COMMENT: Weight loss medication such as Wegovy and Ozempic (not FDA approved in the US incidentally) are brand names for the injectable drug semaglutide which is a GLP-1 agonist which works by stimulating hormones that control appetite. They are appetite suppressants. See base of article for potential side-effects.
Don’t buy weight loss either for you or your pet; earn it instead with effort.
Michael
There are a lot of things people can do themselves which will delay the point where they first have disability and then multi-morbidity. They are old-fashioned things, actually. Having lots of exercise, having mental stimulation and a social network, eating a reasonably balanced diet (with) not too much high fat, sugar and salt, moderating alcohol, stopping smoking if you do – these are things which are old fashioned, but they still work.”
Professor Sir Chris Whitt – England’s most senior doctor.
I’ve suggested that if that people are deciding in large numbers to use Ozempic to lose weight rather than eating less, we are a lost race of human-animals. Lost to laziness and a lack of self-discipline and self-esteem. Buying weight loss rather than using effort to achieve it. It just seems completely wrong to me and in that vein, as you might imagine, there’s a lot of issues surrounding the use of Wegovy and Ozempic.
Update: Well, I don’t want to blow my own trumpet but I will. An article in The Times newspaper today 4th July reads: Blindness fears over weight drug Ozempic. Summarising a Harvard University study found that human patients with Type 2 Diabetes taking the drug developed sudden blindness in one eye in 8.9 per cent of cases compared to 1.8 per cent with other diabetes drugs. And for patients prescribed Ozempic for weigh loss 6.7 per cent developed blindness as described compared to 0.8 per cent of those not taking the drug. This drug, as expected, has a side effect or side effects and it is serious. This research will punch a big hole in the monetisation of this drug which is the correct outcome. The study is published on the Jama Ophthalmology website. They looked at the records of 17,000 patients treated at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a teaching hospital.
Weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic may cause people to go blind according to a new study
The Times 4th July 2024. – Health Editor Eleanor Hayward.
It’s a kind of instant cure for weight although they were not specifically designed for this purpose. And because it’s so instant and so easy the big Pharma companies are jumping on the bandwagon and their products are flying off the shelves making billions of dollars.
And third parties are jumping on the bandwagon to sell the products online in an unregulated way. Below, I touch on how this weight loss jab targeting women online is affecting young women but at the outset I like to mention the fact that Wegovy is going to be used on pets.
A couple of pharmaceutical companies, Okava Pharmaceuticals and Vivani Medical, are jointly developing an implant to deliver GLP-1 agonist in cats.
We know that there is an obesity epidemic in domestic cats because there’s an obesity epidemic in humans. The former follows the latter. So rather than feeding a cat less food and controlling their diet properly, it’s been decided by these big Pharma companies that they can make a lot of money by making the whole process far more convenient; just implant Wegovy into the cat and they will lose their appetite and eat less. That just seems wrong as well. Side-effects?
Obviously, the better solution is to feed a cat less and to exercise them more. We are going down the wrong path. We are keeping our cats indoors full-time for our peace of mind and then when they get fat, we inject them with a drug to make them lose weight. It just seems to be very heavy-handed human control of companion animals. It’s a very artificial way of relating to your companion animal. The best form of life is the more natural form where cats are allowed to express the natural desires and eat accordingly. The whole thing is becoming artificial and forced which I think can only end up in a bad way.
Apparently, the pet food manufacturer Better Choice, which I believe is based in America, is planning on weight loss medications supplemented by its protein-based products. The chairman of the company, Michael Young, who himself uses Wegovy (the guy is overweight!) has decided that “People will spend pretty close to anything on their animal”. Cynical or what?!
This means that people need to be exploited. They’ve got to get some money off these people and people will spend almost anything on their pets because they are very connected to them. This makes them an ideal market for greedy businesses. Michael Young says that it’s quite a small jump from a person taking Wegovy because they are obese to giving their cat Wegovy because their cat is also obese. Wow! What a terrible argument. Both human and cat are obese because the human is lazy and eating too much and both are on drugs to control their weight.
Note: I accept that some people are obese not because they are lazy because of their genetics which predisposes them to obesity. Yes, I fully accept that but 90% of the time it’s about eating for pleasure and not exercising. Not showing some self-discipline to control what one does.
The Bloomberg website says that about 6% of Americans’ cats and dogs are either overweight or obese according to a 2022 survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. I have often read that up to 40 percent are overweight.
The Bloomberg author encourages the use of Wegovy to control weight by saying “While there’s always the option of feeding your pets less, the prospect of an unhappy underfed animal isn’t always appealing, particularly when the owner is already enjoying the benefits of anti-obesity drugs, as some 6% of American adults are, according to a poll by KFF.”
