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the-many-lies-about-the-ozempic-weight-loss-craze

The Many Lies About The Ozempic Weight Loss Craze

odds are if you've been on Tick Tock or Twitter as of late you've seen this new drug ozempic be mentioned I've actually seen Elon Musk tweet about it it's been covered in the New York Times it's literally everywhere so it's about time that we talk about the truth when it comes to ozempic for those who don't know ozempic is a medication that's been FDA approved to be used in patients who have diabetes to help control blood sugars and as an added effect decrease the likelihood of major cardiovascular events and have increases in weight loss because of this added effect of weight loss many people started using the medication off label for just weight loss the pharmaceutical company decided to take the same generic medication found within ozempic called semiglutide increase its dosage and repackage it under a different brand name called wagovi and seek FDA approval as a weight loss medication to be used in Junction with lifestyle changes for individuals who are either obese or overweight but also who have one weight related diagnosis like hypertension high cholesterol Etc and after so many people started getting ozempic prescribed for this off-label use for weight loss it exploded in popularity mostly on television and on Tick Tock with people claiming that they've lost huge amounts of weight talking about their successes and as a result of all this publicity there was literally a run to doctors to prescribe this medication for them off label in order to help them with their weight loss which unfortunately ended up creating a shortage which puts people at risk who desperately need the medication because they have a true diagnosis of diabetes and are not using it for off-label uses there is a huge rise of misinformation happening at this very moment that we have to fact check this claim is patently untrue and anyone saying this has a terrible understanding of how ozempic semiglutide actually works this medicine actually works as an appetite suppressant that slows or delays gastric emptying therefore you feel full and you have less of an appetite so it's more of an appetite modulator leading you to consume less calories therefore losing weight not oh I can eat 10 pizzas and take this medication and not absorb the calories you see how there's a very important difference here because if you eat a lot of food and take this medication that slows your gastric emptying it's going to make you feel worse and you're going to have more side effects more nausea more vomiting more potential diarrhea and constipation people are actually talking about these side effects who are eating their normal portions or even eating reduced portions so imagine if you were to overeat thinking you can while taking this medication that's a cause for concern this claim is starting to spiral out of control because it initially started with some simple observations that doctors made of their patients who were losing weight on ozampic or wagovi and they were seeing that those patients were losing body fat but they were also losing lean muscle mass this is not surprising because the way these medications work is by suppressing appetite therefore having the patient consume less calories anytime you're going to be consuming less calories you will both lose muscle mass and body fat this is obviously not ideal but with this type of medication that control is limited but we do have control any good doctor should not be just prescribing this medication and forgetting about the patient a you're supposed to be getting the medication and having the doses slowly increase based on the effects and side effects that we're seeing also it should come with a plan for nutrition possibly meeting with a nutritionist who can help guide you as to how much protein you should be taking in despite the fact that you consuming less calories and a plan for exercise that includes resistance and weight training to help keep on some of that lean muscle mass this is the one where I'm seeing the most examples of on Tick Tock someone saying oh I took ozempic for a wedding and I lost 10 pounds look how great I look this is not what the medicine was intended for in fact people who are already of a healthy weight looking to get skinnier were not the ones that were studied when we were checking the safety and effectiveness of this medication so maybe taking it while you're already at a healthy weight can lead to worse side effects and the worst part of all of it once you stop taking it the weight will come right back this type of yo-yo dieting has been associated with numerous health risks including returning to your normal weight and then going past it and gaining even more weight after you stop a medication like this anytime you have a rapid type of weight loss what can happen is you lose the subcutaneous fat that's present in your skin especially if in your 30s or 40s and as a result you can develop this hollowed out appearance to your face now if you're taking ozempic or wigovi the correct way this shouldn't be happening my suspicion is the people who are experiencing this quote-unquote ozempic face or this hollowed-out look are individuals who are rushing to lose weight using it in a way that is not being prescribed to them because when doctors prescribe these medicines they do it with a titration mindset meaning they start low and they slowly increase your dose while monitoring how much weight you're losing how many side effects you're experiencing ideally what doctors are looking for is for a continued one to two pound weight loss per week obviously that varies depending on your own individual situation but certainly not the 10 15 pounds in one week that people are claiming they've lost on these medications when they're using them in a non-prescribed uncontrolled way [Music] I don't think glp-1 medication should be first-line treatments for those who need to lose weight anytime you're prescribing a medication there needs to be a risk benefit ratio done for the individual sitting in front of you and ultimately the individual needs to decide if the medication is right for them and while these medications have shown promise for individuals to lose 10 to 20 percent of their weight if they are overweight or obese it's still important to factor in that there are legitimate risks to taking these medications there are side effects people have GI issues nausea vomiting diarrhea constipation pancreatitis kidney issues there is a potential issue of increases in thyroid cancer long term with these medications and these are not reasons to not take the medicine these are reasons to think about this medicine as a tool in our Arsenal to help patients reach their desired weight and when we talk about their desired weight that talks about a health healthy weight to me I feel like this whole conversation has caused us to lose sight of the big picture with the exception of an individual who's facing harsh socioeconomic standing someone who has a legitimate medical condition like diabetes or a thyroid condition among the many others that cause increased weight weight loss or weight gain is under our control there are things that we can do and I could recommend as a doctor to help someone lose weight when it comes from when it comes to a nutrition standpoint a fitness standpoint sleep mental health Etc when I think about my patient's health I don't just think about their weight weight is not the sole determinant of one's health and when it comes to improving someone's lifestyle we're not only lowering the weight we're also improving their quality of life decreasing risks of certain cancers other diseases and ultimately extending and prolonging their lives that's what being a doctor is about not just focusing on the scale I actually had a patient whose doctors said all of their symptoms were due to their weight and I actually found that wasn't the case at all click here to check that out and as always stay happy and healthy foreign

Dr.

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