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"Anything is better than being obese"?

trixsterjl31
trixsterjl31 Posts: 105 Member
I've seen this idea kind of floating out there. Sometime it is said outright, some times you see it in peoples choices to cut really deep in deficits....A discussion about weight lose meds made me ponder this one. I think mostly it is true. Getting thinner makes you healthier across the board and increases lifespan. Where does it not stop though:
About 1 in 2000 die as a result of gastric bypass surgery and about 150 died over the course of the last 6 years that Ozempic was used. A very small number unless you are that number. At what point is it worth it to go these routes?
For me the answer would be when doctor says to do it or you are going to die.

Replies

  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,978 Member
    Uh…
    There are worse things than being obese.

  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,490 Member
    Uh…
    There are worse things than being obese.

    True, but from a health standpoint, being obese exacerbates most of these things
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,046 Member
    I suppose some people implicitly think that, and some even say/write it. That doesn't make it accurate or sensible.

    Sure, being obese generally isn't ideal, for a variety of reasons. But "anything is better than being obese" is silly nonsense. Probably being a lower weight is better than being obese, sure.

    Weight management isn't the only realm - by far - where people accept increased risks, even death risks, in return for some perceived benefit. (I took multiple medications each of which kill some people, because the risk of the disease killing me was a higher risk.)

    You say "About 1 in 2000 die as a result of gastric bypass surgery and about 150 died over the course of the last 6 years that Ozempic was used." That doesn't have much meaning, statistically speaking, without some context like how many premature deaths result from staying obese.

    FWIW: "In a meta-analysis study of 2.88 million individuals, obesity was associated with an increase in mortality rate, with a hazard ratio of 1.18 (95% CI, 1.12–1.25)". Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5401682/

    It's a reasonable choice to skip surgical or medication interventions for weight loss, if the goal can be achieved in other ways. But risk tolerance and importance/difficulty of the goal matter to an individual choice, too.

    My choices are my responsibility. Generally, I'm not going to judge someone for their choices that don't affect me directly. I don't see why I would want to do that? (Yes, I do give people advice here sometimes to do things differently than they currently are, when I think they're jeopardizing their health or chances of success. I don't volunteer those judgements to strangers on the street, though, or even people IRL who aren't looking for advice.)
  • trixsterjl31
    trixsterjl31 Posts: 105 Member
    edited October 26
    @AnnPT77 As always good input. The risks from both Ozempic and Gastric bypass are exceedingly small. If it gets someone where they need to be to live a happier and longer life I'm all for it. I was just thinking of the lines of personal risk assessment. I've been asked by my doctor in the past if I want to see a specialist about gastric bypass and more recently about the success rates of wag/oz. In the end for me I know that if I really commit to change I can change. If I had to do one or the other i'd probably opt for the riskier gastric bypass. I look at it like sky diving. Once you are out of the plane you are committed, where the drugs can just be stopped. I also think that anyone that can't change behavior really needs to do a deep introspection into why. I am not judging I spent 20 years drinking regularly thinking I'll fix this issue tomorrow. I can only pray that This is the one that sticks. I've quit twice for about a year once and six months the other. Ok i'm rambling but good points above.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,490 Member
    edited October 29
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Uh…
    There are worse things than being obese.

    True, but from a health standpoint, being obese exacerbates most of these things

    I’ve been homeless, and lived in my car.
    My dad died when I was a teen and we struggled financially for years because of medical bills.
    My mom was very thin because she smoked like a chimney - which eventually resulted in throat cancer, which killed her.
    I’ve had an unattended miscarriage at four months.
    I watched my house burn down to ashes.

    I could go on.

    My point stands.

    There are worse things than being obese.

    Sorry for your issues, but my statement still stands. Obesity (as well as extreme underweight) exacerbates most health issues. Never said there aren't some things that are worse than being obese.
  • SafariGalNYC
    SafariGalNYC Posts: 1,388 Member
    edited October 29
    There are a number of dueling arguments and points here.

