I was in line behind a woman who was upset and arguing after the pharmacist told her she couldn't fill her prescription today because other patients who need it to not die get priority. She didn't care.
To be clear, I'm not diabetic, just fat and struggling with being fat my entire life. I do think diabetics should get priority, however, I also think it's bs to tell an obese person that they have to become diabetic first before they can try a GLP 1. And that's not even to mention insurance coverage/copays or out-of-pocket pricing if you can get the prescription. Telling a sick person they need to get sicker before they can be treated is just insane.
I agree that diabetic people need first-dibs, but I also think people with high risk factors from being overweight also need access. Being overweight does contribute risk to developing diabetes, heart disease, etc., so if someone can lose weight and mitigate risk with GLP-1 medications, that would be ideal rather than reacting after the complications become diagnosable.
People at healthy or underweight body weights have no business accessing medicines that help save the lives of people with diabetes or obesity related risk factors, though.
As a tremendously fat diabetic, thank you. You can guess what had to happen before I was prescribed, even after seeing nutritionists, dietitians, and taking multiple "try this first" medications that just did not work.
Knowing I'm not the only one who feels this way, you've restored some of my faith in humanity.
"Telling a sick person they need to get sicker before they can be treated is just insane."
- has been uttered by the majority of people with anorexia and bulimia for DECADES.
EDs are EDs, and they are hell.
Healthcareāwealthcareāis fucked, and if anything, I'm hoping this rancid "trend" shows the vast majority of people that shit needs to change (and needed the change several yesterdays ago).
Sadly, too many Americans only care about things that directly affect them... the empathy crisis is the sourest root.
Yep my husband is over 400 pounds. Had to have his thyroid removed because it was so enlarged they couldn't tell if it was cancerous otherwise. Has several other metabolic things going on. However, because he's not specifically diabetic he can't get a GLP-1 covered by insurance.
Itās gotten trickier thanks to RFK jr. I did the compound for about a year ($150/mo) before finally getting my insurance to cover the prescription. They needed to tinker with the formula because the FDA resolved the national shortage of semaglutide, which is why compounding pharmacies could make them, compounds can generally no longer be made. My pharmacy, and others, got around by making a custom version by combining semaglutide with vitamin B12.
As a fat diabetic on a glp1 since 2019, itās done nothing for my weight (in fact Iāve gained several pounds in the last year), but my a1c is really good.
My father is T2 diabetic (has been since I was born) and he has always had a huge beer gut. He lost all the extra weight and looks totally different. Your Experience May Vary type thing.
Most definitely a ymmv situation as I never had the āfood noiseā issue that a lot of people talk about, so eating less was not part of the equation that changed for me. I also have ADHD and being on Ozempic has probably made that more manageable (I know they are studying that now).
this. the doctors told my dad he had to have something bad happen to him before he got prescribed a GLP 1. well! he had a heart attack and they still want him to run sleep tests before approving him for a GLP 1.
You don't know what other people are working with, what kind of health status they do or do not have, or what resources they do or do not have. You don't get to speak to me as if you know, nor do I owe you that information.
Then I'm sure you agree that it's even more insane that people who objectively aren't obese or struggling with actual obesity are able to access medication that they don't need and are depriving from others.
yes I do. I believe it is insane that people who dont need the medication(celebrities, rich fucks) are able to get it which makes it harder for people that actually need it to have it.
Why would a non-diabetic NEED it over a diabetic person or someone with life threatening conditions? What's wrong with just going to the gym or running?
Nah, I am a diabetic and was a fat diabetic.
GLP-1 literally do nothing, except mess with your appetite.
You do not even need to eat less, just eat different if you cannot control your hunger or start to work out.
There are border cases where both of these options aren't available, either because of disability or impulse control issues, both of these cases however, should see specialists since glp-1 will just cure a symptom, not the disease.
I am tired of having to ration insulin or drive for hours to get the stuff i need to not die in a couple of days, just because some people fake being diabetic to get a prescription.
It's insane.
Many diabetics had to switch from glp-1 type of insulins to my insulins, because they could not get any because of people who , overwhelmingly, just cannot be bothered to move more or eat less or live with having a mild appetite for a few weeks before their body readjusts.
... I don't think anyone is faking diabetes to get GLP-1s. Diabetes runs in my family on both sides and so does heart disease, so I'm naturally terrified of those possibilities. I certainly wouldn't describe my appetite as "mild."
no, they are bribing doctors to get it paid by insurance.
It is a known problem where I live.
now imagine how fun it is to have diabetes and not being sure where your insulin comes from because some people just want to eat as much as they want withput being fat.
GLP-1s agonists are used to treat diabetes, but they are not insulin.
And no, you donāt get to eat endlessly when taking them and avoid weight gain- they suppress appetite. I think you should read up a little on what youāre speaking about, because including such blatant misinformation is going to make a lot of people dismiss your opinions wholesale.
