260 MILLION.

THAT'S HOW MANY AMERICANS ARE PREDICTED TO BE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE BY 2050.

IT'S A DIRE WARNING, BUT CAN DRUGS OFFER A WAY OUT?

DOES A LACK OF REGULATION MEAN THEY COULD CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD?

DR. DAVID KESSLER IS A FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ENACTING TOUGH TO BACK YOUR REGULATIONS AND LET THE COVID RESPONSE.

HE JOINS TO DISCUSS HIS NEW BOOK ON THE OBESITY CRISIS.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOUR NEW BOOK IS TITLED DIET, DRUGS, AND OPENING.

THE NEW SCIENCE AND ACHIEVING A HEAVYWEIGHT.

YOU ARE LOOKING HOLISTICALLY AT NUTRITION AND WEIGHT LOSS.

WHY DID YOU FEEL THE NEED TO WRITE THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW?

>> THE AMERICAN BODY IS STILL.

ONLY ABOUT 12% OF AMERICANS ARE METABOLICALLY HEALTHY.

THERE IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO RECLAIM OUR HEALTH.

THAT'S WHY I WROTE THE BOOK.

>> HOW MUCH OF THE POPULATION IS SUFFERING IN THESE DIFFERENT WAYS.

STATISTICS SAY WE ARE TALKING AS OF 2023 40% OF AMERICAN ADULTS OVER THE AGE OF 20 ARE CONSIDERED OBESE.

HOW DID WE GET TO THIS POINT.

IS IT THE FACT THAT ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED?

HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN THERE?

HOW EXCEPTED THEY ARE?

>> LET'S UNDERSTAND ONE THING.

IT'S NOT ABOUT WEIGHT.

IT'S NOT HOW BIG OR SMALL YOU ARE.

TO ME IT IS ABOUT HEALTH.

THE QUESTION IS REALLY ABOUT TOXIC FAT.

IT'S THE FAT IN THE MIDSECTION THAT GETS INTO OUR LIVER, OUR PANCREAS, LAYERS OF OUR HEART THAT CAUSE MANY OF THE CHRONIC DISEASES.

CARDIAC, KIDNEY, ANABOLIC, CERTAIN FORMS OF CANCER AND POSSIBLY EVEN NEURODEGENERATIVE.

>> CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MEDICALLY WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT KIND OF BELLY FAT OR VISCERAL FAT WHATEVER IT IS CALLED.

WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY DOING?

HOW IS IT ACTIVELY WORKING AGAINST MY HEALTH MORE THAN JUST THE FACT THAT I HAVE A FEW POUNDS OVERALL SPREAD OUT FROM MY BODY.

WHAT IS THE DANGER OF IT BEING RIGHT HERE IN MY MID SECTION?

>> THIS MIDSECTION FAT AS HE JUST REFERRED TO, THIS TOXIC FAT IS DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE FAT UNDER OUR SKIN AND ARMS AND IN OUR LEGS.

THIS FAT, THESE FAT CELLS HAVE A HARD TIME, BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF CALORIES WE ARE TAKING IN, HOLDING ON TO THE FATS, THEY LEAK THESE MOLECULES.

THEY LEAK CERTAIN PRO- INFLAMMATORY MOLECULES.

THOSE MOLECULES AND THAT FAT ARE GETTING INTO OUR VITAL ORGANS.

DOCTORS WEATHER CARDIOLOGIST, NEPHROLOGIST, WE ARE ALL WAKING UP TO THE FACT THAT THIS TOXIC FAT GETTING INTO OUR VITAL ORGANS, OUR ORGANS ARE BATHED IN THIS INFLAMMATORY SOUP THAT THESE CELLS ARE LEAKING OUT.

IT IS REALLY CAUSING METABOLIC CHAOS IN OUR BODIES.

THIS BEER BELLY WE ALWAYS BECAME PART OF THE CULTURE, THOUGHT IT WAS COOL, MEN WERE STRONG.

IT IS REALLY KILLING US.

>> IF YOU LOOK AT THIS AS AN ADDICTIVE SET OF SUBSTANCES THAT ARE CAUSING THE WORST OF THIS MIDSECTION AND TOXIC FAT, SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT THIS AS SOMETHING THAT IS ABLE TO CHANGE OUR BRAIN CHEMISTRY?

>> I THINK WE CAN ALL RELATE TO THE EXPERIENCE.

FOOD IS VERY POWERFUL.