    If we are talking about risk assessment- I think it’s a personal decision to weigh the risks vs benefits. I personally would rather try diet and exercise before injections but there are people who do the Injections and find success that has evading them for whatever reason.

    The title - anything is worse than being obese.. well- I do think there are things worse than being obese.. that still doesn’t negate the health implications of actually being obese or overweight.

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,324 Member
    For years, I thought that if you drank or ate sugar substitutes, you’d die of cancer or endless other dread diseases. Avoided products containing them like the plague.

    Til I started to lose weight and realized the extra weight was going to kill me or ruin my health a darn sight faster than any sugar-free soda would.

    Btw, (and totally OT!) made a dual batch of muffins Friday. One completely to recipe with sugar and real butter. The other with granulated sucralose, margarine and egg whites. Obvs, the original recipe was much richer, but the tinkered-with recipe wasn’t half bad, and was probably half the calories. If anything, too sweet, but didn’t taste unnatural.

    If anything, OP seems to be wrangling with the decision. Anything that gets the weight off successfully - and that also includes exercise and more informed food choices - is an improvement over the toll extra weight will eventually take.

    You do what you need to do, just do it diligently and effectively.

  • trixsterjl31
    trixsterjl31 Posts: 105 Member
    [quote="springlering62;c-48338607"}

    If anything, OP seems to be wrangling with the decision. Anything that gets the weight off successfully - and that also includes exercise and more informed food choices - is an improvement over the toll extra weight will eventually take.

    You do what you need to do, just do it diligently and effectively. [/quote]
    I often post w/e is on my mind when i'm at work. I'm not really struggling with the idea of a bypass or drug atm. I'm well on my way down. Gave up beer. got a good eating system that works for me. It could be lower it could be higher. So pretty much it will carry me through with minimal adjustments as I go down.
    The actual thought was more about people I see drastically cutting calories to the core and thinking that, that is going to be a fix. Or taking a medication that they will eventually have to come off.... Everyone has to decide what is going to work for them. I just wonder at the long term viability of quick fixes and decision process for nuclear options.

  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,978 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Uh…
    There are worse things than being obese.

    True, but from a health standpoint, being obese exacerbates most of these things

    I’ve been homeless, and lived in my car.
    My dad died when I was a teen and we struggled financially for years because of medical bills.
    My mom was very thin because she smoked like a chimney - which eventually resulted in throat cancer, which killed her.
    I’ve had an unattended miscarriage at four months.
    I watched my house burn down to ashes.

    I could go on.

    My point stands.

    There are worse things than being obese.

    Sorry for your issues, but my statement still stands. Obesity (as well as extreme underweight) exacerbates most health issues. Never said there aren't some things that are worse than being obese.

    Please note OP header is literally “Anything is better than being obese”

    That is an incredibly toxic point of view that can lead to eating disorders, and often (not always) medical issues caused by healthcare professionals dismissing every symptom as being weight related.

    Is being overweight associated with negative health outcomes?
    Undoubtedly.

    But it’s nuanced. And there are other things that are at least as bad, or perhaps worse.

    I’m not going to do a deep dive into statistics, but living in a city and breathing polluted air is pretty bad for you.
    Living with an extreme level of stress is associated with a lot of health issues.
    Sleep apnea can kill you. And yes, thin people have sleep apnea too.

    My point is that the discussion is far too nuanced and individualistic to make a sweeping statement that there is nothing worse than being obese.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,978 Member
    I often post w/e is on my mind when i'm at work. I'm not really struggling with the idea of a bypass or drug atm. I'm well on my way down. Gave up beer. got a good eating system that works for me. It could be lower it could be higher. So pretty much it will carry me through with minimal adjustments as I go down.

    Sounds like you’re doing great! An excellent mindset, with good adjustments to your old habits.
    The actual thought was more about people I see drastically cutting calories to the core and thinking that, that is going to be a fix.

