I’m a big fan of Dr. Aaron Carroll. He writes sensible op ed pieces about medicine in The New York Times. I was surprised by his latest article in which he discusses his struggles with depression, anxiety, and obesity. He’s resisted taking medications for these conditions, partly because he viewed them as a “crutch” that would make him feel like a failure and partly because “the medical understanding of them seemed vague.”
Dr. Carroll also began taking one of the new obesity
drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy. (At the moment, these drugs are approved only
for diabetes, so are not covered by insurance. As with S.S.R.I.s, doctors don’t
fully understand why the treatments work.) He’s had a lifelong struggle with
his weight. Even though he exercises and eats healthfully, he recently slipped
into obesity, according to his body mass index. “Though I’ve tried every diet,
nothing has really helped. I’d lose up to 10 pounds and then plateau until my
weight crept back up. …I felt like a failure, which led to self-hatred and
anger.” After starting the new drug regimen, he lost 15 pounds in five weeks,
and “I’ve done it with ease. I’m not hungry all the time.
I’m not thinking about food incessantly.”
As with his need for anti-depressant drugs, he feels
shame about needing meds to control his weight. “We make assumptions that
people with depression aren’t trying hard enough, that people with obesity lack
willpower.” Neither of these assumptions is true. Like other maladies, something
in his body and brain is off balance. The drugs are correcting the imbalance.
No shame in that.
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