Today it is fashionable to assume that Artificial Intelligence will swoop in like a flying superhero and solve all the world’s puzzles. That hypothesis is far from proven. Another common belief is that the presumptive saviors, the new weight loss drugs, can and will be the answer for everybody with every type of counterproductive eating pattern.
Not so fast, starry-eyed optimists! Some cautious professionals are still, and quite appropriately, hung up on other basic questions, like who should decide which individuals really and truly need the GLP-1 RA drugs? Are children part of that population? For the young, shouldn’t other approaches be tried first? Especially an approach that involves neither surgery nor medication, because neither of those has proven to be totally harmless over the long term.
How much of what we categorize as dangerous obesity might actually be not-so-bad? Critics maintain that to categorize someone as in need of weight loss is often a matter of opinion. In this whole area of human experience, the wide variety of experiences is a minefield of possible error. Even adults who have logged plenty of miles and years are rarely able to control their eating habits, so how can we expect better from children? Even grownups need to be wary of solutions that seem too good to be true.
A cautious approach
An over-eater may coast along for many a year without feeling a serious need to address their issue, but could this be true for a professional actor vying for international prizes? A recent interview with Kathy Bates revealed interesting details of her experience, although not saying much about her weight status as a child. In fact, to search for evidence that obesity was a factor in her early years could occupy a solid chunk of time. It has, however, been documented that the mother-daughter relationship was far from ideal.
The photo on this page is from 2015 and the important thing is, even carrying a lot of extra pounds, Bates created a stellar acting career.
As time passed, some things happened, like major surgery, and type 2 diabetes. Eventually, and much to her credit, the artist did a self-appraisal and got serious. Over an approximately six-year period she lost 80 pounds, and then used Ozempic just long enough to shed another 20, landing at 145, which was 100 pounds less than her heaviest weight.
One drawback of Ozempic is that anyone who uses it (or similar drugs) and then quits will regain the weight. But maybe this is not an ironclad rule. In the course of vanquishing those 80 pounds, Bates had changed both the “what” and the “how” of her eating habits thoroughly enough to overcome that probability. It all paid off with a great new career opportunity, about which she says,
I wouldn’t have been able to withstand the long hours and the discipline of learning lines that a series requires. I can tuck in my shirts and close my jackets on set. I can stand all day and move in ways that were previously restricted by my weight.
I know it’s hackneyed, but for the first time in my life, I feel free of the sorrow and the burden […] of dealing with being a woman who can’t move and breathe.
After that segue to the “drawbacks” side of the equation, it is only fair to note that currently, what with one thing and another, many patients tend to have a miserable time with the GLP-1 RA drugs:
Perhaps these individuals could be better served by spending that money on psychological counseling, or any kind of therapy, rather than ingesting substances that may not offer permanent health, and indeed might cause actual harm.
Possible solution: May we suggest?
A recent article by Steve O’Keefe examines the concept of a universal addiction recovery program, giving BrainWeighve as an example, and asking and answering some questions:
Can it be fun? Can you turn recovery into a game? A challenging game? One with contests and conquests, rewards and disappointments, teams and fans? Can you make it a game where persons or teams are compensated with points, merchandise and prizes when they contribute solutions or assistance that other persons or teams find valuable?
It sounds like the universal addiction recovery program involves flipping the tables and using the mechanics of addiction to beat addiction. If you can make recovery self-directed, social and fun, the patient becomes addicted to recovery. And that’s a much healthier, happier affliction to deal with.
To dig into the question of whether BrainWeighve can be the answer for obese children and youth, here is a partial collection of our previous descriptions of various aspects of that program:
- What in the World Is BrainWeighve?
- Let’s Talk About BrainWeighve
- To the Teen People
- To the Teen People, More
- Teen People, This Is 4U
Your responses and feedback are welcome!
Source: “Kathy Bates at 76: What I Know Now,” AARP.org, 09/27/24
Source: “Toward a Universal Treatment for Addiction,” AddictionNews, 09/23/24
Image by Gage Skidmore/Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
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