Latest news with #eatingdisorders
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Drugs like Ozempic aren't changing negative narratives around diet and weight
Friends keep asking me what I think about Ozempic . I know they're asking because I've written about food history, gender and eating disorders, but until recently I wasn't sure what I thought, wasn't sure that someone who has never had metabolic disease or lived in a body that attracted comment had any business having opinions about the drugs called GLP1 agonists. I support any development that undermines the idea that bodyweight has a moral aspect, or that individuals control the size of their bodies. We are shaped in every way by environment, society and genetics far more than by the small scope of personal choice within those determinants. Health is mostly determined by heredity and wealth. So if the new drugs stop people insisting that self-discipline and self-starvation are the answer to fatness, all to the good. [ Sarah Moss: 'I'm a classic first child. A driven overachiever. Slightly neurotic' Opens in new window ] But I'm not sure they're generally helping us live better lives. I gather GLP1 agonists are good as diabetes medication – not an area in which I am qualified to opine. Their rising use for other purposes seems to be correlated to increasing media excitement about extreme thinness, particularly in women, which is demoralising to those of us who grew up with heroin chic and the worship of emaciation and have lived in the shadow of those ideals ever since. If the drugs are changing narratives about diet and weight, I'm not seeing it. There's no decline in mindless writing about and advertising of 'guilt-free' foods and 'guilty pleasures'. (What you put in your mouth has no bearing on your moral worth. The only sinful foods are those harmfully produced.) READ MORE I understand that these medications work by depriving people of pleasure in eating. I'd argue that pleasure is politically and ideologically important as well as nice, that without pleasure we fall prey to the idea that life is nothing but scarcity and survival, which leads quickly to the idea that life is a competition and weakness is failure, at which point you're well down the road to dark places we don't need to go. Taking expensive drugs to make daily life less fun so you take up less space doesn't sound to me like the kind of choice made by happy people in a functional society, though you could argue that unhappy people in a dysfunctional society – for example, fat people hoping to be paid, promoted and desired as much as their thinner colleagues in Europe today – might perfectly sensibly make such decisions. Getting thin to succeed in a fat-phobic society is still an understandable individual solution to a structural problem. And it seems to me that the big structural problem here is not that people are fat but that we have created and continue to promote a food system that makes most consumers unwell, and are now creating and promoting a regime of medication that, at great financial and personal cost, claims to counteract the effects of that food system. We're all being sold ultra-processed, intensively farmed food that makes us and our planet sick, and then being sold drugs that moderate the effect of that food on individual bodies but compound the harm to the environment. I am certain that the same shareholders profit from the manufacture and sale of the food that causes the problem and the drugs that treat it. Ozempic's popularity is a symptom and driver of social and economic injustice, and I wish we could spend some of its cost on systemic change instead None of which means that I blame any individual for making whatever decisions seem necessary to cope. I only note that the troubles that show up in our bodies rarely began there, and therefore the sustainable solutions won't begin with injections. There are countries that have been able to reduce the proportions of intensively produced and processed foods consumed by their populations, especially by children. There are examples of local, regional and national governments creating and sometimes imposing healthier and more sustainable environments, but it can't happen without at least some popular demand, and the established interests and beneficiaries of harmful systems will never want such change. So what I think about Ozempic is that its popularity is a symptom and driver of social and economic injustice, and I wish we could spend some of its cost on systemic change instead. We could subsidise the production and transport of a lot of fresh local produce and build a lot of playgrounds, sports facilities and bike lanes for what we lose paying pharmaceutical companies to heal us from their absence. And it would be much more fun.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
John Swinney pays tribute to Scottish woman who lost battle with anorexia aged 20