WHETHER IT IS NEUROCHEMISTRY OR THE NEURAL CIRCUITS.

I THINK WE NEED TO RETHINK HOW WE TALK ABOUT ADDICTION.

ADDICTION WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING, THE WEEK, THE DOWNTRODDEN.

THESE ADDICTIVE CIRCUITS ARE PART OF ALL OF US.

THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO OUR BRAINS EVOLVED TO DEAL WITH AN ENVIRONMENT OF SCARCITY.

THE BRAINS THAT CAN FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON FINDING THIS ENERGY DENSE FOOD IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF SCARCITY, THAT WAS GREAT FOR SURVIVAL.

IT IS NOT THAT OUR BRAINS TODAY ARE NOT WORKING WELL OR SOMETHING IS BROKEN.

THEY ARE WORKING ONLY TOO WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE CHANGED THIS FOOD ENVIRONMENT TO PUT THESE ENERGY DENSE FOODS, 24/7 WE ARE EXPOSED TO IT.

THERE ARE CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF ADDICTION.

THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED Q -INDUCED WANTING.

IT COULD BE THE TIME OF DAY, IT COULD BE PASSED A CERTAIN STORE, I WASN'T EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT MY BRAIN UNCONSCIOUSLY GETS A Q BASED ON PAST LEARNING AND PAST MEMORY IT STIMULATES THIS WANTING.

ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAVE THOUGHTS, MAYBE I SHOULD GO TO THAT STORE, MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE THAT FOOD.

UNTIL YOU CONSUME IT THOSE THOUGHTS STAY WITH YOU.

IF YOU HAVE THE FOOD AVAILABLE 24/7 YOU DON'T EVEN FEEL THE PULL.

WHEN YOU TRY TO RESIST, I WOULD ALWAYS LOSE WEIGHT.

I GAINED AND LOST MY BODY WEIGHT MULTIPLE TIMES.

I WOULD LOSE THE WEIGHT.

I WAS DONE.

I THOUGHT AND I WOULD ALWAYS GAIN IT BACK.

ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT ADDICTION, WHEN YOU ARE DEALING WITH FOOD IT IS REALLY ABOUT REGAINING FOOD.

YES THERE IS METABOLIC ADAPTATION, BUT THE REWARD CIRCUITS ARE JUST OUT OF ALL OF US.

>> SO IT IS AN ADDICT OF SUBSTANCE AND ENGINEERED TO BE MORE SO.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT.

SHOULD THIS INDUSTRY BE REGULATED MORE CLOSELY?

WE ARE DOING IT FOR ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO.

>> I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING PART OF THE TEAM, AS YOU SAID, DID THE INVESTIGATION INTO TOBACCO.

NO DOUBT, THERE ARE CERTAIN TOOLS THE GOVERNMENT HAS THAT CAN CHANGE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCES.

WHAT REALLY WORKED IN TOBACCO, IT WAS ONE OF THE GREAT PUBLIC HEALTH SUCCESSES OVER THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS, THE TURN OF THE PREVIOUS CENTURIES WITH THE TOBACCO COMPANIES DID WAS HIRED PSYCHOANALYST TO COME UP WITH THE PHRASE, SYMBOLS OF LIBERTY, TORCHES OF FREEDOM.

THE MARCH DOWN FIFTH AVENUE FOR EMANCIPATION.

THEY MADE CIGARETTES INTO SOMETHING SEXY AND GLAMOUR SOME.

THEY MADE IT POSITIVELY VALENCE.

YOU WANT TO.

WHAT DID WE DO OVER THE LAST 50, 75 YEARS?

WE CHANGE THE VALENCE.

THERE WAS A CRITICAL PERCEPTUAL SHIFT FROM SOMETHING I WANTED THAT WAS MY FRIEND TO SOMETHING I DID NOT WANT.

IT WAS A DEADLY, DISGUSTING PRODUCT THAT WAS MY ENEMY.

SO HOW WE PERCEIVE THESE FOODS.

ARE THEY REALLY SATISFYING?

WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO MY BODY?

I THINK, YES.

THERE'S GOVERNMENT TOOLS YOU CAN USE BUT YOU REALLY HAVE TO CHANGE HOW WE SEE THESE FOODS.

>> LET'S TURN THE CONVERSATION TO GLP-1 DRUGS.

YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY WITH THESE DRUGS.

HOW DO THEY WORK AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THEM?

