Ozempic has become a household name — I bet you’ve heard of it, even if you’re not a nutrition expert. This drug, initially intended for diabetic patients, is now used for weight loss. But does it really live up to its magical claims? Is this the holy grail of weight loss? Does it work at all? These are the questions my patients ask me almost daily, and some demand a prescription without even a blood test.
True story: one of my patients regularly went to see her gynecologist, who diagnosed insulin resistance without consulting her laboratory tests. Perhaps he was a shaman, someone with supernatural insight into unseen things – like laboratory tests. But no, he let his anti-obesity prejudices get the better of him and quickly assumed his insulin resistance was due to his size. He couldn’t shake his stubborn belief that weight loss was the ultimate panacea. As if losing a few pounds could solve any problem, regardless of the diagnosis.
Ozempic has been creating a lot of buzz lately. Hollywood stars are turning to this drug, not because they all have diabetes, but because of its surprisingly rapid weight loss results. Even Twitter owner Elon Musk can’t help but brag about his slim physique thanks to Ozempic. Since then, it has been a trending topic.
The active ingredient in Ozembic is semaglutide, which regulates blood sugar levels. It reduces them and helps control blood sugar levels by increasing the amount of insulin released in response to food intake. That’s why it’s indicated for type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent). This medication, available in refillable pens, is injected into the abdomen, leg or arm. It is advisable to start with a low dose and gradually increase it. Originally developed only for type 2 diabetes, the drug received additional approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in June 2022 to aid weight loss. The pharmaceutical industry doesn’t give up easily.
The drug requires a doctor’s prescription, although people wanting to lose weight can purchase it illegally. The high demand for Ozempic, combined with alleged supply and distribution issues, has sometimes poor diabetics who really need the medication.
As with all medications, GLP1 peptide analogs have drawbacks and side effects, which bind to receptors in the gut, leading to an increased feeling of fullness and slower gastric emptying. These effects may produce symptoms such as stomach upset, dehydration, dizziness, fatigue, severe constipation or diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, and persistent fullness even after eating. consumed small portions of food.
That sounds horrible to me, but it’s a seductive siren song for many people, despite all the unpleasant side effects. They say things like, “I can handle it for a while” and “It’s not as bad as I thought.” And then there are those who declare: “I will do whatever it takes to lose those extra pounds!” »
This drug may well be another tool for improving health, but I do not approve of its use only for weight loss. For people who already lead a healthy lifestyle in terms of diet, exercise, and sleep, this medication may provide an extra boost to weightloss. But for someone who doesn’t eat a healthy diet, it’s just a passive way to lose weight that causes a lot of physical discomfort. In such scenarios, providing nutrition education combined with psychological support can be very effective. It is a mistake to believe that recommending a generic diet and exercise is a panacea. It’s about raising awareness and educating the patient and instilling healthy, sustainable habits that last. Focusing on weight loss as the key to good health is a mistake because wellness does not equate to weight loss. Because this medication has an anorexigenic (hunger suppression) effect, it warrants careful evaluation before prescribing to avoid aggravating an existing eating disorder. And yes, certain body types can mask the existence of an eating disorder.
No medication, operation or technique can achieve weight loss without nutritional education and lifestyle change. Even procedures like gastric banding are insufficient. Losing weight is often seen as the equivalent of quitting smoking – the answer is “just quit”. But unlike smoking, we can’t stop eating. A healthy and sustainable lifestyle you have to learn healthy habits and enforce them.
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