Weight Loss without the Effort?
Sounds like a magic cure, really, doesn’t it.. When I first heard about this new easy weight loss drug, that was being administered by doctors, I did want to believe that it could not be bad for you, as otherwise how could it be so accepted by medical professionals? The more I read, the more concerned I become.
If you are late to the party, here’s the short version: “Ozempic” are injections of semaglutide, which were originally prescribed for diabetes management, but the side effects, including severe nausea, to the point of vomiting, lead to weight loss, so it became the new “it” drug in Hollywood for swift loss of weight. The downsides, aside from the aforementioned nausea and vomiting, include putting the weight back on after you stop taking the drug, low blood sugar, loss of muscle tissue, lowering of HDL levels, kidney failure, severe allergic reactions, issues with gall bladder, and pancreatitis. 30% of those taking it for weight loss report diarrhoea, others get stomach pain, fatigue, and potential facial fat loss, which sounds great, but actually leads to more noticeable wrinkles.
Given that most people heard about this drug on Tik Toks, from influencers who do rather care how they look, I can’t see more wrinkles being a great outcome, let alone vomiting and diarrhoea.
Don’t take my word for it. I have linked to four podcasts who discuss this drug and the outcomes. The first two are Australian podcasts who both discuss how it works, why it causes harm, and may help you to understand why a quick fix weight loss miracle cure is probably not the answer, after all.
The ATP Project:
These two blokes are highly entertaining, smart, and make a mean protein collagen bar. I enjoy them as they give good information, with a very particular Australian slant of things, and it’s great to hear about health from a man’s perspective. They raise many of the known and unknown side effects of this drug.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-atp-projects-podcast/id978635940?i=1000601970013
Wellness Women Radio:
Dr Ashleigh and Dr Andrea discuss the issues and complications of taking this drug, how it works, and what else you can do instead.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wellness-women-radio/id1037216440?i=1000601860211
These next two podcasts are slightly more technical, but raise more details about the medical issues involved with taking this drug.
Two Keto Dudes:
The Dudes were my gateway into all things Keto, and their old podcasts are well worth a listen for the entertainment as well as the knowledge from two guys who both had Type II Diabetes and put it into remission with a ketogenic diet. In this podcast, they discuss the problems with Ozempic, poignant, given that one of them is taking it.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/2-keto-dudes/id1086736152?i=1000603855769
The Drive:
Dr Peter Attia is one of the go-to guys for all things technical in the health space. He does a deep dive into the pros and cons of Ozempic, as he had previously prescribed it for patients, but now was concerned about the side effects, including loss of lean muscle. A technical podcast, but worth a listen, with the second half discussing the benefits or reasons to avoid taking Metformin.
http://attia.supercast.com/feeds/vokKdwJoZKpu2KW8Xf9a2CNM
As you can gather from the podcasts, the drug is only effective whilst you are taking it, and whilst it can help you to lose weight, you are also losing muscle alongside the fat, which has terrible long term consequences for muscle and bone strength. A more effective method to lose weight is to change how you understand what you need to eat. As we age, we need loss carbohydrates, more protein, and more effective exercise. I recommend a low carb healthy fat eating program, and have had genuine success with this with many patients over the last five years.
If you are genuinely looking for help with weight loss, please book in to see me in clinic. I am happy to help with a well proven real food eating plan, using the Ultra Lite program. You get help in knowing what to eat for long term better health, more energy, less joint pain, and healthy lasting loss of weight.
Don’t take the quick fix with scary side effects. Take control of your life and re-learn how to eat well for lasting health with no side effects. At present, Ozempic is out of stock, and what is available should really be used for diabetics who genuinely need help with this. But when it does come back into stock, please consider before taking it.
EA.
15/3/23.
