He's probably paying out of pocket so it won't affect your health insurance rates.
That's not how macroeconomics works.
An economist here. This has nothing to do with "macroeconomics" and, yes, paying for a drug out of pocket does not have much to do with insurance premiums
While I agree that this should not impact active people like ourselves as much because we can workout to address the muscle loss, it is much harder for those over 60 because its also well documented that it is very hard after your 50's to put on additional muscle mass for a number of reasons.
This might truly be "stating the obvious", but assuming you aren't running competitively anymore, there's a miracle drug for that too...
I tried low dose Retuditride on a whim to drop the last few pounds I wanted to lose (5'9" 145, and I wanted to be 135). It certainly worked well for losing the weight, but I would NEVER do it again! My resting HR went up 15bpm and I felt horrible all the time. My running became a torture. It took 8 weeks to get back to "normal", but my new normal was way slower than before. I looked fit and lean at 135, but I was anything but fit. I'm at 140 now 12 weeks after taking it, and my running is nearly back to where it was when I started. Perhaps I am an outlier with my bad reaction, but I really regretted trying it. I would far prefer to be hungry than to feel so rotten that I couldn't eat.
This world has become so lazy. Depending on pharmacuticals for weight loss. Electric bikes rather than pedal. Block printing because writing is too hard. AI for all the schoolwork. It's a wonder people can run without some type of assistance.
Running assistance? How about super shoes. Real runners trained in Nike Waffles and raced in Onitsuka Tiger Jayhawks.
How are y’all getting these drugs. I’m not diabetic, my BMI is 23 and all of my other bio markers are fine. There’s no way my dr will give me a script for any GLP.
How are y’all getting these drugs. I’m not diabetic, my BMI is 23 and all of my other bio markers are fine. There’s no way my dr will give me a script for any GLP.
I’m not on them but certain telemed providers and med spas will work with you even if you aren’t clinically in the overweight category.
While I agree that this should not impact active people like ourselves as much because we can workout to address the muscle loss, it is much harder for those over 60 because its also well documented that it is very hard after your 50's to put on additional muscle mass for a number of reasons.
This might truly be "stating the obvious", but assuming you aren't running competitively anymore, there's a miracle drug for that too...
You are correct, but its not by choice. I need to get total knee replacements. Even with this, I think I may never overcome how slow I have gotten over the last 10 years, but I'd like to try.
And yes, maybe combining micro-dosing of steroids would be something but I am not willing to do this. Big Pharma is working hard on the next block buster to address sarcopenia but it might be too late for me.
Age is a btch and none of us get out of here alive (that's Stating the obvious!)
Enjoy it while you can and do resistance training a few hours a week. Your 60s -90s will thank you.
This post was edited 3 minutes after it was posted.
GLP-1 fan. Your statement that if you stop you will gain the weight back is simply false. I was on a GLP-1 medication for one year. Lost almost 50 pounds. Have now been off it for 10 months and have not gained one pound back. Do I work at maintaining my current weight - yes. I watch what I eat, I exercise, and lead a clean life. So not everyone will gain all the weight back, or even any weight. But the individual must be prepared to be disciplined.
Funny how you are so cocksure based on a N of 1. In one much larger trial 2/3 experienced weight gain. The original statement is closer to the truth than your statement.
There's an argument that could be made that using these drugs now prevent problems related to obesity later. However, that argument only works if somehow people can get off it and maintain results. A WSJ article said 50 percent of GLPs gain the weight they lost. I'm not sure how that compares to other drugs, but that seems high to me.
It might be high, but compared to what? Dieting?
If we could get 1/2 of the obese people in the US to a healthy weight it would have a tremendously positive impact on the cost of healthcare and the quality of life for those people.
I suspect that we will develop drugs that are even better over time.
An economist here. This has nothing to do with "macroeconomics" and, yes, paying for a drug out of pocket does not have much to do with insurance premiums
A former child beauty pageant mom here.
There are two markets and one supply. If the "pay out of pocket" market increases total demand, then the price will go up for both the pay out of pocket market and the insurance pay market. That will force the insurance industry to either increase premiums, or decrease profits.
I tried low dose Retuditride on a whim to drop the last few pounds I wanted to lose (5'9" 145, and I wanted to be 135). It certainly worked well for losing the weight, but I would NEVER do it again! My resting HR went up 15bpm and I felt horrible all the time. My running became a torture. It took 8 weeks to get back to "normal", but my new normal was way slower than before. I looked fit and lean at 135, but I was anything but fit. I'm at 140 now 12 weeks after taking it, and my running is nearly back to where it was when I started. Perhaps I am an outlier with my bad reaction, but I really regretted trying it. I would far prefer to be hungry than to feel so rotten that I couldn't eat.
This is psychotic, going on meds to drop weight when you're 145 lbs.