First Minister John Swinney has paid tribute to a young Scottish constituent who sadly lost her battle with anorexia earlier this year. The first minister attended a charity park run, which was organised by the family of Rachel Bywater from Aberfeldy, to raise funds for BEAT, the UK's leading charity supporting those affected by eating disorders, reports The Record. Swinney joined the family of Rachel, who sadly died on May 17 this year aged just 20 years old, at the event which has raised an amazing £7,500 for the charity. READ MORE: Netflix viewers rush to watch 'compelling' BBC drama series set in Edinburgh READ MORE: Edinburgh's first 'queer cafe' announces closure as owners say 'this is only the beginning' The MSP for Perthshire North shared a snap of the group together sporting their, 'Run for Rachel' t-shirts and wrote: "A special privilege to join the family of Rachel Bywater - one of my constituents who faced an eating disorder and sadly died recently aged only 20 - to run a 5k and raise funds for Beat (Eating Disorders). "Wonderful to see so many in the #Aberfeldy community supporting today." Her father Dave Bywater added: "Thank you John, it was great to have your support and that of the community. 'I hope everyone who reads these posts can realise there is a family behind this who are suffering a tragic loss, and ignore the offensive responses you have received." Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Ahead of the event her family wrote: "We will be installing a new bench on the River Bank for Rachel Bywater, who very sadly passed away on May 17th this year. "To mark the occasion a fund raiser will be held on the Sunday to raise funds for BEAT (Eating Disorders). All you have to do is walk, jog or run 1, 2 or 3 laps of the FeldyRoo Fitness Trail. "The choice is yours, all we want is everyone to get involved. You can fill in an entry form and pick up sponsorship form at any of the pubs - Fountain, Black Wach or Schiehallion. "Entry is totally free but raised sponsorship or donations on the day would be really appreciated no matter how little or large."
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
No one should shame fat people. But let's not pretend they can have attractive lovers
Fat is one of the most vexatious molecular structures in the human body. It's where appetites and pleasure meet complex reward circuits, emotional self-soothing and addiction. Where disgust and shame and pathology meet economic abundance and grotesque surplus. Where family warmth and social cohesion meet bad habits and the kind of pressure that messes people up for life. Fat, or the attempt to get rid of it, spurs tales of discipline and willpower that yield bodily transformation that rivet millions, only for the whole thing to collapse like a soufflé and the weight pile back on. The industry is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Fat is a deeply complex issue: the overeating and overreliance on fattening food that leads to obesity, the brain and gut chemistry, and the hormonal and glandular disorders that make it hard to stop eating, and fat even harder to shed, should never be mocked. Women in particular start in girlhood being intensely aware of their flesh. For most, it remains a lifelong obsession. For far too many, this yields eating disorders that can be life threatening. But spare me the insanity of the fat justice movement, which is intimidating, mean, irrational, and vehemently anti-rational. It is highly dangerous to those it infects, and it is unkind and threatening to those it hasn't. It used to be that fat people were bullied. Now those who speak plainly about fat, even concerned professionals in the context of health, are the ones who have to fear bullying. Just ask the NHS doctors walking on egg-shells around patients who are dangerously overweight. A freedom of information request revealed last week that at least 74 complaints were made last year to hospital managers by overweight and obese patients who claimed they had been 'fat-shamed' by doctors. Doctors aren't always the smoothest communicators. Science-y people often aren't. It is certainly regrettable that one consultant is alleged to have told a patient their 'face was too fat'. Also far from ideal is the doctor at the Royal Free who supposedly told a patient to turn over carefully because 'it's only a slim bed'. Less blameable, however, is the doctor who told the patient they were carrying 'two suitcases' in extra weight. It is often astounding when one lifts something up – weights, a child, a bag full of shopping – to consider that one is easily carrying that in excess fat alone. The doctor was probably trying to help the patient really understand the strain they were putting their body under. There's a good reason doctors are now speaking frankly to patients about excess weight. It's costing an arm and a leg. In the past five years, the NHS has spent £40m on specialist equipment for bulky patients, such as beds, stretchers and chairs. The illnesses – including cancer, heart disease, dementia and stroke – that are linked to obesity are a huge drain on resources as well as horrible for the sufferers. Thank God for Ozempic and Mounjaro, which the NHS is hoping to roll out more widely as a preventative measure. 'We do have a problem in this country with pussyfooting around stating the obvious,' says Martin Scurr, a GP. 'Sometimes, in order to be kind you have to risk being cruel. The main thing doctors have to do is get the message across about the health issue.' But this view is all but drowned out by the lunacy of woke logic. 'Shaming' is everywhere. Meanwhile up is down. Left is right. Fat is beautiful. Fat is healthy. Fat is preferable. There's no such thing as obesity-related health problems. And if there are, it has nothing to do with the actions of the obese person. As Sarah Le Brocq, from the All About Obesity charity, put it: 'Obesity is a chronic condition – we wouldn't shame people for having cancer, so why do we do it for obesity?' I agree with her. We should not shame fat people. We should focus on helping them find the desire to fight their fat and to live nice long healthy lives. Looking nice/hot/sexy/smart is a bonus. But dealing with the problem requires them to accept and participate, which they can only do by dropping the furious accusatory stance that says science is a means to shame them.