>> WHAT THEY DO IS THEY DELAY GASTRIC EMPTYING.

THAT JUST SAYS THAT FOOD STAYS IN YOUR STOMACH LONGER.

WE ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT.

WE GET THE FLU.

THE G. I. TRACT DOES NOT MOVE AS MUCH.

FOOD STAYS IN THE STOMACH AND HOW DO YOU FEEL?

YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYTHING ELSE IN YOUR STOMACH.

THERE IS THIS SPECTRUM.

IT'S THE RESULT OF BOTH THE G. I. TRACT AND PART OF THE BRAIN.

YOU KNOW THAT CONTINUUM.

I FEEL SATISFIED, I FEEL FULL.

THEN THERE IS THIS THANKSGIVING FULLNESS.

EVERYBODY PERCEIVES THESE DIFFERENTLY.

FOR ME THEY TOOK ME TO THE EDGE OF NAUSEA.

WHAT IS STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE ADDICTIVE EDGE OF CIRCUITS.

THERE IS ANOTHER SET CALLED THE AVERSE IT.

WHEN WE FEEL ILL.

WHEN THE FIRST PRECURSORS WERE GIVEN TO ANIMALS THEY DID NOT MOVE.

SCIENTISTS COINED THE TERM VISCERAL MALLETT'S.

THE GREAT THING ABOUT THESE DRUGS BECAUSE OF THE DOSE THEY CAN PUSH YOU ALONG THAT CONTINUUM.

THE FULLNESS.

SOME PEOPLE CANNOT TOLERATE THESE DRUGS BECAUSE THEY PUSH THEM OVER INTO OUTRIGHT NAUSEA.

THOSE FEELINGS ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE REWARD CIRCUITS.

THE PROBLEM IS THESE DRUGS ONLY WORK WHILE YOU ARE ON THEM.

THE LATEST DATA THAT I SAW IS THE AVERAGE PERSON IN THIS COUNTRY IS ON THEM FOR EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS.

YOU GO OFF THEM AND THEY STOP WORKING.

THE PREMISE IS THAT YOU WILL BE ON IT FOR YOUR LIFE.

I THINK THE FDA AND THE COMPANIES HAVE TO STUDY HOW WE CAN EFFECTIVELY USE THESE DRUGS IN THE REAL WORLD.

>> YOU ARE DESCRIBING A COUPLE DIFFERENT PROCESSES.

ONE IS PHYSIOLOGICAL.

THERE'S MORE FOOD IN MY STOMACH.

I FEEL FULL.

THE OTHER WHAT IS INTERESTING TO ME IS THIS IDEA OF FOOD NOISE.

DECREASING YOUR INTEREST IN GOING AFTER ALL FOODS INCLUDING THE HYPER ADDICTIVE ONES.

I WONDER, WHEN YOU GOT OFF THE DRUGS STATE THAT FOOD NOISE INCREASE?

>> YOU SAID IT VERY WELL.

THAT FOOD NOISE IS THE RESULT OF THOSE REWARD CIRCUITS.

THOSE ADDICTIVE CIRCUITS.

THAT YOU INDUCED WANTING.

GOING OFF IN MY HEAD THAT MY REWARD CIRCUITS ARE BEING TRIGGERED.

THOSE CIRCUITS, THE EDGE OF NAUSEA THAT I FELT THAT COUNTERBALANCED THOSE ADDICTIVE CIRCUITS, THAT WORKS WHEN YOU ARE ON THESE DRUGS.

THEY WILL WORK FOR A WHILE AFTER YOU GO OFF OF THEM, BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT IT IS HIGHLY VARIABLE.

EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES.

FOR ME, IT WORKED FOR A WHILE, BUT WHAT I FOUND AND WHAT I TRIED TO DO WAS CHANGE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD WHILE I'M ON THAT AND TRY TO HAVE THAT SORT OF CONDITION ME IN A WAY TO BE ABLE TO CARRYOVER.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CO- LEAD OPERATION WARP SPEED DURING THE PANDEMIC.

I WORKED 18 HOUR DAYS.

I WAS SITTING THERE WITH MY COMPUTER.

IT WAS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

I TURNED AROUND AND I WAS 40 POUNDS HEAVIER AFTERWARDS.

I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

THESE DRUGS ARE NOT A PANACEA.

THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL.

THEY ARE ONE TOOL.

YOU NEED TO TAKE THEM.