I tried low dose Retuditride on a whim to drop the last few pounds I wanted to lose (5'9" 145, and I wanted to be 135). It certainly worked well for losing the weight, but I would NEVER do it again! My resting HR went up 15bpm and I felt horrible all the time. My running became a torture. It took 8 weeks to get back to "normal", but my new normal was way slower than before. I looked fit and lean at 135, but I was anything but fit. I'm at 140 now 12 weeks after taking it, and my running is nearly back to where it was when I started. Perhaps I am an outlier with my bad reaction, but I really regretted trying it. I would far prefer to be hungry than to feel so rotten that I couldn't eat.
This is psychotic, going on meds to drop weight when you're 145 lbs.
Utterly insane.
Yep. It was a very bad idea. I'm glad I don't need to take the stuff, because it was horrible.
A better way is to manage the amount and location of muscle and fat, i.e., shape and body composition. And you can do so easily, naturally, and inexpensively.
People taking GLP-1s end up worse off after they discontinue the drug than before the drug - even if they do lose weight (which many do!). A much better way for long-term health is to do keto or low-carb diets and lift weights. that way, the muscle loss/bone loss is greatly decreased.
I do not trust all of the AI Chatbots & celebrity doctors promoting these drugs. Big Pharma has too much to gain - not only from the initial profits on GLP-1s: because GLP-1s cause so many health problems, Big Pharma will further profit from the life-altering side effects (bone loss, muscle loss = premature aging) even after people discontinue using GLP-1s.
A co-worker of mine has taken Rybelsus, and it made it impossible for him to fuel during long bike rides. He just couldn't take the sports drink necessary to fuel him. So now he stops taking Rybelsus 2 days before a long bike ride.
Anyone taking these weigh-loss drugs with the same experience ? I.e. unable to fuel sufficiently during races or training.
I did an Ultra trail in high humidity a few weeks ago. Was leading my wave comfortably but after only 8km started cramping, then it just got worse and could not consume enough salt. Lesson learned.... GLPs have massively helped me go from a tubby 82kg to 68kg and close to my old race weight. Knee pain is down, injuries are down, speed is up. So many benefits but this was a rude awakening and realised that any event where you need to fuel or prefuel then these drugs can have a dangerous effect.
55 year old Male living in S Florida. Exposed to many people who are using GLP-1. In a lot of the incidences, the wives were using it first and then the husbands started to use it as well. The culture here is so prevalent on fitness hacks that significant amounts of personal trainers (many of them men) sell Mounjaro as a side hustle- usually double the price than if you just had a prescription. As a side note: I have always found it hypocritical if a personal trainer is using GLP-1. The guy who trains most of my wife's friends offered it to me. I declined because the whole situation felt like a bit of an illegal drug deal.
Regarding Doctors, you CAN get a Mounjaro prescription from a "Wellness Doctor". However, they will charge you a "consultation fee" of $400 as well as out of pocket expenses for Lab tests. Ultimately they do not care if you are not obese or below a specific BMI Guideline. In fact, I know more than a few runners/cyclists/triathletes who are using Mounjaro.
In the situation specific to myself: Due to increasing age etc, I had become borderline overweight (not obese) and started to see my blood markers worsen. These events happened despite keeping in shape. I blamed it on poor food choices and the inevitable slowing down of metabolism as I surpassed 50 years of age.
I began to seriously consider going on Mounjaro and researched it as well as other GLP-1s. I have to admit it seemed like a very compelling choice after seeing many people in our social proximity using it. However, I determined I wasn't comfortable with the idea because evidence seemed that people will need to use the GLP-1 for Life and if they stop, the weight comes back with a vengeance. Additionally, not enough studies on long-term effects of GLP-1 and I also had a bit of skepticism on the fact that too many people were extolling the virtues of the drug as if it was some form of super fix for everything.
What I decided to do was target visceral fat by eating in a 4 hour time window. Specifically, I skipped breakfast and had lunch and dinner at 12pm and 4pm respectively. Important to note, I did not restrict calories but I made sure I stuck to my 20 hour window so I would have more time where insulin was reduced and my body would metabolize fat. I also did resistance training 3x a week and made sure I did some form of cardio every day.
To track my progress, I used a Dexa Scan from a licensed provider (i.e. people who knew what they were doing).
The results, after 1 year, I went from 23% body fat to 15%. More importantly, almost all the fat I lost was visceral fat. For those of you who arent aware, the visceral fat is deadlier than the fat we see on the outside of our bodies because it interacts with organs such as the Liver. Additionally, my bloodwork shows the improvements. Cholesterol is sub 140 even though I will eat steak with lots of marbling. My guess is because I am avoiding lots of additives such as HFCS.
I feel much happier and I have amazing energy. I still run 4x a week. I am not shooting for fast times (anymore) but I feel I have a much better quality of life and the workouts dont feel like a drudgery anymore. Also, I dont feel like I am starving myself because I eat my normal caloric amount- only it is in a 4 hour window.
A final point- I am a lot more conscious about the type of food I put in my body. I try to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. I am very vigilant in avoiding processed carbs.
Bottom Line: It IS possible to reduce your fat without going on GLP-1. It will take some discipline but I think it is an easy fix to skip breakfast and eat only 2 meals a day. My 1 sentence advice is to target things that will help eliminate visceral fat.
Good Luck out there and I believe you should at least consider this advice before you commit to a GLP-1.