Wellness Exchange: Health Discussions
Wegovy: The Celebrity Weight Loss Drug Sparking Controversy
(upbeat music) - Welcome to Listen2. This is Ted. The news was published on Wednesday, October 2nd. Joining us today are Eric and Kate. Let's dive into our topic. Our topic today is the weight loss drug Wegavy and its sibling product, Ozenpik. Let's start with the basics. Eric, can you explain what these drugs are and how they work? - Sure thing, Ted. - Wegavy and Ozenpik are like two P's in a pod, both based on this nifty little ingredient called semaglutide. Now here's the cool part. Semaglutide is like a master impersonator. It mimics this hormone we naturally have called GLP1. Think of GLP1 as your body's built-in appetite suppressant and digestion slow-mo button. Semaglutide basically tricks your body into thinking you're full and takes its sweet time, processing your food. - You're on the right track, Eric, but let's not forget the crucial distinction here. These drugs weren't born identical twins. Ozenpik was the first born, approved back in 2017 to tackle type two diabetes. Wegavy came along later, specifically aimed at helping folks struggling with obesity. It's like their siblings with different career paths, you know? - Interesting. Kate, can you elaborate on the effectiveness of Wegavy for weight loss? - Absolutely, Ted. The numbers here are pretty jaw-dropping. In clinical trials, most people popping Wegavy shed between 5% to 15% of their body weight after 68 weeks. That's like dropping 10 to 30 pounds for a 200-pound person. It's not just a little nudge on the scale. We're talking serious weight loss here. Imagine losing the equivalent of a medium-sized dog or a couple of car tires. That's the kind of impact we're seeing. - Hold your horses, Kate. Those numbers might sound like music to dieters ears, but we need to pump the brakes here. - Wegavy isn't some miracle pill for anyone looking to drop a few pounds before beach season. - But Eric, you can't ignore the real-world impact. This isn't just about numbers on a scale. We're talking about a drug that's become a cultural phenomenon. When you've got A-listers like Oprah and tech titans like Elon Musk openly chatting-- - That's exactly the problem, Kate. This isn't some celebrity endorsed juice cleanse we're talking about. It's a serious medical treatment that's being treated like the latest fad diet. Do you realize how dangerous that is? We've got people clamoring for a drug they don't understand. - But if it's helping people lose weight, isn't that a good thing? We're in the middle of an obesity epidemic and here we have a tool that's actually making a difference. Shouldn't we be celebrating that? - Not necessarily, Kate. You're glossing over the very real risks here. We're not talking about a little indigestion. These drugs can cause serious side effects. Nausea, vomiting, and even kidney damage aren't things to be taken lightly. - But many people report only mild short lasting symptoms. You're painting a worst case scenario here, Eric. For those struggling with obesity, the benefits could far outweigh the risks. We're talking about a chance to dramatically improve their health-- - The key word there is obesity, Kate. That's the crux of the issue. These drugs are being misused left and right by people who don't medically need them. We've got folks with perfectly healthy BMIs putting themselves at unnecessary risk just to drop a few pounds. It's like using a sledgehammer-- - Let's look at this from a historical perspective. Eric, can you think of a similar phenomenon from the past? - Absolutely, Ted. This Wegovi craze is giving me serious deja vu. It's like we're back in the '90s with the Fenn Fenn diet pill fiasco all over again. For those who don't remember, Fenn fluoramine and fentermine were combined off label as a weight loss treatment, and boy, did it take off. It was like the entire country decided to pop these pills and melt away. - Hold up, Eric. How can you possibly compare Wegovi and Ozempic to Fenn Fenn? These are FDA-approved medications, not some fly-by-night combo cooked up in a lab. You're comparing apples to oranges here. - The relevance is in the hype and misuse, Kate. Don't you see the parallels? Fenn Fenn was hailed as this miracle weight loss solution, just like Wegovi is now. Millions of Americans jumped on the Fenn Fenn bandwagon, thinking they'd found the holy grail of dieting. Fast forward to today, and we're seeing the same frenzy with Wegovi. - But surely there are differences. Fenn Fenn was eventually pulled from the market due to serious health risks. Wegovi has been through rigorous testing and is still on the market. - That's exactly my point, Kate. Fenn Fenn caused heart valve problems and pulmonary hypertension. People thought it was safe until it wasn't. While Wegovi hasn't shown such severe side effects yet, we're in uncharted territory here. We don't know the long-term consequences of its use, especially in people who don't medically need. - Kate, what's your take on this historical comparison? - I think