The Daily Valet. - 11/9/23, Thursday
✔️ Is This the End?
Thursday, November 9th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
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Today’s Big Story
Will We End Obesity?
FDA Approves a New Obesity Drug Poised to Dethrone Wegovy and pave the way for wider use
Obesity has been called an “American epidemic”. The U.S. medical establishment is clear about its stance on the matter: Obesity is a “common, serious, and costly chronic disease,” as the CDC puts it. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was nearly $173 billion in 2019 dollars. What's more, Americans struggling with obesity paid $1,861 more in medical costs than people in a healthy weight range.More than 40% of U.S. adults and almost 20% of children and adolescents are obese, according to the latest CDC estimates—putting them at risk of health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer. An additional 30% of adults are considered overweight. That means less than a third of U.S. adults meet the CDC's standard for a healthy body weight. Is it any wonder that this new crop of prescription drugs are popping up and getting everyone's attention?Writing for TIME, Jamie Ducharme says it's “highly unusual for a medication to become a household name; even more uncommon for its branding to become, like Advil, shorthand for an entire class of products; and rarest of all, for it to change not just U.S. medicine, but U.S. culture. Ozempic has done all three.” Approved in 2017 as a type 2 diabetes medication, Ozempic has largely made its name—and a fortune for its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk—as a weight-loss aid. Its runaway success mirrors that of similar medications, including Mounjaro and Wegovy, another Novo Nordisk product and the only one technically approved for weight loss.And on Wednesday, the FDA approved an obesity drug from the company Eli Lilly that will be a direct competitor to the wildly popular Wegovy, which CNBC reports, will pave the way for even wider use of the treatment in the U.S. Sold under the name Zepbound, it should be available in the U.S. by the end of the year, and will carry a list price of about $1,060 for a month's supply, according to a release from Eli Lilly.Despite the drugs' relatively new popularity (and high price tag), Ducharme writes, “prescriptions for all of them are flying off the pad at an eye-popping rate.” In fact, many have faced supply constraints for months due to soaring demand. But no one can quite agree on whether this frenzy is a good thing. Plenty of physicians (and, of course, the pharmaceutical executives who stand to benefit) say it is, given that so many qualify as either overweight or obese and are thus, according to leading public health authorities, at risk of a range of serious health complications. However, before the Ozempic tsunami, a growing number of doctors and researchers had begun advocating for Health at Every Size, a research-backed set of principles from the Association for Size Diversity and Health that hold body size is not a measure of health or worth, and that all people deserve high-quality, non-stigmatizing medical care. Then again, if obesity is a disease, as the CDC classifies it, one would reason that it should be treated in a way that's best to deliver results.
Meanwhile:
Weight loss prescriptions are driving health costs for employers up by more than $300 per insured worker this year, according to Forbes.
A Possible Endgame in Gaza?
But first, the proposal for a pause in fighting gets closer to becoming a reality
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Wednesday offered up what some belive is a signal about what the United States sees as its preferred endgame in the fight between Israel and Hamas: He suggested that Gaza should be unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority once the war is over.The New York Times suggested that the plan reflected a deep anxiety on the part of President Biden and his aides inside the White House as the conflict enters its second month. His administration faces growing pressure to use its leverage to push for sustainable, long-term goals in the region while minimizing civilian casualties. But increasingly, the United States and Israel are showing signs that their interests are diverging.Israeli troops set on ousting Hamas pushed into the heart of Gaza City on Wednesday, sending thousands of civilians fleeing the Palestinian enclave's largest city as international pressure built on Israel to agree to a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting—to allow in more aid and facilitate the release of hostages. NBC News reports that Qatar, acting as an intermediary, has held talks with Hamas for weeks about a possible pause in Gaza but a final agreement has proved elusive. Israeli officials have said Hamas must first release all of the roughly 240 hostages it is holding before they will agree to a cease-fire.
Meanwhile:
The House voted Wednesday to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for Israel-Hamas war comments.
Spreading Those Good Vibes
More than half of Americans live in places where recreational marijuana is legal
If you read yesterday's newsletter, then you know that voters in Ohio approved a measure to allow recreational marijuana use. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have now legalized recreational marijuana, which means that more than half of the U.S. population lives in places where they can legally enjoy cannabis in multiple forms at their leisure. And medicinal use (remember that?) is legal in 38 states.Why does it matter? Well, plenty of people still live in states where it remains illegal. And then there's the murky gray area of cannabis still being illegal at the federal level. But seven in 10 Americans think marijuana use should be legal, according to a new Gallup poll released Wednesday. This is the highest level yet after holding steady at 68% for three years.The legalized marijuana market is worth $64 billion and has nearly tripled in three years as legalization efforts have swept the nation, a 2022 Coresight Research report found. About two-thirds of marijuana users in Coresight's study said they've increased their drug usage since it was legalized. And back in August, Department of Health and Human Services officials recommended the Drug Enforcement Administration to move marijuana to a lower-risk category under the Controlled Substances Act—something that seems all but imminent now.
Looking AHead:
Justices on Florida’s conservative-leaning Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared to favor a marijuana legalization initiative that would appear on the state’s 2024 ballot.
The No. 1 Place Where We Forget to Tip
A new study shows that most hotel guests don't tip at all
Get ready for the “tipping culture” conversation to get a little more contentious. Because while more Americans are skimping on tips at restaurants and hair salons amid persistent inflation, there's one place they're often forgetting to pay gratuity altogether: hotels.New data shows that the majority of us aren't tipping our hotel housekeepers properly. According to a study from The Vacationer, only 39% of people tip their house keeping staff—meaning that 61% of people are not leaving tips. And listen, maybe you didn't know that you were supposed to, or were unsure of the etiquette around it. Like most other hospitality and service workers, housekeepers rely on tips. According to Salary.com, the average hourly wage for a hotel housekeeper in the United States typically falls between $12 and $14. In other words, as a new report from Thrillist notes, tipping is, in many cases, “the difference between a living wage and poverty wages.”You might run through various excuses for not tipping the housekeeper as you're checking out of a hotel—perhaps you're in a rush, or aren't carrying cash—but Diane Gottsman, a nationally recognized etiquette expert, tells CNBC that you should aim to leave a minimum of $3-$5 per day, or, if you have a bigger crew, $1 per person per day before checking out.
Pop Quiz:
Do you know how to tip? Test your knowledge about tipping while traveling in America.
In Other News
After 118 days on strike, they officially reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract.
Have you heard about ...
The Cocktail Enthusiast’s Gift List
What to get the discerning drinkers and home bartenders in your life.
Not all gifts can be both luxurious and utilitarian. But there's something about cocktail gifts this time of year. They're indulgent, and yet also seem somewhat essential. After all, it's a season for celebration. And for family gatherings—which comes with a license for liberal imbibing. If you're not already adept at crafting a cocktail for yourself and friends, then hopefully you know someone who takes on that responsibility with great care and pride. That VIP is to whom this gift guide is aimed, and we can assure you these gifts are 100% winners. In other words, there are no whiskey stones in this round up.
Clockwise, from top left to right:
Vintage-inspired stainless steel snack dish, $34.95 by CB2; Japanese style jigger, $13.80 by Barfly; Mini charred American oak barrel, $55 by Marcellin and Crystal clear ice cube mold, $50 / $44.97 by True Cubes
Clockwise, from top left to right:
Vermouth brined olives, $12 by Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.; Lead-free crystal decanter, $22.99 by Queen&Stone and Stainless steel cocktail picks, $16.99 (for set of 12) by Barfly
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Morning Motto
Stretch yourself
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