I feel like I’ve been here before.
When I was young there was an exciting, blockbuster weight loss drug and all the benefits of it were all over the news.
Then, eventually, all the downsides were revealed and it was eventually banned from the market. (fen phen)
There is not enough research and attention being paid attention to the mental health side effects of these drugs, as well as other knock-on effects.
As well as the fact that many people cannot and will not be able to afford these drugs, meaning they will largely go to the well-to-do, further entrenching mental health issues with the poor having further body image issues as the well-to-do start thinning out. There’s also the issue that since these were originally diabetes drug that their popularity as weight loss drugs will make them difficult to access for diabetes patients.
Soon, like so many things, being a healthy weight will literally only be affordable to a certain class of people, and that does have knock-on societal mental health effects. (At least in the US.)
But yeah, let’s keep cheering on new drugs that haven’t been on the market long enough for long-term testing and that originally was developed for people with diabetes.
Well, the flip side of that argument comes with people who are in dire circumstances and want to try a drug for the potential benefits, but can’t because it hasn’t been approved yet. I think it’s perfectly fine to welcome the good news along with the bad. Science works with transparency.
I remember when Olestra came out and it was hailed as this new thing that will allow everyone to eat high-fat foods guilt free.
Then it turned out it made you shit your pants.
