About a year ago I got tired of being called obese. I got tired of my doctor’s short intake of breath when he checked by BMI number and my blood glucose level. I would claim to have gotten tired of the TV talking heads and their self-superiority when discussing obesity, but I got tiered of them long since for their hypocrisy and their certitude about subjects they can barely spell far less understand, but I digress. Suffice it to say I took on a scunner[1] about the subject.
A little background on my previous eating habits. My father was a POW during WWII for almost five years from June 1940 until May 1945. He was held in a POW camp in Poland. Most of the time they had little to eat. From late 1944 through 1945 until their liberation the POWs had almost nothing to eat. It will therefore be no surprise that I was brought up in a clear your plate household, just like many Americans whose parents endured the Great Depression. That’s where I developed my eating habit of finishing all that was put in front of me.
A large minority of our population have lots to say about obesity and have little reserve about sharing their opinions, especially with folks who are a pounds over a fashionable weight. These ectomorphs[2] are critical of those of us who are efficient consumers of calories, that sometimes causes us to be obese. It turns out that obesity is a chronic, complex disease defined by excessive body fat, typically diagnosed with a BMI of 30 or higher. It is caused by an energy imbalance from high-calorie diets, sedentary lifestyles, genetics, and metabolic conditions, often resulting in severe health risks like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Treatment often involves lifestyle changes, medication, or surgery.
I do admit to a sedentary lifestyle. Since I despise those who spends their waking hours in the gym, building a body image concomitant with their aspirational vision of who they should be, losing weight through exercise didn’t appeal to me. By comparison with the gym rats, I just live my life, spending my free time reading books about scientific topics and world history, and occasional brain candy, RC sailboat racing, and riding my E-bike, not activities that take me to the gym. However, in recent times our pharmaceutical industries have developed medications for weight reduction, the so-called Fat Shots.
The Fat Shot consists of a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that is highly effective and is an FDA-approved medications for type 2 diabetes and for chronic weight management. By mimicking a natural hormone, these medications reduce appetite, slow gastric emptying, and improve insulin secretion, leading to significant weight loss and lowered blood sugar. Sounded good to me so I arranged with my doctor to get the Fat Shot.
I won’t tell you which one I chose to use other than it is a name you would probably recognize, but not the two best known ones. It comes in a self-injection gadget that you stab yourself with in a fatter part of your anatomy. It doesn’t hurt and is over in a second. You start at a low dose with an injection once per week, and the dose is increased by month depending on your reaction to the medication.
While it reduces food cravings and does aid weight loss, it does have side effects. The most common adverse effects listed are gastrointestinal, including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation. They do not mention digestive gas, both upward and downward. I was most affected by diarrhea and gas, lots of gas, enough to cause a measurable increase in global warming.
The positive side is that my blood glucose fell from the mid 130’s to less than 90, and my weight has so far fallen from a high of 215lbs, a BMI of 35, to 170lbs, a BMI of 26, all in about six months. I certainly feel better and fitter and have more energy to do stuff. I am about to end my shots and will record any rebound, which I hope to avoid. I’ll be sure to post an update of how I get on.
[1] Scunner – a Scottish word meaning a strong, deep-seated dislike, aversion, or a person/thing causing disgust.
[2] Ectomorphs — An ectomorph is a body type characterized by a naturally lean, slender frame, fast metabolism, and difficulty gaining weight or muscle. Known as “hardgainers,” they typically have narrow shoulders/hips and low body fat. They thrive on high-calorie, nutrient-dense diets and resistance training to build mass.