List of All Articles with Tag 'lifestyle'

One of the scientists whose work pioneered the development of medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy has revealed why life may become “so miserably boring” after two years of using the drug. Ozempic is an FDA-approved medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which regulates blood sugar levels and slows down the rate at which food leaves the stomach, often creating the feeling of fullness. These semaglutide injections – sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy – have soared in popularity as many people, including Hollywood celebrities, have used it for weight loss. What’s more, people have also found Ozempic has been effective in curing their addictive habits, like drinking, smoking, shopping, or nail biting. However, because of Ozempic’s increasing popularity, it has led to national shortages of the type 2 diabetes treatment – leaving those who actually need it without. In an interview with Wired, professor Jens Juul Holst – who received the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize in 2021 for his work developing treatments based on the GLP-1 hormone – spoke about the effects of Ozempic, and why he believes many people will stop taking the medication after just a few years. “What happens is that you lose your appetite and also the pleasure of eating, and so I think there’s a price to be paid when you do that,” Holst told Wired. “If you like food, then that pleasure is gone. The craving for food for some people is taken away when they take GLP-1 drugs.” He continued: “That may eventually be a problem, that once you’ve been on this for a year or two, life is so miserably boring that you can’t stand it any longer and you have to go back to your old life.” Holst added that medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have been on the market since 2005, though studies show that these people don’t stay on them for very long. “It’s just like every other drug, they don’t stay on it for many reasons,” he explained. “One of the reasons, as I said, is that once you have tried it and you realise you’ve lost interest in food, then that may be enough.” “We don’t know why people stop taking these drugs, but we know for a fact that they do stop. They do that all over the world.” A 2020 study found that 70 per cent of people who took GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes stopped taking them within two years. However, this could pose a problem for many patients taking semaglutide injections. Research has found that people who stopped taking Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss experienced weight rebound. A trial published in April 2022 saw participants gain back two thirds of the weight they had lost after 68 weeks of taking semaglutide. As for celebrities who use the once-weekly injection for weight loss, despite not having diabetes or clinical obesity, Hans instead called attention to the “many terrible problems” that those with diabetes have struggled with by not having drugs like Ozempic readily available. “Have you ever visited a diabetes hospital? It’s really deplorable,” he said. “People come in with amputated limbs and compromised cognitive functions and heart problems or they can barely move – they’re miserable and depressed. It’s really serious. There is so much you can improve with a drug that is not only a weight-loss drug but is also an anti-diabetic.” Amidst the popularity of semaglutide injections, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings for consumers not to use off-brand versions of Ozempic or Wegovy, because they may not include the same GLP-1 hormone used in approved medications. Earlier this month, agency officials reported problems with patients using compounded versions of semaglutide – which combines traditional semaglutide with other ingredients. These drugs are not FDA-approved, and the agency does not verify the safety or effectiveness of compounded drugs. Consumers should only use drugs containing semaglutide with a prescription from a licensed health care provider and obtained from a state-licensed pharmacy or other facilities registered with the FDA, the agency said. Read More What is ‘Ozempic face’? Doctors warn about facial ageing side effect of diabetes medications How does Wegovy work? The ‘game changing’ weight loss drug beloved by Hollywood FDA warns against using off-brand versions of Ozempic, Wegovy for weight loss Scientist behind Ozempic says drug can make life ‘so miserably boring’ Pregnant Stassi Schroeder admits she wants to ‘try’ Ozempic after giving birth Doctors warn about ‘Ozempic face’ side effect of medications

An NCAA medical committee is recommending the removal of marijuana from its banned drug list and suggesting that testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances

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Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., Richard Branson’s space-tourism venture, surged after announcing that its long-awaited first commercial passenger mission

For half a century, America’s top geopolitical rival used a spy base in nearby Cuba to steal US

Last year marked a return to normal for the theme park industry around the world with operators reporting revenues at par or above pre-pandemic levels

The homicide rate for older U.S. teenagers rose to its highest point in nearly 25 years during the COVID-19 pandemic

