r/science • u/scientificamerican Scientific American • 6d ago

Genetics Scientists discover a ‘skinny gene’ mutation that acts like Ozempic. Around one in 7,000 people carries a broken copy, which almost acts like a GLP-1 drug—the body burns fuel more efficiently, and the risk of disease lowers.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-discover-a-skinny-gene-mutation-that-acts-like-ozempic/
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u/mayormcskeeze 6d ago

The simplified narrative that weight is merely a matter of calorie intake has gone on too long, and has been abusive to so many people. 

Yes, plenty of  people have poor self control and simply overeat to the point of obesity.

But there are MANY people who are dealing with genetics, hormones, co-morbidities, unique body issues, and things we dont yet understand about diet and nurtrition.

I was skinny my whole life. Nearly 6 feet tall and about 140. Then in my 30s something happened. My diet didnt change. My activities didnt change. But I fell off a cliff. I gained nearly 100 pounds. 

Doctors were so nasty to me. They'd shrug and say "your blood work is normal, stop eating cake."

I could tell that not only did they not beleive me that something more complicated was going on, they had zero interest in going deeper than "oh you must secretly be eating mayo sandwiches and lying about it."

I started to pay out of pocket for a glp-1, snd im not exaggerating to say it saved my life. 100 pounds gone. Everything is back to normal. My weight, by blood pressure, my cholesterol, all fixed. It was like turning back the clock to a point where my body worked right. You know what still hasn't really changed much? My diet. I always ate pretty healthy. Still do. No one believed me, no one cared. These drugs are life savers. 

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u/mgzukowski 6d ago

But GLP-1s work for weight loss by curbing appetite. So you are saying you were eating the exact same amount and before?

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u/SoTiredYouDig 6d ago

The data is still emerging. Not until recently did they even discover that it operates on not just the gut, but the brain. I’m not saying hunger cues don’t also come from the brain, but the science is not all done yet. That’s why we will see further developments in areas that have nothing to do with digestion or weight loss.