Reality vs Hype
If we put every teenager on Accutane as soon as they got their first pimple, we would likely see a dramatic reduction in acne.
However, we don’t do that.
We use step therapy.
I love these meds when used in the right way, but deploying them for a lifetime for everyone with excess weight is not a sustainable solution.
And although 11% weight loss is fantastic, for most people, it’s not enough to cause resolution of their disease.
Someone starting the medication at 300 pounds is, on average, going to achieve a 33-pound loss, leaving them at 267 pounds.
Decreasing waist circumference by 3″ is also fantastic but going from 50″ to 47″ still means that person has a lot of visceral adipose tissue.
Comprehensive treatment focused on reversing the root causes of the excess fat storage is going to be vital if we want to make a dent in this disease without breaking the healthcare system financially.
