McDonald’s Corp. sales and profits beat expectations in the third quarter thanks to higher prices and movie-inspired ads

A male pedestrian in his 80s has also died in a separate collision in County Louth.

A new survey has found that nearly half of adults in the United States are interested in taking prescription drugs for weight loss, such as Ozempic or Wegovy. In a KFF health tracking poll published on 3 August, researchers reported that 45 per cent of adults said they’d be interested in taking a “safe and effective” prescription drug for weight loss. Meanwhile, seven in 10 adults said they’ve heard at least “a little” about a new class of drugs being used for weight loss, with about one in five saying they have heard “a lot” about these drugs. Ozempic is a type 2 diabetes medication known for its weight loss side effects. Similar semaglutide injections, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, have been specifically approved for the treatment of obesity and weight loss. This class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), regulating blood sugar levels and slowing down the rate at which food leaves the stomach to create the feeling of fullness. Of the US adults surveyed, older groups were some of the most aware of prescription weight loss drugs, with 76 per cent being those who have been told by a doctor in the past five years that they are overweight or obese. Nearly 60 per cent of those surveyed said they were currently trying to lose weight as well. While there was an overall interest in taking a prescription weight loss drug, that interest significantly decreased when people were asked whether they would take the medication as a routine injection. Only 16 per cent of adults said they would still take Ozempic or Wegovy, even if it wasn’t covered by their health insurance and was not specifically approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for weight loss. In fact, most people believed that insurance companies should cover the cost of weight loss drugs for adults who are overweight or obese, with an overwhelming 80 per cent of adults. Additionally, a large majority of adults believed the substantial profits that pharmaceutical companies have made from increased demand for weight loss drugs is a major factor contributing to the cost of injections like Ozempic and Wegovy. According to Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company behind these prescription drugs for diabetes and weight loss, the list price for Ozempic can cost $935.77 per month without health insurance. Although the majority of adults said they trust pharmaceutical companies like Novo Nordisk to provide “reliable information” about safety and side effects of GLP-1 agonists, only 22 per cent said they trust these companies to price their products fairly. The FDA has listed the most common side effects of taking Wegovy as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, indigestion, dizziness, and digestive disorders. More serious complications can occur from use of Wegovy or Mounjaro, such as the “potential risk of thyroid C-cell tumours,” pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, acute kidney injury, increased heart rate, and suicidal behaviour or thinking. Taking Ozempic can also lead to possible thyroid tumours, including cancer, pancreatitis, changes in vision, and kidney and gallbladder problems. Recently, several patients reported suffering from severe gastroparesis, also known as stomach paralysis, after taking the prescription weight loss medications. In a report from CNN, two people claimed that their “stomachs are paralysed” after taking Ozempic. “I wish I never touched it. I wish I’d never heard of it in my life,” Joanie Knight, a 37-year-old from Louisiana, told CNN. “This medicine made my life hell. So much hell. It has cost me money. It cost me a lot of stress; it cost me days and nights and trips with my family. It’s cost me a lot, and it’s not worth it. The price is too high.” One woman was also diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome, which causes her to throw up multiple times a day. “I’ve almost been off Ozempic for a year, but I’m still not back to my normal,” said Emily Wright, a 38-year-old teacher from Toronto. Shortly after the report, the FDA shared in a statement with The Independent that it has become aware of stomach paralysis occurring among patients taking the medications. “The FDA has received reports of gastroparesis with semaglutide and liraglutide, of which some documented the adverse event as not recovered after discontinuation of the respective product at the time of the report,” the agency said. However, officials clarified that they were unable to determine whether taking Ozempic or Wegovy was the cause of stomach paralysis, or if it was caused by a different issue. “Gastroparesis can be a complication of diabetes that is related to long-standing or poorly controlled disease, further complicating the ability to determine what role the drugs played in the reported events,” the FDA added. In response to reports of stomach paralysis, drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk noted that these medications have been used to treat type 2 diabetes “for more than 15 years”, and for the “treatment of obesity” for eight years. “Semaglutide has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs, large real world evidence studies and has cumulatively over 9.5 million patient years of exposure,” a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said in a statement to The Independent. “Gastrointestinal (GI) events are well-known side effects of the GLP-1 class. For semaglutide, the majority of GI side effects are mild to moderate in severity and of short duration. GLP-1’s are known to cause a delay in gastric emptying, as noted in the label of each of our GLP-1 RA medications. Symptoms of delayed gastric emptying, nausea and vomiting are listed as side effects.” Read More Obese people on weight-loss jabs ‘should be prepared to stay on them for life’ Ozempic users report stomach paralysis as weight loss drug side effect: ‘I wish I never touched it’ Sharon Osbourne says she was ‘nauseous’ for weeks after taking Ozempic to lose weight Sharon Osbourne reveals what Ozempic did to her when she was taking it Ozempic users report stomach paralysis as side effect: ‘I wish I never touched it’ Lorraine Candy: ‘Perimenopausal rage made me unravel’

By Daniel Wiessner A U.S. appeals court has ruled that pet supply retailer Chewy Inc did not violate

