Semaglutide
There's a lot of discussion on the internet about a new drug for treating obesity called semaglutide. What I've read so far misses one important point, and I am writing this essay to make it. I will explain why you may not lose weight with semaglutide, why the process will not be effortless, and why you will be better off by changing your diet.
Semaglutide is the first available drug of a new class called GLP-1 agonists. These drugs reduce your hunger, so you are satisfied eating less. Many, but not all, report a significant weight loss when using them. But their are downsides. The drug is expensive and many people will find their insurance will not cover the cost. If you stop using it, you will reain the weight you have lost. And there are side effects, possibly including thyroid cancer.
But there is one problem I have not seen discussed and that is a drug that reduces your hunger drive will only work if you only eat to satisfy your hunger. And that is simply untrue for most people. People eat and drink for pleasure as well to satisy their hunger. Also, many foods are addictive and people will overeat them and crave them even when they are not hungry.
So the first step to losing weight is to learn the difference between a food craving and actually being hungry. And you must commit to not eating unless you are hungry. You need to do this whether you are using semaglutide or not. A drug that reduces your hunger isn't going to work if you eat when you are not hungry. So there is no way of losing weight without self discipline and you are fooling yourself if you think there is. And not eating unless you are hungry is half of the battle.
The iron low of losing weight is that you must eat fewer calories than you burn. Your hunger drive regulates how much you eat. People who advocate for semaglutide claim your hunger drive doesn't work properly and you need to be medicated fo fix this problem. The problem instead is with the type of food you choose to eat. Humans evolved to eat food that had fewer calories per ounce than the food we eat today. The meat wasn't fattened in feed lots, the vegetables and fruits were smaller and tougher, and fiber wasn't removed and replaced by refined sugar and oil. You can satisfy your hunger and eat fewer calories if most of the food you eat has more fiber, less fat, and is free of refined sugar and oil. You could also eat fewer calories by counting calories and reducing you portion sizes while continuing to eat the food you are acustomed to eating, but thist approach will leave you hungry, as you will not satisfy your hunger drive. And any diet that leaves you hungry is not sustainable in the long term.
So taking semaglutide to inhibit your hunger drive will allow you to continue to eat the food you like. The problem is that a highly refined, high fat, fiber free diet causes other problems besides obesity. Using semaglutide exposes you to its side effects as well as keeps you eating unhealthy food. So it is not the best way to lose weight.