Ozempic.

Here we go again. The latest wonder drug for losing weight. Celebrities left & right (right Christina?) are using Ozempic, or to name the active ingredient, semaglutide, for quick weight loss. A drug that isn’t even DESIGNED for weight management, FFS….

…OK, wait, calm down Bob. Let’s start at the beginning.

What’s Ozempic?

Specifically, Ozempic is used to help lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes (when used alongside diet and exercise, and I’m going to refer back to this point later on.) as well as help reduce the risk for certain cardiovascular problems (related to the heart or blood vessels) in adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The drug is given by subcutaneous injection.

That is what it’s designed for. Do you see the words “weight management” or ‘quick weight loss” in there anywhere?

Niether do I.

Ozempic can cause mild side effects in some people. These may include:
change in the way things taste
abdominal pain
constipation or diarrhea
dizziness
headache
acid reflux
injection-site reactions, such as skin redness, discoloration, or discomfort
nausea or vomiting
minor increase in heart rate

Serious side effects of Ozempic can include:
diabetic retinopathy (damaged blood vessels in the eye)
gallbladder disease, including gallstones or cholecystitis
kidney problems
pancreatitis* (swelling of the pancreas)
increased risk of thyroid cancer
hypoglycemia* (low blood sugar)

OK, so nothing out of the ordinary. Just the regular laundry list of side effects that most drugs come with these days. The part of the commercial where they speak very fast and with a dismissive tone right before they glowingly recount the “incredible benefits” that taking their potion will bestow upon you.

But that’s not why most folks are taking the drug these days, is it, hmmm?

Current buzz around semaglutide namely stems from its off-label use, primarily for weight loss. Celebrities and influencers have been cited as using these expensive medications in an effort to be thinner. This use drastically strays from the medication’s intent. “The purpose of these medications is not to provide a quick fix and they should not be used for appearance issues only,” Amy Warriner, MD, told Health. Warriner is a professor of medicine and the director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham weight loss clinic. She’s concerned about potential eating disorders and a toxic desire to change bodies for aesthetic—not health—reasons. Further, because these medications can cause discomfort after meals, that can create a negative relationship to food, she added.. “We shouldn’t be using these medications without considering food behaviors and the possibility of disordered eating habits,”

Dr. Warriner at UAB ain’t just whistling dixie…

…see what I did there…but I digress…

In addition, while drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic might seem like a miracle to those with diabetes and obesity, the truth is the effects only last while you are taking the semaglutide medication. A study published in April 2022 which sought to examine changes in body weight and cardiometabolic ( wait, I’ll define that in a sec..) risk factors upon the termination of the drug, found that after a year people had regained two-thirds of the weight they had lost. Weight rebound occurs quite simply because the drug does not cure the underlying issues that led to weight gain in the first place. The positive changes they had seen in cardiometabolic risk factors like blood pressure, blood lipids, HbA1c, and C-reactive protein had similarly reversed.

Simply put, while you’re on the drug you may lose the weight. But once you go off it, you’ll probably gain the weight back and often more besides…

…plus the possible side effects, minor & major.

Or, if you’re looking to lose, maintain or otherwise manage your weight…

…maybe, just maybe,try….

DIET AND HEALTHY ACTIVITY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heavens to Murgatroid! I know I sound like a broken record! But people. It’s the healthy, safe, positive way to lose, maintain & manage your weight & health!

I know it’s not the easy way. I know it’s a pain to change dietary habits that you’ve gotten hella comfortable with. I know all about it. I love food. And when I say I love food, I mean

I LOVE FOOD!

Food, and its twin sister, drink, are my lifetime inamorata. They get me through frustration, boredom, despair, anger. You name it, I have turned to food & drink to help me through. At the end of a good day, I celebrate with them. At the end of a terrible day, they are there to console me. But from time to time, I have to assert who is actually in charge of this roller coaster of a life I lead. Because I value my fitness, wellness and quality of life. If my habits start to trend toward the dark side, if my clothes don’t fit the way they should, if what I see in the mirror doesn’t thrill me, or if I think, separate from any appearance / weight issues, that my diet is affecting my overall health, I know it’s time to, umm, “reset” my habits.

It’s a pain.

I’m not a happy, shiny person while this is happening. Ask my friends.

But it’s worth it. To me.

So, what’s the admittedly long-winded message this week?

Do me a favor. Don’t jump on the latest drug bandwagon.

Meal plan.

Weight watchers

Have them deliver healthy meals in the mail.

Get together with friends and do a “challenge” thing.

Buy a little notebook and log your food intake, which is what I do.

I beg you. It’s hard to make a substantive change in your life,

but oh so worth it.

Talk Later,

Bob