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1. The New Weight Loss Drug - what is the truth?
2. More about Addressing Alzheimer's
3. Parental Involvement Tied to Drop in Teen Drug Use
4. What You Might Want to Know about Camel Milk
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The New Weight Loss Drug - what is the truth?
The hottest weight loss drug in years is here and celebrities are jumping all over it
Elon Musk, Khloe Kardashian, Chelsea Handler and many more all claim they’ve lost a lot of weight with the drug. Jimmy Kimmel joked about it at the Oscars.
So what is it? How does it work? How do you get it? And why is it dangerous for some people?
We answer all your questions here:
What is it? Ozempic = Wegovy = Semaglutide
Ozempic and Wegovy are simply name brands of the prescription drug called semaglutide (pronounced seh-ma-gloo-tide).
How does it work?
Semaglutide is a medication that is used to help people – who are overweight to lose weight. It is a type of drug called a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which works by mimicking the effects of a hormone in the body called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
GLP-1 is a hormone that is naturally produced in the body after we eat. It helps to regulate our appetite and blood sugar levels. When we eat, GLP-1 is released into our bloodstream, which signals our brain that we are full and helps to reduce our food intake.
Basically, it’s an appetite suppressant.
Does it really work?
In clinical trials, semaglutide has been shown to be an effective treatment for weight loss. Test subjects lost about 10% of their bodyweight over a few months.
How do you take it?
It is usually given as a once-weekly injection into the buttocks.
How much does it cost?
It can cost $1000 a month or more. There are major shortages of the drug happening now, so the price will likely rise.
Are there side effects?
Yes, in fact users report some really nasty side effects. Some common side effects of semaglutide include:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
- Headache
- Fatigue
And ~35% of weight loss associated with Ozempic comes from loss of muscle mass and bone density
What do real users think?
On the impartial website Drugs.com, Ozempic has a pretty terrible rating of 5.6, and just 5.1 for weight loss. Many users had similar stories to this one:
Many users are questioning how good this drug can be if they are suffering from these major side effects.
Why is it so popular?
It’s popular probably because it’s been touted by celebrities and does seem to help people lose weight. But for some of you, this will all sound familiar…
Remember Fen-Phen?
In the 1990s, Fen-Phen was the fat-shedding drug of choice.
Fen referred to fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine, an appetite depressant, while phen referred to phentermine, an amphetamine.
They were combined and a study showed people were losing a lot of weight with the combination.
The floodgates opened.
The demand for Fen-Phen was so high that some doctors dedicated their entire practice to prescribing the drug.
Just imagine that: a doctor who only prescribed one drug.
2 million Americans were taking Fen-Phen by 1996.
But then, in July 1997, it was reported that 24 women taking Fen-Phen developed a rare and serious heart valve condition.
An investigation commenced, and it was found in a study of 291 Fen-Phen patients that 1/3rd of them developed the rare heart valve condition.
People were literally dying from the drug.
The drug company paid $3.75 BILLION to victims back in 2000.
And here we are again, with another weight loss drug craze.
Will we ever learn?
Kriss Berg
The Wellness Watchdog
Find out about different Weight Loss Programs
More about Addressing Alzheimer's
There is a new addition to the Alzheimer's page where we got together the information regarding Alzheimer's.
A new paragraph has been added with information from Dr. Dale Bredesen, M.D. a neurologist specializing in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.
Read our reference and see what you think!
Addressing Alzheimer's
Parental Involvement Tied to Drop in Teen Drug Use
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a comprehensive report outlining current health metrics among American teens. One of the many critical findings outlined in the report was how impactful positive parental involvement in teens’ lives is for determining key health outcomes.
What the Findings Show
Despite a concerning rise in mental health crises among American youths, CDC research data found that overall substance abuse rates declined from 2021 to 2022. The report highlighted parental involvement in teens’ lives as critical to preventing substance abuse.
Thankfully, parents seem more involved in their teens’ lives now. The report highlighted 86% of teens surveyed said their parents kept tabs on their activities, whereabouts, and who they spent time with. As a result, those teens whose parents were more involved in their lives had better overall health outcomes, including fewer experiences of violence and fewer mental health challenges. Such teens were also less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol.
The researchers also noted the fine balance that parents must walk to be involved in their teens’ lives. Enough to care, but not so much as to seem controlling. “Being an informed parent is good. Being a control freak who controls and monitors everything to where the kid has no privacy is looking for trouble,” said Dr. Neil Bernstein, a clinical psychologist in Washington, D.C. “Parents have to strike a balance between being, what the kids call a ‘chill parent,’ and a control freak. A solid relationship is based on mutual communication and understanding. Kids have to be safe sharing things,” he said. According to the data, when parents can find the perfect balance of involvement in their teens’ lives, their children benefit from it.
Talking to Teens About Drugs
How does a parent talk to their teen about drugs? How does a parent show interest in their teen and engage them in conversation without seeming nosy or controlling? Multiple public health initiatives highlight the importance of communicating with children, teens, and young adults about drugs, and the recent CDC data seems to prove that such conversations help teens abstain from mind-altering substances.
Following are five tips for parents to have successful conversations with their kids about drugs:
1. Share quality time in-person with kids. One study found that households that share meals are less likely to experience drug use. But it doesn’t just have to be shared meals. Quality time with kids can occur while on a walk, in the car, or simply while spending time at home.