YOU CANNOT EXPECT TO DEAL WITH THESE EXIT OF --ADDICTIVE CIRCUITS BY YOURSELF.

YOU NEED A TEAM, YOU NEED A GOOD PHYSICIAN, A DIETITIAN.

YOU NEED PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP YOU TO CHANGE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD.

THE DRUGS ARE ONE TOOL, BUT ONLY ONE TOOL.

>> WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THESE DRUGS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DEFINITELY POINT OUT IS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE ACCESS TO THEM, BUT IT IS VERY UNEQUAL ACCESS.

FOR MOST PEOPLE THEIR INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER GLP-1 DRUGS.

IT MIGHT COVER IT FOR DIABETES BUT IT MIGHT NOT FOR WEIGHT LOSS.

>> THIS IS NOT ABOUT WILLPOWER.

THIS IS VERY MUCH A DISEASE PROCESS AT WORK.

IT IS CAUSING TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF HEALTH BILLS THESE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE PAYING.

I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TO DO IS TO AGREE UNDER MEDICARE TO COVER THESE DRUGS.

NOT TO DO THAT IS A FORM OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WHO STRUGGLE WITH OBESITY.

WE NEED TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THESE DRUGS.

I CARRY, I WAS CARRYING THREE DIFFERENT INSURANCE POLICIES.

NOT ONE COVERED THESE DRUGS.

OVER $1000.

COULD YOU IMAGINE STRUGGLING WITH YOUR WEIGHT YOUR WHOLE LIFE AND BEING ILL FROM IT, FROM SUFFERING IN THE CARDIAC CONSEQUENCES, THE RENAL CONSEQUENCES, PREDIABETES, DIABETES, A NUMBER OF OTHER COMPLICATIONS.

A DRUG COMES ALONG AND IT CAN HELP YOU AND YOU CANNOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT DRUG?

IT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW BROKEN THE AMERICAN HEALTH SYSTEM IS.

THEY PRICE THESE DRUGS EXORBITANTLY.

THERE IS A THING IN THE FOOD AND DRUG LAWS, THIS LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWS COMPOUNDED DRUGS TO BE MADE.

THESE ARE DRUGS THAT, NOT COMING FROM THE MANUFACTURERS.

THE SOURCE OF THESE DRUGS PROBABLY COMING FROM CHINA.

IT IS HARD TO EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY ARE BEING MADE.

THE FDA HAS NOT DONE TESTING TO ENSURE THE TASTE --SAFETY.

BECAUSE THEY ARE PRICED SO HIGH PEOPLE HAVE TO RESORT TO DRUGS THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSURE THE SAFETY OF.

NOW THE COMPANIES ARE LOWERING THEIR PRICES TO COMPETE WITH THESE.

THAT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW BROKEN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS.

>> IS THERE SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN COLLECTIVELY FIGURE OUT HOW TO INCREASE ACCESS TO THIS CATEGORY OF DRUGS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME EQUIPPING PEOPLE, REPAIRING PEOPLE FOR A WAY FOR THEM TO SAY, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE MANUFACTURER SAYS YOU NEED TO BE ON THIS DRUG FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE BUT OUR GOAL IS NOT TO HAVE YOU ON THIS DRUG FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

I WANT YOU TO FIGURE OUT, LET'S GET YOU BACK TO A HEALTHY LEVEL AND HOPEFULLY BETWEEN NOW AND THAT POINT YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD.

>> YOU SAID IT WONDERFULLY.

THAT IS THE GOAL.

THERE IS NO ENDGAME RIGHT NOW.

YOU AND I ARE NOT GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE DATA TO USE THESE DRUGS, THE RIGHT DOSE.

NOW WHEN CAN I GO BACK, WILL IT CONTINUE TO WORK, THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT THE DRUG COMPANY WITH THE REGULATORY BODIES NEED TO FIGURE OUT.

THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS AND RECLAIM OUR HEALTH AND GET A TEAM, ACCESS IS A VERY KEY ISSUE.

YOU CANNOT DEAL WITH AN ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE ALONE.

YOU NEED DOCTORS AND NUTRITIONISTS, THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

WE JUST HAVE TO WANT TO RECLAIM OUR HEALTH AND UNDERSTAND THERE IS NO ENDGAME.

>> DR. DAVID KESSLER.

THE NEW BOOK IS CALLED DIET, DRUGS, AND DOPAMINE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU