Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Using Semaglutides is cheating or not?

Tilran
Tilran Posts: 627 Member
Since this is the debate page, I figured I'd ask the masses here how they feel about someone or themselves using Semaglutides for weight loss such as Wegovy, Ozempic or other Compound Semaglutide forms.

I've found in my personal circle that there is a mixed feeling in this as some people consider it "cheating" and some say any form of weight loss is acceptable.

How do you feel about it?
Tagged:

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Tilran wrote: »
    Since this is the debate page, I figured I'd ask the masses here how they feel about someone or themselves using Semaglutides for weight loss such as Wegovy, Ozempic or other Compound Semaglutide forms.

    I've found in my personal circle that there is a mixed feeling in this as some people consider it "cheating" and some say any form of weight loss is acceptable.

    How do you feel about it?

    Those are typically prescribed to the very obese population for which losing weight may be a matter of life or death and can be very beneficial as it can help them drop weight pretty quickly, which in that situation is probably pretty important. These meds are typically pretty expensive as well.

    There are however people who are forking out thousands of dollars for these meds to lose 20 Lbs or whatever of vanity weight...I don't know that I'd call it cheating, but it's pretty ridiculous. Most people can lose that kind of weight on their own, but the success rate dips with natural weight loss when you start talking about hundreds of pounds to lose...not that it can't be done, but I have rarely run into anyone IRL that has lost hundreds of pounds without some kind of intervention whether that was surgery or medication.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited September 2023
    Tilran wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Tilran wrote: »
    Since this is the debate page, I figured I'd ask the masses here how they feel about someone or themselves using Semaglutides for weight loss such as Wegovy, Ozempic or other Compound Semaglutide forms.

    I've found in my personal circle that there is a mixed feeling in this as some people consider it "cheating" and some say any form of weight loss is acceptable.

    How do you feel about it?

    Those are typically prescribed to the very obese population for which losing weight may be a matter of life or death and can be very beneficial as it can help them drop weight pretty quickly, which in that situation is probably pretty important. These meds are typically pretty expensive as well.

    There are however people who are forking out thousands of dollars for these meds to lose 20 Lbs or whatever of vanity weight...I don't know that I'd call it cheating, but it's pretty ridiculous. Most people can lose that kind of weight on their own, but the success rate dips with natural weight loss when you start talking about hundreds of pounds to lose...not that it can't be done, but I have rarely run into anyone IRL that has lost hundreds of pounds without some kind of intervention whether that was surgery or medication.

    The thing is, many people deal with food addiction to which semaglutides help with regardless if they have 30 pounds to lose or 100 pounds. I should be around 165-170 to be in great shape....I'm 205. So I have roughly 30-40 pounds to lose. The issue for me is food addiction and "food noise". I think Semaglutides might help me in that regard, but as you mentioned, the cost is extreme and has potential negative effects.

    Naltrexone has been known to help with this as well. I take it to curb alcohol cravings and it's helped a lot. It is also prescribed to opioid addicts and food addicts. It inhibits excessive dopamine reception so you don't actually get the high, so the behavior no longer becomes worth it. It also doesn't really have many side effects and my insurance covers it 100%...it's been out forever so even if insurance doesn't cover it 100%, it's very cheap.

    I'd probably at least give it a whirl before using semaglutides. A friend of mine has been taking Ozempic because he was about 400+ Lbs and it's helping him quite a bit (I think he's down about 100 Lbs), but definitely has it's side effects.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    Tilran wrote: »
    Since this is the debate page, I figured I'd ask the masses here how they feel about someone or themselves using Semaglutides for weight loss such as Wegovy, Ozempic or other Compound Semaglutide forms.

    I've found in my personal circle that there is a mixed feeling in this as some people consider it "cheating" and some say any form of weight loss is acceptable.

    How do you feel about it?

    After reading some of the replies here, @Tilran, I'm curious: Was there any pattern amongst the people in your circle when it comes to whether the people of one opinion or the other had ever needed to lose weight, had lost a significant amount of weight (with regain, without regain), or had tried but failed to lose weight?

    It could be unrepresentative as this thread goes on, but so far there seems to be a leaning toward "not cheating" in the replies here so far. This site probably over-represents people who've either lost weight or who are seriously trying to lose weight.

