– For the first time in my life I have felt full – news Trøndelag

Else Kåss Furuseth and Benedichte Fugle-Kaarikstad have both tried different ways to lose weight. They became known through the TV series Helsekost Furuseth, where Else and the other participants start a major lifestyle change together. But then one took it one step further. They talked about it together in the group chat. Else was thinking about starting diet pills. “Do you need it? You have already lost a lot of weight,” wrote Benedichte in the chat. She was very much against the solution, which can also cause many side effects. At the same time, it was very expensive. – Do we live there now, where we are stuffed with lots of ready meals and chocolate buns, so we just have to take an injection and then lose weight? That sounds very far away, she thought. Benedichte did not like the idea of ​​”cheating” himself to lose the many extra kilos on his body. Benedichte decided early on to lose weight without aids. Photo: Julie Trulsvik Rasmussen / news Else needed more help Else Kåss Furuseth struggles with overeating and says she has never really known what it means to be full. When she was little, her mother thought she should join the no thanks club. It didn’t really exist, but the idea was created so that Else would learn to say stop. – But I continued to say yes, thank you. It is only the eye target that will decide when you are done, because the stomach is not included. Today, Norway is at the top of the world when it comes to overweight and obesity. According to a major health survey, one in four Norwegians in their 40s is overweight. So Else Kåss Furuseth is not alone. Else Kåss Furuseth has gained and lost weight many times. Photo: ROLV CHRISTIAN TOPDAHL / news After many rounds with herself and the doctor, she realized that a move had to be made that she had not yet tried. Therefore, Else recently started on obesity-reducing medicine. Once a week she puts in a syringe, which will help her control her hunger. – I hope we can talk about this in a less biased and tabloid way. Obesity is a chronic disease, and there are thousands of different stories. For my part, I came to the conclusion that I needed more help – and I know this is not a “quick fix”. She hopes that the future debate around medication use will be about price and side effects, instead of it automatically being about failing morals. In 2022, 52,526 people in Norway had a blue prescription for obesity-reducing medicine. But this year a lot has changed. First, a new medicine called Wegovy came on the market. It appears to be more effective than those previously available. The four approved drugs for weight reduction in Norway Wegovy Comes in the form of a syringe, which should be inserted under the skin once a week. Contains the active substance semaglutide, which is similar to a hormone we produce naturally after we have eaten Gives a feeling of satiety by affecting the appetite center in the brain Saxenda Comes in the form of a syringe, which should be inserted under the skin once a week Contains the active substance liraglutide, which is similar to a hormone we produce naturally after we have eaten Gives a feeling of satiety by affecting the appetite center in the brain Mysimba Comes in tablet form, four tablets should be taken every day Contains the active substances naltrexone and bupropion The substances act on reward systems in the brain which in turn affect food intake Xenical Comes in tablet form and is taken with meals three times a day Contains the active substance orlistat, which prevents the absorption of fat from the gut Reduces fat absorption from the gut by about a third If you eat too much fat, orlistat will cause diarrhoea, so it can therefore help you eat less fat PS: The medicines only have an effect as long as you take them. Source: Swedish Medicines Agency And the sale? It has gone completely wrong. We do not know how many patients have received a prescription for Wegovy, but one pack is enough for one month’s consumption. – Hugely expensive But the Swedish Medicines Agency has refused to issue Wegovy on a blue prescription. At the same time, they also removed Saxenda from the same list of medicines for which the state picks up most of the bill. The reason is that they thought the medicines were too expensive in relation to how well they work. Thus, those who want to use Wegovy, or Saxenda, have to pay themselves. The price tag is around NOK 36,000 a year. Else has chosen to pay herself, but calls it a luxury medicine. Because she can afford it. – For those of us who support the public healthcare system, it is deeply problematic that these preparations are not available to everyone who needs them. It may seem that medicines for obesity are prioritized lower than other medicines, I miss political signals about the way forward, she says. For Benedichte, the price means that medicine would not have been relevant anyway. If she wanted to try, she wouldn’t have been able to afford it. – It is very expensive. There is no chance! It doesn’t work. Benedichte has acquired better habits. Photo: Julie Trulsvik Rasmussen / news Electric Bike A little while ago, a new message ticked into the group chat for