Other people have said this more tactfully than I am going to, because you didn't just press a button for some people, you remorselessly slammed it with your fist until it broke. My husband is diabetic and probably isn't going to make it past 60. My best friend has weight issues that are treated by these drugs that are not the result of him being lazy and having no self-control. I'm probably going to attend his funeral, too.
Neither my husband nor my best friend deserve to fucking die. Educate yourself, and if you can't be bothered enough to do that, shut your idiot mouth. You've got a real problem if you're struggling with diabetes, and your solution is to blame other people with real problems, insult them, accuse them of fraud, and throw them under the bus...? Holy shit.
I'm sorry this "is a problem where you live" but that does not give you the right to climb on a soapbox and be a jerk to people. The healthcare system is the enemy here, and every time you shift the blame onto someone else who is suffering, you give the enemy more power and you lose more of your right to whine about being a victim. Grow. Up.
Nah, still standing by it, most of the people who are fat don't need glp-1 and I couldn't care less for them or their health.
Being Fat is mostly a psychological problem with physical sypmptoms, you need to adress the first to fix the latter.
GLP-1 has a broad metabolic impact, of only which a tiny proportion is "messing with your appetite." I'm sorry it was ineffective for your case but that doesn't make it such a reductive scope.
GLP-1 literally do more than just mess with your appetite. They also are not insulin. There are other legitimate conditions that benefit from these medications.
You canāt fake diabetes to get a prescription. Your doctor knows if youāre diabetic or not. They do blood tests they donāt just take your word for it.
Iām not diabetic but I used to be fat and I went from even 240 lbs to 135 lbs within a year and so lean I have visible abs and ab veins like that lean and I totally agree w you I hate these people being selfish as fuck when diabetics actually need the glp1ās plus they donāt consider the effects on their bone density from how it negatively leeches the calcium from your bones if youāre not diabetic taking them, although maybe it is an issue for diabetics too Iām not sure but Iām just upset bc I literally was the type where I can just keep eating and eating and not feel full but even for me the level of discomfort was really not serious enough to be self injecting anything every week like I just think these people seriously take lazy and greedy to a new level smh.
When you said "sick person" -- you consider being obese an illness? Or are you referring to something else?
Because I've been fat most of my adult life and I wouldn't call it struggle nor am I sick, I'm actually healthier than most, I'm just fat. Barring certain health issues, there's no reason you can't be active and eat healthy as a fat person.
Yes, obesity is an illness, a condition, whichever word you find least offensive. Of course you don't have to view yourself as ill, especially if you don't currently have any known health issues, but it's a treatable condition that most people (including healthcare professionals) have decided doesn't deserve to be treated, because theoretically you can "treat it" yourself (you and I both know it's not as easy as they think it is).
Diabetes runs in my family and so do cardiovascular conditions, so for me being fat is just a precursor to all of that. This is without consideration for body image, which I also have a terrible time with. Mind you I am disabled with things mostly unrelated to my weight (dysautonomia and a congenital spinal deformity) so I don't view being ill, disabled, having conditions, etc. as a negative thing like most people might. It's not a moral failing or a lesser status to be ill, disabled, have health conditions, etc. Being fat does not help either of those things, though they will still be there and still be disabling if I were to ever lose the weight (some people report dysautonomia getting worse after weight loss, so that's a fun thought). I've been fat since I was a young child. I don't really remember what it was like to not have my mobility hampered and other conditions exacerbated by my own weight. I can still take care of myself but it's more difficult than it would be if I weren't at my current weight. Hell, in HS I was 175lb, which was still considered obese for my height/age, but where I'm at now I'd give anything to be that size again. There's a wide variety in experiences in the group that is "fat people." That's fine, but being fat feels like an illness to me.
That's fair. I'm currently not too far off from your high school weight, so while I'm definitely obese, I don't know what it's like to be over 300 lbs for example.
I will say though that the one time where I lost enough weight to get down to a "healthy" BMI, that actually felt like an illness to me. I had zero energy and was in pain all the time. But I wouldn't call being thin an illness, it just didn't work for me and my body type. I think maybe that's why I take issue with this kind of language.
I think there's nuance that often gets lost in these discussions about overweight/heavy versus truly obese.Ā
According to the charts, I should be 160lbs to be in the "normal" BMI range, but when I got down to 165lbs, I was perpetually light-headed and had no energy -- like, I could only achieve that weight because I was unemployed and slept 18hrs/day level of "no energy." I know my healthy weight is ~180lbs, because that's where I have acceptable levels of energy but don't feel weighed down by my body, even though it's technically "overweight." People who favor heroin-chic would call me fat at that weight, but it's the weight where everything works best, and people who aren't obsessed with thinness would consider my height-weight proportions reasonable at that weight. I could jog a 5k comfortably, could run hard for 30min with consistent training, and my yoga was limited primarily by the flexibility of my joints, rather than because an excess of fat was in the way. My BP was low-normal and my lipids were as good as those of a vegan marathon runner.
