Scott Alexander examines how compounding pharmacies are producing cheaper versions of GLP-1 agonist drugs, exploring the economics, safety, and future implications of this practice. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the 'compounding loophole' that allows compounding pharmacies to produce cheaper versions of GLP-1 agonist drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic). He explains how these pharmacies operate, the cost differences, safety concerns, and potential future implications. The post covers the legal basis for this practice during drug shortages, the impact on drug manufacturers like Novo Nordisk, and speculates on what might happen when the shortage ends. Scott also touches on the broader implications for drug pricing and availability. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the surprisingly broad effects of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, exploring their mechanisms and speculating on why they seem to impact so many different conditions. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the wide-ranging effects of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications like Ozempic, which are approved for diabetes and obesity but show promise for many other conditions. He delves into the mechanisms behind their effects on diabetes, weight loss, and addiction, speculating on why these drugs seem to have such broad impacts. The post discusses how GLP-1 drugs work in the brain to reduce hunger and dampen reward systems, potentially explaining their effects on addiction. Scott also touches on their anti-inflammatory properties and potential benefits for neurodegenerative diseases, while cautioning that some reported effects may not replicate. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to comments on his post about semaglutide, covering corrections, additional information, and user experiences with the weight loss drug. Longer summary

Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to comments on his previous post about semaglutide, a weight loss drug. The highlights include corrections to his original analysis, additional information on obtaining semaglutide cheaply, discussion of other weight loss drugs and treatments, challenges to Scott's predictions, debate over whether weight loss is maintained after stopping the drug, personal anecdotes from users, and mentions of some tangential debates in the comments. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander analyzes the economic and societal implications of semaglutide, a new effective weight loss drug, and its potential to reshape obesity treatment. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the economic and societal impact of semaglutide, a new weight loss drug. He discusses its effectiveness, current limited availability, and potential future widespread use. The post covers the drug's history, its current pricing and accessibility issues, and projections for its future market. Scott also touches on the broader implications for obesity treatment and the possibility of a 'post-obesity' future. Shorter summary

The post explores a controversial theory linking saturated fats to weight control, critically examines the evidence, and discusses the paradox of historical vs. modern diets and obesity rates. Longer summary

This post discusses the history of obesity in the US and explores a controversial dietary theory that blames the switch from saturated to unsaturated fats for the obesity epidemic. The author first presents the theory, which suggests that high saturated fat diets might be beneficial for weight control. However, in the second part, the author critically examines the evidence and finds it lacking. The post concludes by discussing possible explanations for the paradox of why modern diets seem to cause obesity while historical diets did not, despite the difficulty in finding a consistently effective weight loss diet. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander speculates that anorexia might be caused by a distorted metabolic set point, similar to but opposite of obesity's mechanisms. Longer summary

Scott Alexander speculates about a possible biological mechanism for anorexia nervosa, drawing parallels with obesity and the body's metabolic set point. He suggests that severe underfeating might cause the hypothalamus to become hypersensitive to leptin, leading to a distorted set point where the body thinks it's too fat even at dangerously low weights. He supports this idea with observations about anorexics' fidgeting behavior, which resembles the body's unconscious weight control mechanisms, and mentions studies showing brain lesions can cause anorexia-like symptoms. While acknowledging he's not an expert and this is speculative, Scott hopes more research will explore these connections between anorexia and metabolic set point theory. Shorter summary

Scott reviews 'The Hungry Brain' by Stephan Guyenet, exploring the neuroscience of eating behavior and obesity, presenting a model focused on brain regulation of body weight. Longer summary

Scott reviews 'The Hungry Brain' by Stephan Guyenet, which explores the neuroscience of eating behavior and obesity. The book presents a 'third model' of obesity, focusing on how the brain regulates body weight through a complex system involving hormones like leptin. It discusses how modern hyperpalatable foods can overwhelm our natural satiety mechanisms and potentially damage the brain's weight regulation system. The review delves into various studies on obesity, including experiments with rats and humans, and explores the genetic factors influencing weight gain. Scott finds the book insightful but notes some ambiguity in reconciling different aspects of eating behavior and weight regulation. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews Stephan Guyenet's critique of Gary Taubes' anti-sugar book, agreeing with Guyenet's multi-factorial view of obesity and disease causes, and retracting his previous support for Taubes. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Stephan Guyenet's critique of Gary Taubes' new book 'The Case Against Sugar'. Guyenet argues against Taubes' claim that sugar is the principal cause of obesity and various noncommunicable diseases, instead supporting the view that these issues are multi-factorial. The review highlights several key points, including Taubes' selective use of evidence, his dismissal of calorie intake as a factor in obesity, and his one-sided portrayal of historical debates in nutrition science. Scott acknowledges Taubes' past contributions in debunking misconceptions about dietary fat, but now strongly criticizes Taubes' focus on sugar as the primary culprit in health issues. He apologizes for his previous praise of Taubes and no longer recommends him as a source of nutritional advice. Shorter summary