    100% that is never a good idea.
    And it’s a constant struggle here on these forums (and other apps’ forums) to get people to see how they are potentially contributing to - at the very least- their own failure at dietary management, and possibly some severe health consequences.
    Or taking a medication that they will eventually have to come off....

    1) Not everyone who is prescribed GLP-1 meds is destined to stop taking them. Like other blood glucose management medications, for some people they’re likely to be on them for a very long time, perhaps even for life.

    2) Taking a medication for the rest of your life is not a bad thing if the alternative is a decline in health, or death.
    Everyone has to decide what is going to work for them. I just wonder at the long term viability of quick fixes and decision process for nuclear options.

    I get that.
    Quick fixes almost never work.
    Medications are not always a “quick fix” though. Certainly not when cautiously prescribed and paired with nutritional education and advice on appropriate exercise and activities. Which is almost always the case.
    (noting that there is currently a crackdown against internet quacks who specialize in “compounded oral Ozempic” and related NO OFFICE VISIT REQUIRED sketchy practices)

    And, as always, every individual needs to carefully consider these decisions with their medical team, and weigh their individual options. What is right for one person may not be right for someone else who has different risk factors.



  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,324 Member
    The actual thought was more about people I see drastically cutting calories to the core and thinking that, that is going to be a fix. Or taking a medication that they will eventually have to come off.... Everyone has to decide what is going to work for them. I just wonder at the long term viability of quick fixes and decision process for nuclear options.

    Hang around these boards for a while. You’ll be horrified. Some of the posts alternately break my heart and some make me furious.

    90% of the people who join expect a nuclear option to work magically. “I’m going to do keto / one meal a day / I can be successful on 800 calories a day! Join me! We’ve got this!”

    And the ever popular “what food / supplement / vinegar “ is best for fat burning?

    If I never hear the term “belly fat” again, I’ll be a happy woman.

    Newbs act like those of us who’ve been successful are holding out the secrets of our success. When we tell them it’s simply burning more calories than we eat, their ears perk up. “Burn?” Cycle begins again. We burn, secretly effectively magically selfishly and won’t share the elixir they’re sure we’ve got.

    What I really feel bad for is the youngsters so immersed and engrossed in social media, that they feel they have to look like these artificial, altered people they see or their lives are somehow less than.

    I’ve reached the point I have a tough time looking at the Introduction posts, but a few intro posts filter out into other threads.

    Maybe a better title would be “so much is better not being obese”, but that wouldn’t be any fun to debate, now would it?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,046 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Uh…
    There are worse things than being obese.

    True, but from a health standpoint, being obese exacerbates most of these things

    I’ve been homeless, and lived in my car.
    My dad died when I was a teen and we struggled financially for years because of medical bills.
    My mom was very thin because she smoked like a chimney - which eventually resulted in throat cancer, which killed her.
    I’ve had an unattended miscarriage at four months.
    I watched my house burn down to ashes.

    I could go on.

    My point stands.

    There are worse things than being obese.

    Sorry for your issues, but my statement still stands. Obesity (as well as extreme underweight) exacerbates most health issues. Never said there aren't some things that are worse than being obese.

    Please note OP header is literally “Anything is better than being obese”

    That is an incredibly toxic point of view that can lead to eating disorders, and often (not always) medical issues caused by healthcare professionals dismissing every symptom as being weight related.

    Is being overweight associated with negative health outcomes?
    Undoubtedly.

    But it’s nuanced. And there are other things that are at least as bad, or perhaps worse.

    I’m not going to do a deep dive into statistics, but living in a city and breathing polluted air is pretty bad for you.
    Living with an extreme level of stress is associated with a lot of health issues.
    Sleep apnea can kill you. And yes, thin people have sleep apnea too.

    My point is that the discussion is far too nuanced and individualistic to make a sweeping statement that there is nothing worse than b eing obese.