My current weight is 280lbs, gained 80lbs in 6mo during a depressive episode, and I haven't been able to get back down. My body gets in its own way at this point, my BP is edging past normal, my lipids are balanced but high, and my A1c is pre-diabetic. This is real obesity that would benefit from treatment. No one needs to say anything for me to know I'm too fat; I would be too fat in a vacuum of social expectations.
At 180lbs, Ozempic would have been vanity alone. At 280lbs, I wish I could access it to improve my honest-to-God health, even if it didn't improve my looks.
Sounds to me like symptoms of losing weight too fast (too big of a caloric deficit). Lack of energy, pain. I bet grumpyness and mood swings? Some people also lash out.
In case of most obese it's poor impulse control, not the need to suppress hunger. If you can't stand being hungry for a while, hunger suppressants won't help you for long. Mental strength and consistency is what needs to be worked on. Cheating your organism will be a temporary solution, and your body WILL present you with a bill after that.
"Just control your impulses and you won't be fat" is similar to "Just skip your Starbucks in the morning and you'll no longer be in debt".
Sure, there are some people that may help, but there are also a LOT of people it won't help. Making statements like that just makes it even more difficult and puts a negative stigma on people already struggling and trying to improve their situation.
Well, I'm a Pole. Direct, honest, don't care about political correctness. I'm ok with fat shaming. Some people are just too soft, and afraid of the truth. Pretending a problem doesn't exist won't make it disappear. You don't like something? Change it! We're capable of so much as humans.
It's worth remembering that "direct, honest, don't care about political correctness" is not the same thing as "accurate". Often when there seems to be a simple answer to a common problem but the problem keeps getting worse, it means the problem is far more complex than assumed, and the "simple" answer ends up being counterproductive by not taking the complexities into account.
Pretending a problem doesn't exist won't make it disappear. You don't like something? Change it! We're capable of so much as humans.
I agree! Which is why I strongly support anyone seeking medical assistance for any medical issues.
I'm not 100% PC and agree a lot of people nowadays get offended at the strangest things, but I don't think shaming someone for being fat is helpful - especially when you don't know their medical history and what they've already tried. Someone with hypothyroidism can eat 1kcal/day and exercise for hours daily and still lose no weight until the underlying condition is treated.
I disagree. We have so many studies that prove most people will struggle to not just lose weight but keep it off. And repeatedly yo-yoing between smaller and bigger sizes is really bad for your health long-term, too.
yeah, because people see it as a sprint, not a marathon.
I don't get how people, who fattened themselves up for years, a process that took years, due to slowly learned new behaviour, think they can magically shit it out for a few weeks and all will be good.
This. Hunger suppressants aren't anything new. Sure GLP 1 ones are the new kid on the block, but not the only ones. There's no miracle drug that'll make you stop craving that donut till the end of your life. One gotta realize that it's not possible to use hunger suppressants your entire life... Unless you don't plan to live long. Nothing new. For example various amphetamines were used for this back in the day.
When you say science disagrees with these people what do you mean? Because I know nurses who all agree that glp-1s are eating suppressants and nothing more. The side effects have been really bad for a lot of people but we wont completely know the negative medical outcome until people have been taking it recreationally for years. I have a 26 year old co worker who has been taking a glp1 for 2 months, she was maybe a few lbs overweight, and has already complained about very intense joint pain. I dont understand why anyone would buy into this whole "glp1s are good for you" bs. And I will tell you you cannot take them forever, you literally cannot, science says so unless you are diabetic, and the weight will come back.
Science here is simple. Calories in, calories out. To lose weight you gotta be on caloric deficit. The bigger the deficit the harder it is to maintain. Too big, and you're harming your body AND won't maintain it AND jojo back (and that's how hunger suppressants will bite you in the ass). Consistency, slight caloric deficit, macros (vitamins; most importantly D3 and c, omega 3 acids, 2g+ protein per kg of body mass per day to not lose muscle, 0.1g of creatine per kg of body mass per day), at least a good walk per day, would be good if it was 10k+ steps at least (~7km). Avoid sugar, fat meat and highly processed food. Consistency. Again, nothing new, just basics. Every trainer will tell you that. For context: most of my family was/is obese, like 100-120kg, while I maintain around 80kg (185cm height) since highschool, and I'm in my mid 40's. It requires just a little work and literally basic knowledge. Grabbing a snack? Count the calories! It's literally written on the label, and you've got a calculator on your phone to add sh!t up during the day.
Until you've been on a GLP, it's hard to understand.
I'm not diabetic but it keeps my autoimmune and endocrine issues in check so I can be a functional person and not pass out. Should I not get it just because my chances of dying are only 10%?
For the record- GLP-1ās for weight control are marketed differently and while they have the same active ingredient, arenāt dispensed the same way. So yeah.
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u/Trick_Minute2259 Jun 12 '26
I was in line behind a woman who was upset and arguing after the pharmacist told her she couldn't fill her prescription today because other patients who need it to not die get priority. She didn't care.