Scott examines the relationship between altitude and obesity, then explores and ultimately dismisses the theory that increased atmospheric CO2 could be causing the obesity epidemic. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the correlation between altitude and obesity rates in the US, noting that people living at higher elevations tend to be less obese. He discusses various studies on altitude anorexia and hypoxia's effect on weight loss. The post then transitions to a speculative theory about whether increased atmospheric CO2 from global warming could be causing the obesity epidemic. While intriguing, Scott ultimately concludes that this theory is likely not true, based on geographical inconsistencies, submarine studies, and the small magnitude of potential effects. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques a study on fathers' influence on sons' obesity, highlighting statistical flaws and misleading publicity, while exploring the broader challenge of identifying genuine parental effects. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques a study claiming fathers have a unique influence on their sons' obesity. He points out statistical flaws, particularly the lack of adjustment for multiple comparisons, and criticizes the university's press release for overstating the findings. The post also discusses the challenge of separating parental effects from genetic or intrauterine factors, and asks for examples of credible studies showing gender-specific parental effects. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines different theories of weight gain, focusing on the roles of metabolism and appetite/exercise drive, and concludes that individual metabolic differences likely play a significant role in weight management. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores four positions on the thermodynamics of weight gain, focusing on the debate between position 2 (weight gain depends on calories but metabolism varies) and position 3 (weight gain depends on calories but appetite/exercise drive varies). He dismisses positions 1 and 4 as unrealistic. Scott provides evidence for metabolic differences between individuals, including genetic studies and twin experiments. He also discusses the possibility of metabolism changing over time, drawing from personal experience. While acknowledging the lack of strong evidence for drastic metabolic changes, Scott concludes that people who struggle with weight loss due to their metabolism may have a valid point. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues that biological solutions to societal problems may be more effective and easier to implement than social interventions, challenging common perceptions about mutability of human characteristics. Longer summary

Scott Alexander challenges the stereotype that the Left believes human characteristics are socially determined and mutable, while the Right believes they are biologically determined and fixed. He argues that society is actually very difficult to change, while biological factors can often be more easily addressed. He provides examples such as drug abuse, obesity, and poor school performance, where social interventions have largely failed but biological solutions (like banning lead or vitamin supplementation) have shown promising results. The post suggests that we should not dismiss biological explanations and solutions to societal problems, as they may be more tractable than purely social approaches. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues that ancient Rome's welfare system was similar to modern progressive policies in causes and outcomes, despite different philosophical justifications. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to a critique of his Anti-Reactionary FAQ, specifically addressing the claim that ancient Rome's welfare system was fundamentally different from modern progressive welfare policies. He argues that while the philosophical justifications differed, the underlying causes and outcomes were similar. Scott proposes that urbanization and economic growth lead to social changes, which then produce progressive values, rather than progressive values causing social change. He uses examples of obesity, divorce rates, and welfare systems to illustrate how social and economic conditions drive policy changes, not ideology. Scott concludes that ancient Rome can be considered an early progressive society due to its similar policies and outcomes, despite different philosophical justifications. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents a roundup of recent scientific and medical studies, covering topics from hallucinations to obesity genetics to schizophrenia treatment. Longer summary

This post is a collection of various scientific and medical studies and news. It covers a range of topics including hallucinations, diet and longevity, gene-environment interactions in psychiatry, life-extending drugs, fibromyalgia, chemical education, drug company tactics, sleep theories, psychotherapy effectiveness, obesity genetics, and schizophrenia treatment. Scott provides brief summaries and commentary on each item, often with a mix of scientific insight and humor. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander contrasts two studies with opposite conclusions about stress, highlighting the inconsistency in how we interpret adversity's effects. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses two contradictory studies: one showing fat-shaming leads to weight gain, and another suggesting Holocaust survivors have greater life expectancy. He points out the potential flaws in both studies and the ease with which psychology can explain opposite outcomes. The post highlights how we often switch between contradictory narratives about stress and adversity, using them selectively to support various arguments. Scott emphasizes the importance of critical thinking when interpreting such studies and their implications. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents a roundup of recent medical and psychological studies, covering topics from UV light exposure to belief in science during stress. Longer summary

This post is a roundup of recent medical and psychological studies from June. Scott Alexander covers a wide range of topics, including UV light exposure benefits, gut microbiota research, obesity factors, iodine deficiency effects on intelligence, Medicare cost variations, ketamine for depression, hypothermia caps for chemotherapy patients, cruise ships as alternatives to assisted living, peer review effectiveness, genetic risk for schizophrenia and IQ, obesity rates in lesbians, oxytocin and pair-bonding, and belief in science during stressful situations. The tone is informative with occasional humorous or sarcastic comments. Shorter summary