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Comment by thefz | Hacker News Reader

To me it is insane we are even talking about a drug to solve the obesity problem when there is hard evidence that it is a lifestyle issue mostly.

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Have you or someone you know ever willingly made a lasting and meaningful lifestyle change? Chances are it was very difficult. Food choices and behaviors are especially hard as they are sometimes cultural and deeply rooted in people's psyche.

Intelligent people have died from diabetes and other obesity related illnesses, not because they couldn't understand calorie math or what carbohydrates are, but because they couldn't or wouldn't change their eating habits in the long term.

Yes, absolutely I know some.

But I guess taking a medicine forever instead of not stuffing your face is easier because it requires zero user effort.

Isn't it the point of human technologies to bring things as close to zero-effort as possible? Not sure why you need that to sound like an indictment.

If by lifestyle you mean behavioral disorder, It seems to me that the science from the last 10 years is starting to point in the opposite direction. If I may recommend, there is a great presentation by Dr. Robert Lustig called "Fat Chance: Fructose 2.0". [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceFyF9px20Y

you think lifestyle choices are somehow not fully influenced by body chemistry?

Nobody is born obese so it takes years of abuse to get there.

So what is your point?

I asked a question

So you think life style choices/abuse/etc is not a result of body chemistry? You know, that thing that drugs change:)

So the obese start doomed because they are born with different "body chemistry"?

Good question!

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