CTV News
21-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Weight loss medications like Ozempic linked to eating disorders in boys and men: study
Prescription weight loss medication use has been linked to significantly higher rates of eating disorders in adolescent boys and men, according to a new study. Led by Kyle Ganson, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto's faculty of social work, the study focuses on an often overlooked population and raises new concerns about the use of high-profile medications like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss. 'While these medications are typically prescribed for diabetes or obesity, their off-label use for weight loss has become popular,' Ganson said in a news release from the University of Toronto. 'Our findings underscore potential psychological implications for young men.' The study analyzed survey data from 1,543 boys and men from Canada and the U.S. who were between the ages of 15 and 35. While only 1.2 per cent of the sample reported using prescription weight loss medication in the past 12 months, they were much more likely to report eating disorder attitudes and behaviours than others, such as loss of control while eating (63.2 per cent versus 36.2 per cent), binge eating (63.2 per cent versus 34.1 per cent) and purging via vomiting (15.8 per cent versus 5.6 per cent). The study also found that boys and men who used the medication were typically older, had a higher body mass index, and were more likely to identify as not being white or heterosexual. 'Boys and men are frequently left out of the conversation about eating disorders and body image pressures, but this study makes clear that they are not immune to the risks,' Ganson said. The study was published earlier this month in the journal Eating Behaviors. 'There is a greater need to describe the prevalence of use among understudied populations, as well as identify associations with eating disorder attitudes and behaviours,' the study explained. 'Health and mental health care professionals should be cognizant of the associations found in this study to ensure proper eating disorder assessment and intervention are provided to individuals, including boys and men, who use prescription weight loss medication.'
South China Morning Post
09-07-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Eating disorders almost destroyed 28kg Hongkonger. How she beat them and now thrives
Hongkonger Miley Millamena is in a good place. The 24-year-old recently landed a dream job as a bartender at Penicillin, in Hong Kong's Central neighbourhood, and she gets to unleash her creativity as a freelance make-up artist and part-time model. Advertisement But life was not always so rosy for Millamena, who struggled with depression and eating disorders in her teenage years. She hit rock bottom in 2019 when, aged 18 and weighing just 28kg (62lb), she held a knife to her throat in the kitchen of her parents' home. Her father intervened, and Millamena was hospitalised for a year after her suicide attempt. Today, at a coffee shop in Central, Millamena can talk candidly about her battle with anorexia nervosa – a condition that causes people to obsess about their weight and food – and bulimia , which is characterised by binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or fasting to prevent weight gain. Millamena pictured in 2018. In her teenage years, she struggled with depression and eating disorders. Photo: courtesy of Miley Millamena By sharing her story, Millamena hopes to destigmatise eating disorders and raise awareness about their grave impact. Advertisement She says they are not taken seriously in Hong Kong, and the fact that the city lacks official statistics on eating disorders strengthens her claim.