2. Parents should ask specific questions about teens’ day-to-day life to convey interest and curiosity without making it seem like an interrogation. One resource encourages questions like, “Who’d you have lunch with today?”, “How was soccer practice?”, and “What’s planned for play rehearsal tonight?”
3. Parents should also meet their teen children’s peers. When friends are over visiting, parents should pop in, say hello, introduce themselves, get the names of their child’s peers, and check in periodically.
4. Teens say their parents are the most important influence in their lives when it comes to mind-altering substances. Hence, parents who find opportunities for conversations about substances with their kids can make a big difference. Parents should calmly and openly discuss the negative effects of substances, clearly communicate that they do not want their children using substances, and also speak openly about the short-term and long-term effects drugs and alcohol can have on teens’ mental and physical health, safety, and ability to make good decisions.
5. When discussing drugs and alcohol with teens, parents should keep an open mind and ask open-ended questions and make the conversation a conversation (and not a lecture). Parents should also listen more than they speak and allow for a certain amount of vulnerability and openness with their children.
One resource lists the following as sample methods for getting a teen son or daughter to have an honest conversation with their parent about drugs.
“When you don’t come home on time, I worry that something terrible has happened. What I need is for you to call me as soon as you know you’re going to be late so that I know you’re okay.”
“I feel like you can’t hear what I have to say when you’re so mad. Then I get frustrated. I need to talk about this later when we’re both able to listen.”
“Because I love you and I want to keep you safe, I worry about you going to the concert. I need to know that you will obey our rules about not drinking or using drugs.”
The goal should always be to create a safe place for teen sons and daughters to speak openly about drugs and alcohol, what they’ve heard about such substances, what their peers are saying or doing regarding such substances, and their personal feelings about them. Creating a safe place allows parents to inform their children about the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol while providing them with tools to overcome peer pressure.
Treatment Centers Can Help Overcome Addiction
If a teen son or daughter falls prey to drug abuse, they will need professional help if they cannot stop using such substances on their own. Residential addiction treatment centers can provide young people who are addicted to drugs with the tools, resources, environment, stability, healthy coping strategies, and life skills they need to overcome substance abuse and live life without relying on mind-altering substances.
Sources Cited:
CDC. “Overview and Methods for the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System—United States, 2021.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023. cdc.gov
USNews. “Many American Teens Are in Mental Health Crisis: Report.” U.S. News, 2023. usnews.com
HHP. “Teens and drugs: 5 tips for talking with your kids.” Harvard Health Publishing, 2018. health.harvard.edu
NIH. “Do family dinners reduce the risk for early adolescent substance use? A propensity score analysis.” National Institutes of Health, 2013. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
PEA. “Connecting With Your Teenager to Prevent Drug Use.” Partnership to End Addiction, 2023. drugfree.org
Drug prevention Parent guide Talking to Kids About Drugs
Ren
After working in addiction treatment for several years, Ren now travels the country, studying drug trends and writing about addiction in our society. Ren is focused on using his skill as an author and counselor to promote recovery and effective solutions to the drug crisis. Connect with Ren on LinkedIn.
What You Might Want to Know about Camel Milk
How did Camel Milk become Avaiable to the US
John Payne, Chairman and CEO of PURELIFE Health Sciences Group, LLC, first heard about the benefits of camel milk while in the Middle East.
John was delivering seminars to medical doctors in the United Arab Emirates to educate them about metabolic disorders and what can be done to address them. John works with a team of scientific researchers and doctors throughout the world specializing in the prevention and long-term reversal of critical health conditions caused by degeneration of the body.
John was fascinated by what he heard about camel milk and started his own research.
In investigating the history of camel milk, he found that camel milk has been part of the diet of people in the Middle East, northern African and some parts of Asia for centuries. In fact, the Bedouins, nomadic people in the Middle East and Asia continue to drink camel milk as a major part of their diet. He found that these people rarely suffer from some of the chronic diseases that now plague people in that region who have adopted a "western diet", including diabetes and heart disease.
John found many scientific studies that support the use of camel milk for various health conditions.
John decided to make premium camel milk available in the US so that Americans could benefit from this very nutritious drink. This purpose involved a number of years of worldwide research to locate a source of high-quality camel milk. He found that source in Dubai at Camelicious®, a state-of-the-art facility and one of the leading camel dairies in the world.
Camelicious’ history dates back to 35 years ago when it was the Central Valley Research Laboratory conducting scientific research into the superior health benefits of camel milk. Now Camelicious has over 530 staff and produces about four million liters of camel milk each year. Camelicious spends millions of dollars every year to utilize best practices, ensuring the greatest care of their camels and the production of premium camel milk.
John then spent time working with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have Camelicious registered for use in the US and this occurred in 2019.
Nutra Wellness, LLC, was created to make high quality nutritional products widely available to practitioners and consumers.
The founders of Nutra Wellness have a strong commitment to natural healthcare as they also provide nutritional training to healthcare practitioners through a sister company.
With their common purpose of helping people improve their health using nutrition, Nutra Wellness and PURELIFE Health Sciences Group partnered to make Camelicious camel milk powder widely available in the US.
Learn More About Camel Milk
Product for Metabolic Health
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