Jonnie Irwin has revealed that he sometimes “removes himself” from his family home to go to a hospice while he continues to live with terminal cancer. The A Place in the Sun presenter, 49, first went public with his diagnosis of lung cancer last year after discovering the disease had spread to his brain. He currently lives with his wife, Jessica Holmes, and their three children, Rex, three, and twins Rafa and Cormac, two. However, Irwin admitted that sometimes the pain he experiences makes him “not good to be around”. Speaking to Hello! magazine, the TV host said: “I remove myself on a number of occasions because I’m not good to be around when I’m in pain. “I’m like a bear with a sore head and I don’t want [my family] to be around that.” Irwin has previously spoken candidly about how the pain his illness causes affects his moods. Speaking on the podcast OneChat last month, he said: “I have been close to death’s door, twice at least. “You lose your memory, you lose your patience. I have got a very short temper. It’s not made me a better person, that’s for sure.” This week, Irwin also opened up about why he hasn’t yet told his sons about his terminal cancer. He said it would be difficult for them to understand the situation due to their young age. “I keep being asked, ‘Are you going to tell them?’ but tell them what?” he said. “It would be horrible news that they’d have to get their heads around. And it would confuse the hell out of Rex – he’s got a shocking enough day coming. Let’s bury our heads in the sand for as long as possible.” After publicly revealing his condition, the Escape to the Country host said he was worried that his children will not remember him if he died last year because they’re “too young”. He told The Sun: “Every time something really nice happens with them, I have this thing knocking at my door, saying, ‘Don’t get too happy because you’re not going to be around much longer’. “Then I think, they’re not going to remember me, they’re really not. They’re too young and if I die this year, there’s no chance they will have memories.” In early June, Irwin was admitted to hospital to be “monitored” due to a “changeover in my pain management regime”. Read More Thirty, flirty and declining: How 30 became a terrifying milestone for an anxious generation Woman who went from size 18 to size six shares surprising things ‘no one tells you’ about weight loss Vegan family writes letter to neighbours requesting they close their windows when cooking meat Jonnie Irwin ‘removes himself’ from family home amid terminal cancer battle Jonnie Irwin explains why he hasn’t told his sons about his terminal cancer A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis

Vanderpump Rules alum Stassi Schroeder has admitted she wants to “try” taking Ozempic after giving birth to her second child. The former reality star, 34, recently appeared on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, where she spoke candidly about wanting to take the type 2 diabetes medication – which has often been prescribed as an “off-label” weight loss drug. “Oh, my God, I really want to try it when I give birth,” the Next Level Basic author told Cooper during Wednesday’s podcast episode. “The amount of times I’ve researched this being like, I mean, I think it’s safe and healthy. Like, I think it’s good for you. It’s like taking vitamins.” The Call Her Daddy host told listeners that “nothing that was said on this podcast” should be taken as serious medical advice,as she jokingly added: “Please do not listen to this.” Schroeder went on to explain why she’s curious about taking the once-weekly semaglutide injection, which works by mimicking a hormone that regulates appetite and creates the feeling of fullness, once she welcomes baby number two. “[After] my first pregnancy, I ate bone broth for dinner for six f***ing months after I gave birth, and I kind of don’t feel like doing that again. Like, I don’t want to,” she said. The Off With My Head author shares two-year-old daughter Hartford with husband Beau Clark. In March, Schroeder announced the couple were expecting a baby boy due in September. Much like Amy Schumer, Schroeder also called on fellow celebrities to be “transparent” and “honest” about some of the methods they take to lose weight. “Anyone who hears about Ozempic has to f***ing be curious,” she said during the podcast. “You are a liar if you tell me that you have not thought about it, thought about jumping on that train.” “Have I Googled Ozempic and what it would be like, and am I thinking about it? Yes, I am.” This week, actor and comedian Amy Schumer admitted to taking Ozempic last year to help lose weight. However, Schumer stopped taking the FDA-approved medication because of its side effects. “I was one of those people that felt so sick and couldn’t play with my son,” Schumer told host Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live. “I was so skinny and he’s throwing a ball at me and [I couldn’t].” Although the Trainwreck star ultimately decided that Ozempic wasn’t “livable” for her, she did take a moment to call out celebrities who have been “lying” about taking the once-weekly antidiabetic injection for weight loss. “Everyone’s like: ‘Smaller portions,’” she joked. “Shut the f*** up. You’re on Ozempic, or one of those things.” Ozempic has skyrocketed in use after people were reportedly prescribed the type 2 diabetes medication as an “off-label” weight loss drug. Due to its weight loss side effects, the increased demand has sparked a global shortage of Ozempic, leaving actual diabetics without the medication. While Ozempic is used for the treatment of diabetes, popular drugs like Wegovy and Moujaro are similar once-weekly semaglutide injections specifically approved for the treatment of obesity and weight loss. Last month, Stassi Schroeder’s former Vanderpump Rules co-star Brittany Cartwright shut down speculation that she lost weight by taking Ozempic. Fans began speculating that Cartwright was using the type 2 diabetes medication after she shared a selfie to her 1.6m Instagram followers, in which the reality star posed in a mirror wearing cycling shorts and a baggy T-shirt. “Totally ozempic,” one person claimed, as others remarked that it looked like Cartwright had “lost weight”. Cartwright then addressed the rumours directly, clarifying that the reason she may look slimmer is because of the iPhone camera setting she used to take the picture. “It’s actually the .5 zoom on the iPhone camera lol,” she wrote in the comments. Fellow Bravo personality and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Crystal Kung Minkoff has also said that although she hasn’t taken the drug, she has been tempted and “thought about it”. Read More Amy Schumer says she stopped taking Ozempic because of side-effects What is ‘Ozempic face’? Doctors warn about facial ageing side effect of diabetes medications Vanderpump Rules star Brittany Cartwright addresses rumours she’s taking Ozempic for weight loss Pregnant Stassi Schroeder admits she wants to ‘try’ Ozempic after giving birth Jonnie Irwin ‘removes himself’ from family home amid terminal cancer battle Mother reveals ‘one regret’ after parent refused to give her child cake amid debate

