AIBU to think the jabs won't help the economy?

[EuclidianGeometryFan]

To add to the debate on weight loss jabs and the economy, try this thought experiment:
Suppose everyone who is overweight gets the jabs, for as long as they want, and they all get slim and lose their appetites.
The NHS saves a fortune.
But the supermarkets lose a fortune, and the take-away shops and fast-food restaurants, and the pubs and corner-shops selling late-night drinks and chocolate, and the delivery drivers rushing pizzas to our doors.

Any big supermarket has whole aisles dedicated to crisps, fizzy drinks, sweets, cakes, ready-made fat-laden food. It probably takes up about 3/4 of the floor space. Will no-one buy all this?

Surely the loss to the economy in the food industry will be greater than the savings to the NHS?

Or is the thinking that we will still buy as much crap food, then get it home and half way through eating it think 'I don't fancy this now' and bin it?
Will we just be adding massively to the food waste issue?

I get that the government is trying to address a huge issue, but they need to consider all aspects, and accept that the right solutions for society won't necessarily boost the economy.

Do you have a figure?

I worked hard. For four years. And lost 4 stone. I'm now privately funding the jab because it's what works best for me. Is that not acceptable to you?

Driving is good for you? Could you explain the health benefits gained from driving please.

You carry on with your little fantasy that fat people are bad people who don't deserve help.

Not every single over weight person is on the jabs and people that buy these things are not all over weight

@DamnitImTired it sounds to me as though you want a round of applause for being a superior being! You make it sound as though you are a better and more virtuous person for exercising and not being overweight. Is that what you believe?

Why wouldn't you treat obesity? It is a health problem that has spiraled out of control globally since 1975. What solutions are you offering?

@itwasnevermine

I don’t have a figure but go to the gym in January and then compare it to the same gym a few months or even weeks later. It’s a very obvious indication of people’s will power and motivation.

you have privately funded your jab. I have no problem with that at all.

do you want the govt to pay for it for you?

I'll leave the thread with an article worth reading. For easy convenience, I've posted below some relevant quotes.

Btw related to the often interlinked issues of poverty and obesity and chronic stress, and the concern of previous posters re the economy. Poverty costs the economy many billions. One major cost is bad or insecure housing. As published in the British Medical Journal, bad housing harms health. Costing the economy billions. More council housing would save the economy billions.

https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-obesity-paradox.aspx

While all segments of the population are affected by obesity, low-income and food insecure people are especially vulnerable.

Low-income neighbourhoods usually lack full-service grocery stores and farmers’ markets that can provide fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.

Healthy foods when available are usually more expensive. Alternatives of refined grains, added sugars, and fats are inexpensive and readily available in low-income communities.

Lack of filling and nutritious foods also means eating less or skipping meals. This also means that when food is available there is overeating. This leads to cycles of food restriction or deprivation followed by overeating.
Lack or limited access to healthcare. This results in lack of diagnosis and treatment of emerging obesity.

Lack of physical activity is also common among low income neighbourhoods. There are fewer parks, gymnasiums, bike paths. Unsafe neighbourhoods also mean children get less time to spend out of doors playing.

Low-income families also face high levels of stress due to food insecurity, financial pressures, lack of access to health care, inadequate transportation, poor housing and surrounding neighbourhood violence. Stress may lead to weight gain and obesity as well.

Seems like overweight people just can't win. When they're obese they get criticised,but when they try to lose weight,they still get criticised for not supporting the fast food industry!

Would you people all have a world where success is equally attainable to all regardless of your choices, your genetics, your ability…?

Sounds like a wonderfully equal utopia.

One final thing from the article I posted above.

The obesity paradox is a finding that reveals that although obesity is a major risk factor in the development of several conditions like heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease, in cases of severe heart conditions like heart attack (myocardial infarction) or heart failure (congestive heart failure), obese individuals have a survival benefit over those who are not-obese.

The paradox also shows that obese patients tend to fare better after certain surgical procedures, such as coronary artery bypass surgery for multiple artery blockages in the heart compared to the non-obese individuals.

Another major finding reveals that obese men who have long term high blood pressure are seen to live longer than men of normal weight. When controlled for other confounding factors that may have affected the results like age, medical care, or therapy, it is seen that obese individuals have the benefit of surviving longer than non obese individuals. This is termed as the obesity paradox.

This sounds like an argument a 13yo would make in a lunchtime debating club

I'm really quite worried by this. We don't know what the long term side effects of semaglutide are. I don't think this is something that the government should be pushing. This is utterly irresponsible. Ozempic has a serious black box FDA warning because of the possible link to thyroid cancer and pancreatic / gallbladder disease/ renal failure. It can also cause gastroparesis and damage to the intestine/ bowel. I am appalled at the suggestion that a dangerous drug should be dished out en masse without the slightest concern for the long term damage this may do.

Or maybe we should all try harder to become obese as well, so that the economy benefits from all the extra food we buy! I really think you've cracked it here.

@DamnitImTired again, the trial is not going to be Government funded, it will be funded by Lilly, the manufacturer of weightloss medication.

How do you go from a weightloss trial to success is equally attainable to all, regardless of choices. Where does that happen?

@TeaMistress it is a trial being proposed, not dishing anything out en masse.

Cool I need some black clothes for my dads funeral. Can you tell me which companies are selling these subsidized clothes please

We'll be worried, because they're not even using Ozempic.

You're all just buying into the fear factor.

It's because skinny women want fat women to stay fat because they attach a moral value to other women's weight and they think they're better than other women because they're skinny.

Even a trial of this substance is dangerous given what we know about the link to the incredibly serious side effects. Down the line are we going to see this drug as another Thalidomide. The manufacturers have a vested interest in pushing this but I have to seriously wonder whether anyone is stopping to think about the risks this drug poses.

Crap food outlets aren't 'owed' a business. They'll have to branch out into something that's good for public health.

NHS needs savings badly.

As if people on the jabs stop eating all together! I'm on them and literally just ate a bag of Walkers 😂

WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF MCDONALD'S PROFIT MARGINS!!!

@TeaMistress the drugs have been used for years! "The next thalidomide" yet they're being hailed as miracle drugs.

How about we only provide jabs to those who have truly explored every other avenue available to them?

are we honestly saying to low income people that we will provide the solution to their economic problems by making them skinny? Or telling them that they will get a job if they can lose weight?

how about we tell them that we can find them husbands and wives because we have a jab that will make them skinny.

and yay to the person who sensibly remarked about the long term health consequences.
lets talk about substituting cigarettes with vaping in a few years time. Let me guess though. It will be the vaping industry’s fault for producing vaping. No common sense that we should not be inhaling anything other than air into our lungs!

@TeaMistress you need to let NICE know that. They have approved the drugs for T2 diabetics.

The trial is not being funded by the government.

@itwasnevermine

yes I understand but the argument that has developed is that these drugs should be available to all as a way to limit the burden on the NHS and provide relief to the economy.

not sure who is going to self fund their own weight loss with the NHS or economy being the driving motivation.

@DamnitImTired where has the argument developed that these drugs should be available to all? Where have you seen that? I haven't seen that said anywhere.