    That makes me wonder if having lost weight, or seriously tried, made people more likely to lean toward "not cheating". Did you notice any patterns? ("No" is a perfectly valid answer. ;) )
  • dontlikepeople
    dontlikepeople Posts: 142 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I have rarely run into anyone IRL that has lost hundreds of pounds without some kind of intervention whether that was surgery or medication.

    I've lost 150lbs naturally. But i put it back on. Then I took it off again. Then I put it back on, etc. I have an IRL buddy who lost ~250lbs and seems to be maintaining.

  • dontlikepeople
    dontlikepeople Posts: 142 Member
    The number of people suffering from the complications of obesity cannot be underestimated. Thus, the promise of semaglutides are enormous. This is potentially the biggest health breakthrough since the invention of bariatric reduction. I'm sure we'll learn more about the medication as time goes by, and hopefully (for the sake of those who need it) it will remain promising.

    I think that the many of us who have controlled their weight by "sheer willpower" have a tendency to become smug. But, the urge to over-eat varies by individual and may require intervention.

    This was incredibly well said.
  • Fattyohfat
    Fattyohfat Posts: 52 Member
    I got prescribed metformin for type 2 diabetes. I love that one of the side effects is lack of hunger. Between the metformin and using MFP down 20 lbs in a month and half. I don't consider it cheating.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    I don't consider it cheating.

    I'm leery of new drugs, especially if you're considering them for a condition that is not near-term life-threatening or likely to cause major, irreversible damage (like organ failure). So for people with Type 2 diabetes or morbid obesity, it might make sense to take a chance on something still relatively new if more established treatments aren't sufficient for you, but to do so if you're just overweight or even class I obese -- well, it's everybody's individual choice, but for me, I think I'd defer until there's more history of the drug in large populations.

    Of course, that's easy for me to say, since the traditional method of counting calories worked for me.

    Also, I would be uncomfortable taking a drug that seems to be suffering from scarcity if my health issues from my weight didn't carry a high short-term risk, given reports that people with diabetes are having a hard time getting the drug.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    I don't feel anything about what someone else does, because it's none of my business and doesn't affect me.

    Cheating on who or what?

    Unless you're involved in a weight loss bet or contest, MYOB.
  • Tilran
    Tilran Posts: 627 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Tilran wrote: »
    Since this is the debate page, I figured I'd ask the masses here how they feel about someone or themselves using Semaglutides for weight loss such as Wegovy, Ozempic or other Compound Semaglutide forms.

    I've found in my personal circle that there is a mixed feeling in this as some people consider it "cheating" and some say any form of weight loss is acceptable.

    How do you feel about it?

    After reading some of the replies here, @Tilran, I'm curious: Was there any pattern amongst the people in your circle when it comes to whether the people of one opinion or the other had ever needed to lose weight, had lost a significant amount of weight (with regain, without regain), or had tried but failed to lose weight?

    It could be unrepresentative as this thread goes on, but so far there seems to be a leaning toward "not cheating" in the replies here so far. This site probably over-represents people who've either lost weight or who are seriously trying to lose weight.

    That makes me wonder if having lost weight, or seriously tried, made people more likely to lean toward "not cheating". Did you notice any patterns? ("No" is a perfectly valid answer. ;) )

    This is a great observation! I think you may be right. The people in my circle who consider it cheating, are all more on the fit side. They go to the gym regularly, eat right etc. Could be that they feel threatened that their hard work and discipline is being threatened by an "easy" fix. Great observation
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    Tilran wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Tilran wrote: »
    Since this is the debate page, I figured I'd ask the masses here how they feel about someone or themselves using Semaglutides for weight loss such as Wegovy, Ozempic or other Compound Semaglutide forms.

    I've found in my personal circle that there is a mixed feeling in this as some people consider it "cheating" and some say any form of weight loss is acceptable.

    How do you feel about it?

    After reading some of the replies here, @Tilran, I'm curious: Was there any pattern amongst the people in your circle when it comes to whether the people of one opinion or the other had ever needed to lose weight, had lost a significant amount of weight (with regain, without regain), or had tried but failed to lose weight?

    It could be unrepresentative as this thread goes on, but so far there seems to be a leaning toward "not cheating" in the replies here so far. This site probably over-represents people who've either lost weight or who are seriously trying to lose weight.

