Except most have to stay on the drug as it's essentially a modern appetite suppressant - it does nothing to address the reasons the person was obese in the first place. Several people I know have used this to lose weight, then tried to stop taking it only to find themselves piling the weight back on, so they restarted.
I'm not sure a drug requiring life-long use is the answer for most folks. For most people, addressing their eating and exercise habits is still the only real solution.
And if most were willing and able to do that then these drugs would not be needed.
Some are unwilling.
Some are unable to one degree or another.
The problem is very complex and involves many underlying processes.
And I am 100% with you on the efforts people should make.
But very often they are not successful, whether the reasons include socioeconomics, internal body processes, comorbid diseases (diabetes, diseases affecting mobility, etc;...), and others, including combinations of those reasons. Obesity itself causes changes that make losing weight more difficult.
Avoiding obesity altogether would be the best thing.
Eating well and exercising are very helpful to avoid obesity or to lose weight and should be the primary thing attempted.
But for those who can't do it or can't sustain it or whose efforts fall short (
sometimes in part to obesity's changes or comorbid conditions) then these medications can offer a lot of help.
Sometimes people have to take blood pressure medication, diabetes medications, and other medications even though they are trying to whatever extent (or not) to manage their condition with diet and exercise. Sometimes it's for life. Sometimes if they do the right things they are fortunate enough to be able to come off the medications and continue to manage it with diet and exercise. Sometimes they can't despite best efforts and still need medication for life. It is what it is.
Even with medication no one will be fully successful without making the efforts we've talked about.
A little food for thought:
With diabetes the three "P"s are a major warning sign someone has the disease. They are:
Polyuria (excessive urination)
Polydipsia (excessive thirst)
Polyphagia (excessive hunger)
When your body is driving you to eat it is difficult to turn that off. It makes you think you are starving, and often for the wrong types of food.
It can still be done, sometimes without help like the GLP-1 agonists.
I hesitate to frame it as an either/or proposition and I'm glad there's one more tool to be used to help people get healthier.