Eric's blowing this way out of proportion, Ted. Comparing Wegovi to Fenn Fenn is like comparing a smartphone to a rotary phone. Wegovi and Ozempic have gone through way more rigorous testing and regulation than Fenn Fenn ever did. We can't compare modern pharmaceutical standards to those of the 90s, it's a whole new ballgame now. But Kate, the Fenn Fenn crisis led to stricter regulations and more caution around weight loss drugs. Are we just throwing all those hard learned lessons out the window with the current Wegovi crazy rules? - I'd argue we're applying those lessons, Eric. That's precisely why these drugs are only approved for specific medical conditions and not for general weight loss. We've learned from the past and put safeguards in place. You're acting like we're repeating history. - Yet they're being used that way anyway, Kate. Thanks to celebrity endorsements and off label prescriptions, we've got a Wild West situation on our hands. People are getting these drugs who have no business taking them. Doesn't that ring any alarm bells for you? - It's not ideal, I'll give you that. But it's not the same as the Fenn Fenn situation. We have much more data and oversight now. You're painting a doomsday scenario when we're dealing with a much more controlled and understood medication. Let's not throw the baby out with the bathtub. - Let's look to the future. How do you think this situation will unfold? Eric, what's your prediction? - I see two possible scenarios unfolding, Ted. First, we might see a major backlash against these drugs as more people start experiencing side effects or find themselves gaining the weight back after stopping. This could lead to a tightening of regulations and a renewed focus on good old fashioned diet and exercise for weight management. It's like the pendulum swinging back, you know? - That's such a pessimistic view, Eric. - I think we're on the cusp of a breakthrough here. We're likely to see continued research and development, leading to even more effective and safer weight loss medications. These drugs could be the game changer we've been waiting for in the fight against obesity. Imagine a world that we can see. - But at what cost, Kate, we're already seeing shortages of ozempic for diabetes patients because everyone in their aunt is trying to use it off label for weight loss. This trend is gonna make the rich skinny and leave those who actually need these drugs high and dry. Won't this just make healthy quality? - That's a short-term issue, Eric. You're not seeing the big picture here. As production ramps up and more similar drugs enter the market, those shortages will resolve. This is just growing pains as we adapt to a new treatment paradigm. We can't let temporary hurdles stop us from embracing a potential-- - Interesting points. Kate, what's your second prediction for how this might unfold? - I think we're on the brink of a major shift in how we view and treat obesity, Ted. These drugs are proving that obesity isn't just about willpower or lifestyle choices. It's a medical condition that can be treated pharmacologically. It's like how we now treat depression with medication instead of just telling people to cheer up. This could be a total game changer in public health. - That's a dangerous oversimplification, Kate. Obesity is way more complex than just popping a pill. We're talking about a condition that involves genetics, environment, behavior, and a whole host of other factors. A pill can't magically solve all those issues. It's like-- - But it can help, Eric. You're acting like these drugs are being presented as a silver bullet. They're not. Combined with lifestyle changes, these medications could make a real dent in the obesity epidemic. It's about giving people tools to succeed, not replacing healthy habits entirely. Why are you so against something that-- Or they could become a crutch, Kate. We might end up with a society that thinks they can eat whatever they want and just rely on a weekly injection to stay slim. That's not addressing the root causes of obesity. It's like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. - You're not giving people enough credit, Eric. These drugs can be the kickstart many need to make those changes. It's hard to exercise when you're carrying extra weight, but lose some of that, and suddenly it becomes easier. These medications could be the first step on a-- Or they could be the next in a long line of failed miracle weight loss solutions, leaving people disillusioned and potentially harmed. We've seen this story before, Kate. Remember the cabbage soup diet, the grapefruit diet, the tapeworm diet. Each time people think they found the magic bullet and each time-- - Well, it seems we've opened quite the can of worms here. Clearly, the debate over wagivy and similar drugs is far from settled. As with any medical treatment, it's crucial to consult with healthcare professionals and consider all aspects before jumping on board. Thanks to Eric and Kate for their insightful, if-heated discussion. This is Ted, signing off from Listen2.