    Though it wasn't crystal clear, I read the OP mostly as meaning that people used "anything is better than being obese" as a rationale for adopting what he perceived as extreme weight loss methods . . . though he did write that he thinks it's "mostly true", if I read it correctly.

    I don't share the view that gastric bypass or GLP-1 drugs are that extreme, and think "anything is better than obesity" . . . well, suggests that anyone saying that has severely limited life experience at best, or at least isn't thinking very deeply about the experiences they may have.

    When something like 80% of weight loss efforts fail regardless of method, it doesn't make sense to me to pick on gastric bypass or GLP-1 drugs (or whatever) because those efforts often fail, too. With literally any method I can think of, if the person doesn't adopt permanent new habits going forward, they're going to regain. That's what usually happens, or so the statistics tell us. There are even sources that try to pick apart why/how some people do keep weight off longer term. (Example: National Weight Control Registry, http://nwcr.ws/default.htm )

    Certainly, I think that in many cases extreme calorie deficits aren't a great plan, and probably are part of the history of many "I'm back" posts we so often see here. That's why I often urge people who are new and asking for tips to consider a mindset reset, to think about how to make progress easier rather than trying to make it faster.

    It was a confusing post, or at least it confused me.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,324 Member
    edited October 29
    I often post w/e is on my mind when i'm at work. I'm not really struggling with the idea of a bypass or drug atm. I'm well on my way down. Gave up beer. got a good eating system that works for me. It could be lower it could be higher. So pretty much it will carry me through with minimal adjustments as I go down.

    Sounds like you’re doing great! An excellent mindset, with good adjustments to your old habits.
    The actual thought was more about people I see drastically cutting calories to the core and thinking that, that is going to be a fix.

    100% that is never a good idea.
    And it’s a constant struggle here on these forums (and other apps’ forums) to get people to see how they are potentially contributing to - at the very least- their own failure at dietary management, and possibly some severe health consequences.
    Or taking a medication that they will eventually have to come off....

    1) Not everyone who is prescribed GLP-1 meds is destined to stop taking them. Like other blood glucose management medications, for some people they’re likely to be on them for a very long time, perhaps even for life.

    2) Taking a medication for the rest of your life is not a bad thing if the alternative is a decline in health, or death.
    Everyone has to decide what is going to work for them. I just wonder at the long term viability of quick fixes and decision process for nuclear options.

    I get that.
    Quick fixes almost never work.
    Medications are not always a “quick fix” though. Certainly not when cautiously prescribed and paired with nutritional education and advice on appropriate exercise and activities. Which is almost always the case.
    (noting that there is currently a crackdown against internet quacks who specialize in “compounded oral Ozempic” and related NO OFFICE VISIT REQUIRED sketchy practices)

    And, as always, every individual needs to carefully consider these decisions with their medical team, and weigh their individual options. What is right for one person may not be right for someone else who has different risk factors.



    I read an article by a doctor yesterday responding to “should GLPs be over the counter?” He had a very considered response that he doubted it ever would because it affects people’s blood sugars, and also because people in a hurry to lose weight (paraphrasing) would bypass slow buildup tolerance to go straight to full strength- or more, in an effort to speed things up.

    I posted a pic on another thread of a weight loss doctor who entered our local scarecrow contest with a scarecrow doctor giving compounded GLP to a patient scarecrow, while a scarecrow nurse waited nearby with her Botox and something else. That’s the lowest kind of “professionals” who are attracted to this. They can print their own money. I’ve got several friends who are using compounded GLP and have made zero effort to change nutrition or exercise.

    Maybe part of me is jealous. Their weight loss has been a doddle versus my logging, working out, changing eating habits. But I feel like I’ve gained far more than weight loss doing it the “hard way”.

    Can you imagine if it was OTC? People would go nuts. It would be a stampede. cVS and Walgreens would have to reopen all those stores they’re closing. 😅