Cambridge researchers on weight loss meds & the obesity crisis

[Eddy Edson]

Are weight loss jabs the solution to the obesity crisis?

We asked five Cambridge experts.

www.cam.ac.uk

Semaglutide-based weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic - and others like them - are being hailed as ‘revolutionary’, with the potential to improve the lives of billions.​

The UK government has suggested they could boost the economy by helping obese people get back to work.​

But current estimates suggest almost two thirds of UK adults are overweight or obese.​

Can these drugs really help tackle the obesity crisis?​

We asked five Cambridge experts.​

 

[Bruce Stephens]

So the drugs are pretty great at reducing obesity. We also need to try to prevent it, but that involves state interventions (which we've known about for decades) which no government is going to make.

 

[Bubbleblower]

Yesterday I made a thread about the solution to the obesity crisis (the War on Bugs). I dared to say it's not your brain, but nasty bugs that determine your food choices and realising this may help getting back in control.

I also explained these bugs, bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, produce a protein that binds to insulin so it doesn't fit the receptor anymore and they need glucose to proliferate. Hopefully it's ok to talk about this interesting topic.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Yesterday I made a thread about the solution to the obesity crisis (the War on Bugs).

You did. I was going to reply with the famous Wikipedia "citation needed" because I thought some of it looked surprising enough to need references.

It seems to have been deleted so I guess a moderator was similarly skeptical.

I don't think there's much disagreement that gut bacteria can play an important role. (At least with lab mice that's true. Presumably it's the same for humans.) I think I agree with this collection of experts that we need to look at the environment of food and activity choices and at genetics.

I fear we evolved in environments of food insecurity and where exertion was a much bigger part of our lives. Our current world isn't like that, and even relative poverty doesn't help that much since energy-rich foods are relatively cheap.

 

[JITR]

We also need to try to prevent [obesity], but that involves state interventions (which we've known about for decades) which no government is going to make.

This is an interesting point to discuss. Perhaps it would be better to subsitute 'T2D, CVD and other preventable diseases' for 'obesity'.

Anyway, what state interventions do you have in mind?

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Anyway, what state interventions do you have in mind?

Just the basics: controlling advertising of different kinds of foods, control how shops (especially supermarkets) promote foods and alcoholic drinks (an example given was that alcoholic drinks promoted on the ends of isles sold much better than those elsewhere), make healthier foods cheaper and less healthy foods more expensive, improve school (and hospital and prison) foods. I think those are the ones mentioned by the experts. (I think of exercise as mostly not relevant compared to food for weight but I may be mistaken. Increasing exercise is worthwhile for health too, I just doubt it'll do much for obesity.)

 

[JITR]

We also need to try to prevent [obesity], but that involves state interventions (which we've known about for decades) which no government is going to make.
Q: What state interventions do you have in mind?
A: Just the basics: controlling advertising of different kinds of foods, control how shops (especially supermarkets) promote foods and alcoholic drinks (an example given was that alcoholic drinks promoted on the ends of isles sold much better than those elsewhere), make healthier foods cheaper and less healthy foods more expensive, improve school (and hospital and prison) foods.

I am agnostic about most of those interventions. Still on Wednesday the Budget upped the soft drinks levy and the government announced a consultation to extend it. Steps in the right direction?

What I would like to see is a government sponsored campaign to promote a partnership between the public and the NHS to improve our health. The aim to avoid progression from a healthy state to CVD and T2D by accretion of fat in our livers over the years. The message, we must take responsibility for our health and stop expecting pills to put everything right. We have already 'broken' the NHS and are well on the way to breaking the economy as a result.

I am sure there are much better ways of putting this.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Steps in the right direction?

Probably. But it feels like a token, a proof of concept rather than a measure that'll actually make a difference.

The message, we must take responsibility for our health and stop expecting pills to put everything right.

I completely agree that pills (or injections) aren't the way to fix this. Asking everyone to eat more healthily and exercise more is simply not going to work. The environment has changed and it's going to require state interventions to change it again (presumably not back, but to some new place where it's easier for people to live healthier lives).

I see no indication that that's going to happen, sadly. 15 minute cities would (it seems to me) be part of such a change. I can imagine that idea becoming more widespread.

Mostly I suspect we'll continue blaming individuals: it's personal choice, and (weirdly) large parts of the populations in many countries are just making the wrong choices for some reason. But it's their fault, and not something governments can do anything about. They should just eat more freshly cooked meals from fresh ingredients.

 

[Bubbleblower]

You did. I was going to reply with the famous Wikipedia "citation needed"

What I said, among other things, was Staphylococcus aureus has 4 receptors for glucose and they need glucose to proliferate. And also that they produce a proteine that binds to insulin so that doesn’t work anymore.
It seems to me that’s why people get insulin resistent.

The other part I first learned here and unfortunately does not have subtitles.

We also need to try to prevent it, but that involves state interventions (which we've known about for decades) which no government is going to make.

That's what that whole video was about, with the argument our choices aren't free.


Edit: it does have English subtitles.