By To start this blog I do want to state that this is an opinion piece, and although I do my best to stay as informed about issues as possible the health industry is a fast-moving creature where trends, information, research, supplements and medications seem to be constantly changing. So I will start by saying that I am more of a generalist using as much science-based information as I can to help my clients to the best of my abilities. I am also not against the use of medication as they can absolutely be necessary and life-changing for people who are struggling with both physical and mental health. Yet my opinion of medication is that they are not the “cure” or “fix” that people sometimes make them out to be, they are a tool that can be used to support other healthy behaviours that will help you reach the goals that you have. Medication often comes with side effects that can sometimes be just as bad or damaging when used long term, for example the birth control pills have been amazing for women to live the lives that they want to live while being in control of their family planning and bodies. Yet, many birth control pills increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, and increase the occurrence and intensity of migraines (and if you have auras with your migraines while on birth control pills this can mean that you are at an even higher risk of strokes). In the example of birth control pills the ability to have control over your body, family planning and that fact that it is often used to manage other female health related conditions from infertility to PCOS and more makes it an incredibly important and necessary medication to have available.
Ozempic is a fairly recent addition to the weight loss industry tool kit. As it was only approved by the FDA in December of 2017, it has only been on the market for less than 10 years. This injectable drug was brought to the market as a tool to combat Type 2 Diabetes and reduces the risks of cardiovascular conditions, both of which benefit from having a reduction of weight by losing visceral fat (fat that is held inside our abdomen often accumulating around your internal organs). The way Ozempic works is by mimicking a hormone (GLP-1) that is produced by the digestive system after eating, this hormone stimulates the release of insulin which reduces the blood sugar levels after eating. In high concentrations this hormone has also been seen to reduce appetite and signal the feeling of fullness. This is important for people that are struggling with Type 2 Diabetes as with the progression of this disease your body becomes less and less responsive to insulin so more insulin is needed to have the same response. That’s why people with Type 2 Diabetes can become insulin resistant.
This is where I have some opinions on the latest wave of people using Ozempic. Although this is a tool that people have found to be incredibly supportive while improving their health, I fear that it is starting to be seen as a “cure” for obesity and is being used as a shortcut to achieve the idealized body type. I have two main thoughts on this: 1. This is a tool not a cure and 2. Skinny should not be the ideal body shape.
- This is a tool not a cure.
When it comes to weight loss and overall health there is no one thing that will “cure” or “fix” someone. I even hesitate to use that language as health is more about maintenance than fixing. Therefore the question is what are we “curing”? When weight loss is the goal, the problems that people struggle with are commonly high stress, lack of sleep, lack of access to nutritious food, lack of community, support for a more active lifestyle and how to manage balancing responsibilities and healthy changes. These are not things that a pill or an injection can fix. Yes, Ozempic can be a tool that can help counter the many walls that are often in the way of being healthy in the Western world and can make it easier to get started on a healthy lifestyle shift. Yet even in the drug information on Ozempic, it recommends that it is used alongside dietary and lifestyle changes. It also comes with a list of rather unpleasant side effects including stomach flu-like symptoms, symptoms of stomach paralysis, kidney problems, low blood sugar (headaches, weakness, confusion, etc.) symptoms of pancreatitis, pounding heart rate, and unusual moods, just to name a few. So the question is, how useful the Ozempic as a tool is to you? And are you willing to possibly suffer the side effects of using Ozempic?
- Skinny should not be the ideal body shape.
Growing up through the ’90s and early 2000s, skinny was in! There were mantras like “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” which seriously calls into question if they have ever had a well-cooked meal as there are many meals that come to mind that brought me so much joy. As a food lover, sayings like this just make me so sad. Based on my work with clients who have been steeped in diet culture, some of the hardest things to overcome have been finding the enjoyment and then the sense of exploration and adventure with food and letting go of strict food rules and morality given to food. Over the years my weight has fluctuated but what has been interesting is that when I felt my best was not necessarily when I was at my skinniest but rather when I was at my fittest and felt the most capable of doing things that I wanted to do in my body. This took the time to build muscle, practice my mobility, get out in nature and find clothing that I felt confident in. While I am on the leaner side, I have spent most of my adult life with a BMI in the overweight range, even while commuting on my bike, regularly playing sports, strength training and running. To me, the ideal body shape is the body shape where YOU feel the most confident and capable. This is often not a number on the scale or a clothing size. My fear is that with this new wave of popularity of “being skinny” that has been brought about with the increase of visible and influential people using Ozempic, is that the focus will go back to being as skinny as possible as a beauty standard and impact the picture of what healthy people look like.
While I am no expert in the pharmaceutical side of weight loss, I do still have concerns when it comes to the impacts of popular and trending “cures” and “fixes”. Health is complex and yet so simple. Health comes from the food you eat, the frequency with which you move your body, the quality of your sleep and how supportive your community is. Although it is simple it’s not always easy. Finding support and accountability is key. If you are looking for support you can click below and reach out to me or you can read the many other blogs that are full of science-based research on how to set up and stick to a healthy lifestyle.
Sources:
1.https://www.drugs.com/ozempic.html
2.https://www.drugs.com/history/ozempic.html
5.https://www.novonordisk.ca/content/dam/nncorp/ca/en/products/ozempic-consumer-information.pdf