Aberdeen celebrate the 40th anniversary of their European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph over Real Madrid on Thursday. The club and city council are honouring the players, who will be awarded the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen in a ceremony on Friday. Here, the PA news agency looks back at the ‘Gothenburg Greats’ – the 12 players who took to the field under Sir Alex Ferguson at the Ullevi Stadium to beat Madrid 2–1 after extra-time in 1983. Jim Leighton – Followed Ferguson to Old Trafford in 1988 before ending his career at Pittodrie in 2000 following spells with Dundee and Hibernian. Scotland’s most-capped goalkeeper with 91 international appearances, he had two spells as Aberdeen goalkeeping coach before leaving football in 2015 to work in the oil and gas sector. Doug Rougvie – The imposing full-back moved to Chelsea in 1984 and spent three years at Stamford Bridge. Rougvie, who won his sole Scotland cap against Northern Ireland in 1983, later played for Brighton, Fulham, Shrewsbury, Dunfermline and Montrose and managed the latter as well as Huntly and Cove Rangers. Rougvie’s departure from Cove in 1998 spelled the end of his football career and he became an engineer. Now retired, he splits his time between Scotland and Spain. Alex McLeish – The centre-back spent all but a handful of games of his playing career with Aberdeen, with whom he won 12 major trophies. He joined Motherwell in 1994 as player-manager and later took charge of Hibernian, Rangers, Scotland twice, Birmingham, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Genk and Egyptian side Zamalek. His final managerial role ended with Scotland in 2019. He won eight major trophies, including the League Cup with Birmingham and two promotions as a manager. The 64-year-old appears as a TV pundit. Willie Miller – The skipper had a long association with Aberdeen, managing them from 1992-95. Miller later joined the Pittodrie board and had a spell as director of football and has been a pundit with BBC Radio Scotland for a number of years. John McMaster – The midfielder, who played left-back in Gothenburg, spent 15 years at Pittodrie before leaving in 1987 to play for home-town team Morton for the final year of his career. McMaster became assistant manager at the Greenock club and later scouted for the likes of Middlesbrough and Swansea. He worked in market research and now delivers corporate talks on leadership. Gordon Strachan – Left for Manchester United in 1984 where he would later be reunited with Ferguson. Was football writers’ player of the year in both Scotland and England and won the league with Leeds before ending his playing days and starting his managerial career at Coventry. Took Southampton to the FA Cup final before a successful spell with Celtic and then managed Middlesbrough and Scotland. Now technical director at Dundee. Neale Cooper – The only one of the team who is not still here for the 40th anniversary celebrations, Cooper died aged 54 in 2018 after a fall at a block of flats in Aberdeen. Just 19 when he won the European trophy, Cooper had made his debut in 1979 and went on to play for the likes of Aston Villa and Rangers before a second spell at Pittodrie. He was a popular manager at the likes of Ross County and Hartlepool. He later took up a corporate position with Aberdeen club sponsors Saltire Energy. Neil Simpson – A key player for the Dons until a series of injuries hampered his progress. He left the Dons in 1990 and had spells at Newcastle and Motherwell but could not recapture his form. The midfielder took up coaching after retiring and returned to Aberdeen in the youth set-up in 2001, where he remains to this day as pathways manager. Peter Weir – Ferguson went back to former club St Mirren to sign the talented winger, who later played for Leicester and then the Paisley club again before finishing his career with Ayr. Weir went into coaching and spent 10 years in charge of Aberdeen’s youth academy centre in Glasgow. Mark McGhee – Another who returned to Pittodrie, as manager in 2009, but the spell was not among his happier times in management. McGhee left the Dons for Hamburg in 1984 and also played for Newcastle, Celtic and Reading, where he made a flying start to his career as a boss. Also took charge of the likes of Wolves, Leicester, Brighton and Motherwell – and was Strachan’s assistant with Scotland – before ending his career with Dundee last year. Eric Black – The striker opened the scoring in the final and went on to play for Metz in France before a back injury forced him to retire at the age of 27. He was John Barnes’ assistant manager at Celtic and had spells in charge of Coventry and Motherwell, the latter ending when the club went into administration. He went back to being a coach under the likes of Steve Bruce with his clubs including Birmingham, Sunderland, Rotherham and Aston Villa. Black turned his back on football after leaving Southampton in 2017 and the 59-year-old now sells furniture with his son in Leamington Spa. John Hewitt – The attacker had already been branded ‘super sub’ for his goals off the bench during Aberdeen’s run to Gothenburg and he lived up to his nickname by heading an extra-time winner after replacing Black. Hewitt left for Celtic in 1989 and spent several years with St Mirren before a short spell in coaching as player/manager of Dundalk and Rougvie’s assistant manager at Cove. The 60-year-old now works in the oil and gas sector in Aberdeen and recovered from a heart attack earlier this year. The unused substitutes were goalkeeper Bryan Gunn, injured full-back Stuart Kennedy and midfielders Andy Watson and Ian Angus. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Arsenal to play five Women’s Super League games at Emirates Stadium next season Sergio Busquets calls time on ‘unforgettable’ Barcelona career Nights like this sum him up – Jack Grealish hails City team-mate Kevin De Bruyne

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