Elon Musk has suggested one controversial medication to be the single greatest change that the US can make to improve its health crisis, prompted by Luigi Mangione's manifesto.
If there's anything you can say about Elon Musk is that he's never short of wild ideas, and his most recent proposition on X (formerly Twitter) has stirred up a lot of conversation.
Social media has had its eyes intently fixed on the assassination of Universal Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione alongside the release of his alleged manifesto has got the nation talking.
In his manifest, Mangione remarks: "A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy."
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Many infer this to be a takedown of the prohibitive cost of health services in America, exaggerated further by insurance companies, which has led many unable to receive treatment and resulted in arguably avoidable deaths.
Musk has had his say on this declaration though in his own post, quoting that section of the manifesto. He argued:
"Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors super low cost to the public. Nothing else is even close."
If you're unaware, GLP inhibitors - scientifically referred to as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists - are medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity by stimulating the production of insulin, slowing down the process of gastric emptying, and stopping the release of glucagon.
Ozempic, a GLP-1 analog, is by far the most popular and well known of these medications, and has been widely used over the past year to treat diabetes and garner weight loss.
Musk claims that while "a lot of people will complain" about his suggestion, he "is right" - as he always believes.
While some do agree that tackling obesity would have a positive effect on the wider health of Americans, and play a factor in increasing the life span, many have raised concerns about the long-term viability of GLP inhibitors in both their side effects and concrete health benefits.
"Ultimately though despite it being a quick fix for this huge problem of obesity," one user explains in the replies, "it's not the answer long term."
This is down to what many claim are the dietary and lifestyle issues held by many Americans, which are at the root of a problem that something like ozempic would only mask.
Common side effects of the medication include nausea, diarrhea, and tiredness, and some suggest that you would have to be on the drug forever if you don't sort out your general health outside of the weight loss.
Some have even pointed to the wider quality of food in the US: "We are suffering from disastrous food policy/supply, exposure to toxins, and a culture that no longer accepts the role of personal responsibility in disease."
It will certainly remain a contentious topic as long as the medication remains available, but perhaps this is a suggestion of things to come considering Musk's close role in Trump's government as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
