They don’t care that it helps people stick to their healthy diets and get better. They need these people to bear the stigma of the gluttony.
Still on it, I occasionally take a full steroid cycle once a year though to accomplish certain physical goals.
Generally run a single 14 week cycle each year where I essentially triple the amount of testosterone I take. I may add another substance for the 14 weeks as well. Then I return to the regular testosterone replacement therapy dose.
I feel and look 20+ years younger. I get blood work done 3x a year and additional 2x while on a cycle to ensure I am good.
My wife has also gotten on TRT, testosterone is required for women as well, just at much lower doses. Her levels were very close to zero, even her OBGYN was surprised. She has seen good results as well. Not the full new lease on life I have had as Testosterone is not as critical for women but an increased sex drive and more energy. She is very closely monitored by her doctor as too much will have negatives for women.
I'm also on GLP-1 medication (Semaglutide), I got on in January and have lost 30lbs. Started at 240lbs and am now 210lbs. I have visible abs again and can bench 405lbs. These are the only medications I am on. Blood pressure is perfect, cholesterol is perfect, etc. Only negative I have is fatty liver which I was diagnosed with in my mid 20's. I'm going to self prescribe Metformin in a couple months (I am currently on cycle) to see if I can resolve that. If I can fix that then I will essentially be healthier that I have ever been in my life.
If you go on a fad diet, lose weight, then gain it back when you stop, well, you haven't really lost anything other than time.
If you go on semaglutide, lose weight, then gain it all back when you stop, you're out thousands of dollars, I'm out money when my insurance premium goes up to support the new expensive drugs, and you might have permanent health complications (rare though they might be).
I haven't heard any success stories of people keeping the weight off after they stop taking it, though I've heard plenty of people gaining everything back, and being miserable from the side effects while they were on it.
If semaglutide worked as a stopgap to help you get to the point where you could manage your weight on your own, I think it would be hard to argue with it. So far, though, I've had people tell me that it should be treated as just another vitamin supplement that you'll be on for life, albeit one that costs $12k a year or whatever the case may be.
It's a good thing then that insurance won't pay for it and these services don't even bill insurance.
It's also not $12k a year for the generic, it's around $1200 a year. The drug isn't that expensive to make, the brand is just jacking up the price.
The "ooo scary medicine!" thing doesn't really work for people who are already sick and suffering. That ship has sailed.
Does obesity have permanent health complications and cost you extra in premiums?
For example, I could say, just start running/cycling/swimming if you want to lose weight. It's really easy! If you slowly work up to working out 5 hours a week, and keep at it, your obesity will probably disappear.
However, most people won't be able to do that, because it's boring, takes a lot of time, and they will stop sooner or later. There are some success stories of people who stuck with it and lost 50kg, but these stories are so rare that they are noteworthy.
Taking daily meds on the other hand is something that most people manage to do just fine.