skinny jab' is turning things a touch murky (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/12/orchestrated-pr-campaign-how-skinny-jab-drug-firm-sought-to-shape-obesity-debate). Semaglutide's manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, seem to spy big profits in marketing their drug as a lifestyle choice. The company has reportedly pumped millions into rewarding health organisations and 'experts', advocating the drug for weight loss. Novo Nordisk apparently hope to get Semaglutide (trade names Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), prescribed on the UK's National Health Service. Martha Gill, points out that, what she calls an 'obesity jab', may remove pressures from the food industry (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/11/obesity-jab-may-save-food-industrys-bacon-should-it). The food industry is currently subjected to pressures to e.g. reduce the sugar and salt content of their products. Gill feels that availability of Semaglutide poses the basic question of 'Whose responsibility is weight?' Is the UK's 'obesity epidemic', the responsibility of the consumer, the food industry pushing unhealthy options, government or medics? Semaglutide injections suppress appetite and effectively reduce weight. It's not, however, advised to continue the injections for too long (up to 2 years, seems the current advice). Once injections are ceased, the weight seems to rapidly pile back on. Fashionable diets never worked effectively. There is a danger, however, of people ceasing to follow the basic advice (for a healthy lifestyle), of combining eating a good diet and exercising. Periods of over-eating, followed by appetite-suppressing injections, could have lots of unintended consequences. We might see increased evidence of vitamin deficiencies, bowel cancer and skeletal/joint damage. It's also pretty wasteful, in terms of food consumption.

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