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it hopes to weed out false or misleading animal-welfare claims on meat and poultry packaging with new guidance and testing

As if 2023 wasn’t hard enough, Americans are now drinking as much alcohol as they did during the Civil War days. A new report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has found that the average American drinks about the same amount of alcohol as people did in 1860. In 2021, Americans consumed 2.51 gallons of ethanol – the alcohol found in wine, beer, and spirits – compared to 2.53 gallons at the brink of the Civil War. That amount, which doesn’t include water or other ingredients found in alcoholic beverages, marks a 60 per cent increase in liquor consumption compared to the mid-1990s. Americans have also changed their taste for alcohol. The amount of beer consumed has dropped nearly 20 per cent since 1995, while wine has steadily become America’s drink of choice. Now, 50 per cent more Americans are drinking wine than they did in the mid-1990s. This isn’t the only time the United States has seen staggering levels of alcohol consumption. In 1934, following the repeal of the Prohibition Act, Americans were drinking one gallon of ethanol per person. At the end of World War II in 1945, Americans reached 2.3 gallons. This, compared to 2.8 gallons in 1980, when alcohol consumption was at its highest. The rise in alcohol consumption may also have to do with a key demographic: women. In March, it was revealed that women in the US are out-drinking men for the first time in history. Dr George Koob, director of the NIAAA, recently told the Washington Examiner that binge drinking among college students are to blame. “In 2021, there has been an uptick, particularly among women. Now it turns out on college campuses women are actually binge drinking more than men, for the first time in history,” he told the conservative media outlet. The Covid-19 pandemic also saw a dramatic shift in alcohol consumption, as most states declared liquor stores were considered “essential businesses”. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, sales of alcohol increased by 2.9 per cent, the biggest annual increase in more than 50 years, according to the NIAAA. Now, with college campuses back in session and local bars open again, Koob attributed the rising trend of women binge drinking to the “alcohol deprivation effect” – in which people “rebound in drinking” after a period of abstaining from alcohol. “A standard drink is 1.5 ounces of vodka, 12 ounces of beer, or five ounces of wine,” he said. “When you go past a standard drink, you really are getting to the point where alcohol ultimately becomes a toxin. You can easily overdose.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that it’s safe for women to drink no more than one standard alcoholic beverage a day, and no more than two for men. However, binge drinking usually corresponds to five or more drinks on a single occasion for men, while four or more drinks on a single occasion for women. Read More Moderate alcohol consumption may lower stress, reduce heart disease risk, study finds Man dies after eating raw oysters from Missouri seafood stand Hip surgery policies based on weight ‘worsen health inequality’, study warns TikToker cooks rack of ribs in hotel bathroom using only items from his room BBQ salad recipes without a soggy lettuce leaf in sight How to shop for and cook Japanese food at home like a pro