The results were spectacular. [Magic drug] transformed just about every tissue and molecular system that Ashley and his co-authors studied -- not just the muscles and heart, but also the liver, adrenal glands, fat, and immune system.
...increase our metabolism, improve mitochondrial function, fortify our immune system, reduce inflammation, improve tissue-specific adaptations, and protect against disease.
...900 cancer patients who had undergone surgery on their advanced colon cancer were randomly assigned to two groups. ... Compared to the control group, the [magic drug] group saw “significantly” more years without cancer, a 7 percentage point increase in the overall survival rate after 8 years, and a dramatic reduction in new primary cancers.
This magic drug? Exercise.
Specifically, aerobic and weight training.
In terms of an actual drug, an article and podcast:
Why are GLP1 drugs good for everything? (Follow up: If GLP-1 Drugs Are Good For Everything, Should We All Be on Them? I'm sure there is a big backlash against these drugs, just like there was a big backlash to antidepressants. "Just stop being depressed!" <sigh>)
Is Ozempic as Magical as It Sounds? (Freakonomics podcast)
This is not to say, "Everyone who isn't doing this [exercising, maintaining the optimal weight] is a moron!"
People do what we're programmed to do! It isn't as though the benefits of exercise or not overeating are hidden. But both are counter to our evolutionary heritage - conserve (what had been) rare calories!
I am fortunate that my life has unfolded in such a way that, in my mid-50s, I am able to prioritize my health. It did take this, which left me in constant, fluctuating pain. Exercise can exacerbate that pain (some more than others), but it is worth it to have more healthy years with Anne (who is in the best shape in decades, although she's been in awesome, amazing shape every minute I've known her 💏 ).
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