Yes, it’s very convenient to give your obese cat an injection to make them lose their appetite so they lose weight. The lazy way to solve a weight problem. And let’s be sure about one thing: drugs are poisons. We are not meant to take drugs unless we really have to and because the benefits outweigh the detriments. There are always downsides to talking drugs.
If there’s a better way of dealing with a health problem other than taking drugs then you do it that way. That’s the mantra. That is what a doctor would say.
The Times newspaper reports that social media advertisements promoting Ozempic and Wegovy to help people get ‘summer ready’ (i.e. lose weight so they look good in a bikini) are breaching regulations.
There are social media adverts from online pharmacies encouraging women to “get summer ready” by using prescription weight loss medications such as Ozempic. According to the Advertising Standards Authority this is on the face of it a breach of their regulations.
There are thousands of advertisements on these social media websites advertising prescription-only medication to the general public. And here’s the downside: young women and I suppose men sometimes buy these expensive drugs online where they are freely available and they can cause health problems. Yes, drugs are poisons as I said.
Dr. Vicki Pryce, a consultant and acute medicine at Liverpool University Hospital Trust, said that in recent weeks she had treated young women admitted to A&E with complications from the drugs “almost every shift”.
She added that they are predominantly young women and none of them are obese! They just want to be “summer ready”. She added: “It’s predominantly young women-none of them have been obese. These medications have only been trialled in people who have type II diabetes or obesity, so there is no trial data on what happens if you use them when you are a healthy weight.”
Complications from using the drug include inflammation of the pancreas which can kill a person. She said that “You can get very, very sick from it, and really quite quickly as well.”
I’ve mentioned that because it starkly tells us that these drugs can have side effects but it appears to me that the advertisement that you see online imply that there are no side effects. That they are a perfect and quick fix to an obesity problem. And my God, humankind loves easy, quick, lazy fixes to problems. Life isn’t meant to be like that.
There’s no doubt in my mind that cat caregiving is going down the wrong route towards many more full-time indoor cats living in an environment which is acutely boring and which causes them to sleep all the time and eat for pleasure resulting in obesity, resulting in ill health, resulting in the kind of exploitation I mention above on this page.
It reminds me of dry cat food. Convenient but unnatural. Vets promote it. Ill-health can come from it. Vets treat the ill animals. Circuitous.
How Ozempic works for weight loss
Ozempic (semaglutide) is not actually FDA-approved for weight loss, but it can be a helpful tool for some people when used alongside diet and exercise. Here’s how it works:
- Mimics a natural hormone: Ozempic works by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) . GLP-1 helps you feel full and satisfied after eating, and it also slows down the emptying of your stomach. This can lead to you eating less overall.
- Slows down digestion: Ozempic slows down the rate at which food leaves your stomach. This can help you feel fuller for longer and reduce your appetite.
- Increases insulin production: Ozempic also helps your body produce more insulin, which is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. By improving insulin sensitivity, Ozempic can help to prevent blood sugar spikes that can lead to cravings.
It’s important to note that Ozempic is not a magic bullet for weight loss. It should be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise program for best results. Ozempic can also cause side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you are considering using Ozempic for weight loss, it is important to talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.
What are the downsides (side-effects) of Ozempic as a weight loss drug?
Ozempic, while showing promise for weight loss, does come with some potential downsides, including:
- Gastrointestinal issues: These are the most common side effects and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, indigestion, and heartburn [Mayo Clinic, Semaglutide (Subcutaneous Route) Side Effects]. These can be uncomfortable and may decrease your appetite, but often lessen over time.
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): Ozempic can increase insulin production, which can lead to dips in blood sugar, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, sweating, shakiness, and hunger. If you’re also taking medications for diabetes, your doctor will need to adjust your dosage to avoid excessively low blood sugar.
- Gallbladder problems: Ozempic may increase your risk of gallstones and gallbladder inflammation.
- Pancreatitis: In rare cases, Ozempic can cause inflammation of the pancreas, leading to severe abdominal pain.
- Changes in vision: Ozempic may worsen diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes affecting the eyes. If you have diabetes, be sure to mention it to your doctor before starting Ozempic [Mayo Clinic].
- Serious allergic reactions: While rare, Ozempic can cause allergic reactions including rash, itching, swelling of the face, tongue, or throat, and trouble breathing. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience these.
- Kidney problems: In rare cases, Ozempic may affect kidney function.
- Potential increased risk of thyroid cancer: Long-term use of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic is being studied for a potential link to an increased risk of thyroid cancer. More research is needed, but it’s important to discuss this with your doctor.
Remember, this is not an exhaustive list, and it’s important to talk to your doctor about any questions or concerns you may have regarding Ozempic and its side effects. They can help you decide if Ozempic is the right choice for you based on your individual health profile.
Now, do you think Ozempic for obese cats to force weight loss is a good idea?! 😉👍😡
