Doctor skillfully compares overeating with alcohol addiction and how we can get it under control - eviltoast
  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    That’s a good point. I read that a lot of morbidly obese people process food the same as normal people process drugs or vigorous exercise. Their body produces endorphins when they eat, which is what leads to the excessive eating. They’re literally addicts, getting high all the time. Is there any medication that can block the endorphin response to their eating, since it’s pretty much a chemical abnormality? Maybe something like naltrexone?

    • girthero@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Im told by people who use Ozempic find it works for them that way. I don’t know how it works inside the body though.

      • Hugin@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        As your stomach fills and stretches it sends a chemical “I’m full” message (GLP1) to the brain. When this signal is low you are hungary, medium you are full, and high you get nauseous.

        Ozempic causes that message to be produced at low constant levels in addition to what is produced by the stomach.

        So you don’t feel as hungry, you hit satiety faster, and if you continue to eat you get nauseous. This results in behaviors that reduce calorie consumption.

        It also delays gastric emptying which also keeps you feeling full longer.