Dr. Kushner is more hopeful, citing the example of statins, which lower cholesterol and became available in the late 1980s. Until then, doctors could only suggest that patients with high cholesterol cut down on eggs and red meat.
Doctors “hugged statins,” said Dr. Kushner because they could finally treat this condition. Stronger incretins could have the same effect on the medical profession, he added.
However, he is not sure whether patients will accept the disease label. They had been conditioned to believe that their weight was their own fault; All they have to do is eat healthier and exercise more.
When speaking to patients, he doesn’t spend 20 minutes convincing them that they have an illness. In fact, he deliberately avoids using the word “disease” and says “condition” or “problem” instead.
“I tell them this is a chronic, ongoing medical problem, just like diabetes,” he said.
The public poses a different challenge, said Dr. Kushner. With them he said, “We may need to use a term like ‘disease'”.
He compares the situation to that of alcoholism or drug addiction, which was once seen as indicative of weak will or moral failure. Researchers have successfully changed the conversation; Many people now know that those who abuse alcohol or drugs have an illness and need treatment.
Ms. Greenleaf would like to take semaglutide again. The pounds crept back as the process ended.
Obesity, she now states, “is not your fault.”
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