Modern living is increasingly health-conscious. Social media is awash with celebrities and influencers explaining how we can live better, and for longer.
But there’s no getting away from the data. There is an obesity epidemic shaking the world, and the U.S. is its epicenter.
More people than ever are now living with obesity. In fact, more than a billion people worldwide are obese, including 159 million young people. In the U.S., more than 40% of adults are living with obesity, and experts predict it will be more than half the American population in just a few years.
There is a clear link between our diets and disease. Scientists warn obesity is closely linked with a number of other health conditions, which could mean more population-wide medical crises in the future.
But new medical advances might mean that change is in sight.
Addressing the root causes of the epidemic
Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. In the last two decades, the number of U.S. adults identified as obese has risen 30%.
This is partly down to the ways in which our day-to-day lives have changed in the modern world.
Where once many jobs involved significant physical activity, advances in technology have automated much of this and made us more sedentary.
Urban sprawl and intensified industrial centers mean fewer people can walk or cycle to work, resulting in more time spent sitting in a car.
But our contemporary obsession with excess is also to blame. Studies show portion size radically changes our intake, leading to substantial weight gain. The average American portion has doubled, or even tripled, in recent decades.
Medications like liraglutide and semaglutide can help address this, as they slow down our digestive systems and help us feel full for longer, making it easier to avoid overeating.
Link between obesity and other health conditions?
Being obese is bad for your body in all sorts of ways. The extra weight loss you’re carrying puts your body under increased strain and can lead to problems with your joints.
Scientists are also particularly concerned about the close link between obesity and diabetes. Increased or excessive amounts of body fat makes your body less sensitive to the hormone insulin. Some studies suggest fat cells are more resistant than muscle cells.
GLP-1 medications help to counteract this. They were initially developed as anti-diabetic medications because they increase our sensitivity to insulin. This helps manage blood sugar levels as well as appetite.
Changing the course of the epidemic
The numbers are concerning, and addressing the epidemic might seem like trying to change the course of a massive oil tanker – inertia carries it irresistibly forward.
For one thing, the world around us has adapted for an obese population, making it easy to be inactive and tempting us with fatty, sugary meals of ever bigger proportions.
For another, even once we decide we want to live differently, getting started can be tough. It’s hard to exercise when you’re overweight, and our biology actually resists initial attempts to lose weight.
Prescription weight loss medication programs could play a vital role in countering both. They provide people trying to weight loss with expert support, help to fight against the biological factors that make it hard to get started, and supplement diet and activity in a way that was never available.
These medications are not a miracle cure. Scientists warn that ultimately healthy habits and nutritious eating are the key. But for people really struggling to get going, these programs could completely change their prospects, and our prospects of combating the obesity epidemic.
