March 8, 2023 — We would classify this as a report of a side effect. But it’s not really an adverse event. It seems that for some people, the use of semaglutide has prompted less alcohol use. In the New York Times, Dani Blum describes the experience of one patient: “In August 2022, Eva Monsen’s endocrinologist prescribed Ozempic [semaglutide] […]
November 20, 2022 — Fed up. That’s where we are with stories about how people taking semaglutide for obesity are keeping people with diabetes from getting an adequate supply of the drug they need. Fed up, because it’s a stealthy way of expressing implicit bias against people living with obesity. The subtext is that those people don’t really need […]
September 3, 2022 — ICER – the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review – has released its final report on the effectiveness and value of obesity meds and set a public hearing for September 16. Let’s say it right up front. This private nonprofit is trying to do something that is almost impossibly hard. Making objective sense from the […]
August 1, 2022 — In the New York Times recently, our friend Maya Cohen described her experiences chasing the hoops set before her by health insurance – interfering with medically necessary obesity care. But she did not stop there. She came to the YWM Engage conference to connect with and inspire other advocates for people living with obesity. So […]
January 12, 2022 — It’s been a long haul. But suddenly, we’re seeing a lot of optimism about anti-obesity medicines. Skeptics are yielding to stubborn facts about the impact of obesity on health. They are also yielding to good clinical data about the benefits of sound obesity care. So, too, are they seeing that newer generations of anti-obesity medicines […]
May 22, 2021 — Anyone following the news on progress with anti-obesity meds might have noticed a rising number of news reports about various “tides” for obesity. Liraglutide is already out there. So is setmelanotide. Semaglutide injection is under review at FDA and approval is possible as early as the middle of this year. Tirzepatide is advancing in clinical […]
May 6, 2021 — Weight loss is a minor part of obesity care. It’s blindingly obvious, but most people have a tough time wrapping their heads around this basic fact. A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine today tells this story in a very elegant way. It’s all about controlling weight over time. Getting Weight Loss […]
February 11, 2021 — A new study of semaglutide in the New England Journal of Medicine is causing quite a stir in the news. (If you can get past impeachment headlines.) In fact, both experts and headline writers are calling semaglutide for obesity a game changer. Meanwhile, the only sour note comes from the futility school of obesity care. […]
December 5, 2020 — Late on Friday, Novo Nordisk announced FDA approval for Saxenda (liraglutide 3mg) to treat obesity in teens. This marks the second such drug approved in for youth in little more than a week. Setmelanotide received approval last week for children as young as six. Make no mistake about it, we are making progress in expanding […]
November 10, 2020 — Saxenda (liraglutide) is on the brink of becoming a billion dollar drug for obesity. Yet its effectiveness in obesity is modest. On average, a person taking it might expect that their weight would go down by about eight percent. Of course, some people will have a much bigger benefit. But others will have less or […]