Benedichte and the other slimming friends. It was from Else: “For the first time in my life I have felt full.” – It was the first time in my life I said no thank you, because I was provided for, says Else. She thinks it was a relief that the body finally spoke up on its own. – For me, it’s like I got myself an electric bike instead of a regular bike. They help a little, but not much. Because, as with many other medicines, these also only work as long as they are taken. – It is not with jubilation that you think that you are going to do something forever, but then I think that then you have a chronic illness. And I think the big “moral discussion” is challenging. We are not talking like that about, for example, blood pressure medicine. May result in fewer weight loss surgeries – These are not lazy, stupid people who lack self-discipline. These are people who are genetically predisposed to obesity. That’s what Jøran Hjelmesæth says. He is the chief physician at the Hormone, obesity and nutrition department at the Hospital in Vestfold and one of Norway’s foremost experts on obesity. A report published in 2019 estimated that obesity alone had a societal cost of close to NOK 70 billion. – Obesity and overweight will cost Norway and the world an extremely large amount of money. Both in lost years of life, illness, disability, quality of life and more, says Hjelmesæth. Jøran Hjelmesæth is also a professor at the University of Oslo and head of the National Council for Nutrition. Photo: Julie Trulsvik Rasmussen / news He believes the future is brighter for people with obesity and overweight now that more and more effective medicines are coming on the market. – This means that perhaps more than half of those who undergo bariatric surgery today can avoid it. He says no one should be ashamed of using slimming drugs, and hopes it will become a completely normal treatment. But today there is one problem. – It is currently the medicine of the rich, says Jøran Hjelmesæth. He also does not think there is any danger that someone will use the medicines as a shortcut, without making changes in their lifestyle. – Because then they don’t work, he says. Finding a solution Else Kåss Furuseth has known that the medicine works for her. She feels full from time to time. She dreams of having a normal eating pattern. – I just want to find a solution to the overeating. That’s what it’s about for me. As for Benedichte, she has managed to get further than in a long time. She has lost over 20 kilos, and managed to stay there. – Through this project, I have finally been able to focus on what I want and what I want to do in life. She thanks the group for much of that, that they are working towards the same goal. Benedichte has gained a greater understanding of those who choose to use medication to lose weight. Photo: Julie Trulsvik Rasmussen / news – It worked very well, and this time it’s different. In addition, she has seen that medication is not cheating, but can be an important solution for others. But she still believes that you should try most other things first. Benedichte still indulges in some treats and the sweets cabinet is well equipped for the sweet tooth. The difference now is that she knows what needs to be done and she is motivated. WEGOVY (Semaglutide) Effect: People who received the medicine lost an average of 14.9 percent in weight, while those who received a placebo lost 2.4 percent. 66.1 percent of the medicated lost at least 10 percent in weight, while 12.1 percent of the placebo group did the same. Common side effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain Headache Fatigue Serious side effects: Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) Serious allergic reactions Fluid loss and dehydration Worsening of diabetic retinal disease (retinopathy) PS: The Norwegian Medicines Agency emphasizes that you cannot easily compare the effects between the drugs since the studies were conducted in slightly different ways and with different patient groups. SAXENDA (Liraglutide) Effect: People who received the medicine scored an average of 8.0 percent lost weight, while those who received a placebo lost 2.6 percent. 32.8 percent of the medicated lost at least 10 percent in weight, while 10.1 percent of the placebo group did the same. Common side effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation Headache Serious side effects: Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) Serious allergic reactions Fluid loss and dehydration PS: The Swedish Medicines Agency emphasizes that you cannot easily compare the effect between the medicines since the studies have been carried out in slightly different ways and with different patient groups. who received a placebo decreased by 1.3 percent. 31 percent of those treated lost at least 5 percent in weight, while 12 percent of the placebo group did the same. Common side effects: Nausea, vomiting, constipation. Headaches. Serious side effects: Suicidal thoughts and feelings of depression. Seizures. Serious skin side effects. the studies have been carried out in slightly different ways and with different patient groups. Source: Norwegian Medicines Agency



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