    That makes me wonder if having lost weight, or seriously tried, made people more likely to lean toward "not cheating". Did you notice any patterns? ("No" is a perfectly valid answer. ;) )

    This is a great observation! I think you may be right. The people in my circle who consider it cheating, are all more on the fit side. They go to the gym regularly, eat right etc. Could be that they feel threatened that their hard work and discipline is being threatened by an "easy" fix. Great observation

    You know your friends best, so I'm just speculating here: If these are people who've pretty much always been at a healthy weight and active, and find that life a relatively/easy happy thing for them, I wonder if they might underestimate the difficulty of weight loss or fitness improvement for people who have a much different history, and possibly different genetics.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,217 Member
    I'd have to say no. It's the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off, but that is over a 2 years period which is what the research shows and I'm comparing it to the normal dietary strategies that wain pretty much after about 6 months. It's the best weight loss medicine that I know exists at the moment.

    The problem that will never go away is deciding what your going to do with this weight loss. Eventually a person might stop taking the medication for various reasons and if just going back to eating the foods that resulted in that weight gain they're more than likely just going to gain the weight back and then some. It's the perfect time to reassess and consider different lifestyle changes that will help prevent future weight gain, and in that respect it's a very good alternative therapy. imo
  • MacLowCarbing
    MacLowCarbing Posts: 350 Member
    I don't think there is a way to cheat. If it's a tool you can use, and it works for you and helps you get healthier, then by all means use it.

    I went on them, for Type 2 Diabetes though. After I lost enough to be weaned off insulin and glimepiride, I still needed help to lose weight & keep my blood sugar stable. So they started me on Bydureon, then switched to Ozempic, and finally when Ozempic became scarce they put me on Mounjaro. Those helped me with weight loss for a while but they also didn't sit well with me and screwed up my digestion badly so I went off them.

    Going from a balanced ADA diet to controlled carb, then low carb, and then very low carb was more effective for me in the long run. Sometimes I also get from people that very low carb is "cheating", lol.

    If someone loses 100 lbs and gets healthier with injections, or weight loss surgery, or a certain type of diet/meal plan, or whatever... and it helps/no bad side effects, I say go for it. Along the way everyone has to make changes on an as-needed basis, sure, however using whatever tools work for you isn't cheating anything.
  • Midasgal
    Midasgal Posts: 10 Member

    " For someone else, the side effects and cost are acceptable for the benefits they receive. We all pay differently but we still all pay. [/quote]"

    really good answer. We all do pay just differently. My sister had bariatric surgery and even though she has loss a lot of weight, fundamentally she hasn't learned any new nutrition skills just smaller portions of junk. The price she pays is the restriction in her portions as well as a limitation in how much water she can drink, which is a big issue in Australia.
    I hope my path will be different. I am changing and learning new skills

  • Midasgal
    Midasgal Posts: 10 Member
    I have an IRL buddy who lost ~250lbs and seems to be maintaining.

    [/quote]

    what is IRL?
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,755 Member
    Midasgal wrote: »
    " For someone else, the side effects and cost are acceptable for the benefits they receive. We all pay differently but we still all pay.
    "

    really good answer. We all do pay just differently. My sister had bariatric surgery and even though she has loss a lot of weight, fundamentally she hasn't learned any new nutrition skills just smaller portions of junk. The price she pays is the restriction in her portions as well as a limitation in how much water she can drink, which is a big issue in Australia.
    I hope my path will be different. I am changing and learning new skills

    [/quote]

    To be fair to your sister, on some level, smaller portions of junk is a new nutritional skill compared to large portions of junk. And yes, absolutely, every form of weight loss has its own "price" to pay in its own way. I agree.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    Midasgal wrote: »
    I have an IRL buddy who lost ~250lbs and seems to be maintaining.

    what is IRL?[/quote]

    In Real Life
  • StrilansWife
    StrilansWife Posts: 6 Member
    This drug has been in trials for years. The side effects are really typical of most drugs. You are under Drs care while taking it like any other drug.
    I truly believe it is a personal choice but I feel bad for people who are considering it and all the noise by nay sayers. Some people can barely walk or breathe. If they had control this wouldn’t even be an issue. This drug can really help get things started and get them motivated, moving.