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There are side effects. Go onto any forum discussion about these and you will see discussions about those. MOST people are not impacted in a way that is more than a nuisance. No one is saying there are not.

But if you go onto those same forums you will see hundreds of people who have success stories after decades if trying your answers.

For someone who doesn’t comprehend how addictions work, saying “just diet” seems like a reasonable answer. Try telling that to a drug addict, or alcoholic. It’s not that easy.

This drug acts in two ways: One is to trigger a missing hormone in the gut. That trigger is what tells the brain to tell you to stop eating.

At the same time, the hormone reaches the membrane of the brain and it too works to shut down the “drive” to eat.

These people are not fat or diabetic because they are weak willed or lazy or stupid. (And I am not talking about people who need to drop 20 pounds or stop drinking a six pack every night—but the real targets of this addiction.)

These drugs are allowing them to diet and exercise in ways they couldn’t before. The result is they are healthier and have fewer long term chronic problems.

GLP-1s have been around for a long time. The system benefits for the health care industry are going to be huge. Fewer cardiac events. Fewer “ortho” issues. Less kidney disease. Less cancer.

The impact on things like addiction centers in the brain are being studied. A recent trial will result in its use for sleep apnea.

Compared to the long term benefits, the side effects (which are minimal to most people) are not even worth discussing. The money saved over the next 50 years will be in the billions.

But yeah, go around and tell folks to “eat a salad and try harder.”