Ozempic, Wegovy…What’s Next?
The global wellness economy is projected to reach $8.5 trillion in 2027. Ever since COVID-19, the industry has exploded – from nutrition and exercise to mental and workplace wellness. There are a lot of upsides to this shift, especially for someone like me, who has always believed in the power of holistic health. More people are prioritizing their health – opting for healthier and more natural alternatives than western medicine can provide. People are asking more questions, expecting more honest answers, and understanding that wellness truly is the key to long-term health.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that unhealthy fads and trends will disappear altogether – especially when it comes to weight loss. There’s a reason why meal plans like Atkins, Keto and Whole30 were (and even still are) wildly successful. It’s also why weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are used for purposes other than they’re intended to be used for. They all offer the same thing: a quick fix to our problem.
Ozempic, a drug used to treat Type 2 Diabetes, and Wegovy, a drug used to combat obesity or other weight-related health problems – have revolutionized the weight loss industry. They key ingredient – semaglutide, lowers blood sugar levels after a meal to help people feel full longer. In other words, they help to curb your appetite. These two drugs are likely just the start as its projected for the weight loss drug market to reach $100 billion by the end of the decade.
Obesity is an ever-present epidemic, and it’s not going away any time soon. In 2022, 43% of adults aged 18 years and older were overweight and 16% were living with obesity – a number that continues to climb each year. But the real question is: why are we focusing on treatment with medication rather than prevention through lifestyle modifications?
Here are three major red flags of using weight-loss drugs:
Fads don’t work.
Like many other weight-loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy work for a short period of time. You might experience positive results soon after starting, which is often what makes fads like these these so appealing in the first place. However, fads aren’t sustainable, meaning you won’t be able to continue at the same speed for long. Maybe you’ll lose 15 pounds in the first two weeks after starting Ozempic. Then two weeks later, you’ll lose five. Gradually, the amount you shed each week will decrease over time. And like Keto and other mainstream fads, you can’t use Ozempic and Wegovy forever. In most cases, patients use weight-loss drugs for up to a year. Moreover, research has shown that many regain a substantial amount of what they lost after stopping, mainly because our normal appetite comes back after being suppressed for an extended period of time.
In short, fads offer false hope. While they may provide rapid results and instant gratification, anyone who chases a fad isn’t thinking about how they’ll look or feel the next year. They focus only on the now instead of seeing the bigger picture, which is their future state of health.
They offer a quick fix, not a solution.
Weight loss isn’t just about what goes into your mouth. A lot of people assume that in order to lose weight, they need to eat less, or remove certain foods from their diet. But it’s not that simple. Using a weight-loss drug isn’t getting to the root of your problem. Maybe years of weight gain was caused by family trauma or binge eating. Maybe you're overworked or overstressed, which is throwing your body off balance. There are so many contributing factors to weight gain outside of the foods you eat. By using Ozempic or Wegovy, you’re putting a band aid on the wound. You’re chasing a short-term fix instead of seeking a long-term solution. Think about the human body: your gut health is intricately connected to your brain health. Your hormones, especially female, can lead to stubborn belly fat, fatigue, hair loss, and low libido. Do you think a weight-loss drug will help to alleviate some of those more deep-rooted issues? Unfortunately, it won’t.
Today, we’re so obsessed with quick fixes that we don’t take a minute to slow down. Weight isn’t meant to magically fall off – it's a process, and one that often takes time. But when you go about it the right way, you will not only lose weight, but the weight will stay off – all while gaining the tools to manage weight properly.
They place the focus on weight instead of health, which may have detrimental effects, especially for adolescents and teens.
Goldman Sachs analysts expect 15 million U.S. adults to be on obesity medications by 2030, which leads me to ask: Why are our medical and pharmaceutical industries so quick to prescribe instead of educating and empowering people to take control of their health?
Health is multi-dimensional and there are several factors that contribute to someone being truly healthy. From quality sleep and managing stress to exercise and developing a positive headspace – cultivating a healthy lifestyle takes time, effort, and patience. Of course, maintaining a healthy weight is an integral part of total health, but as a society, we tend to focus on the outside instead of the inside. In turn, we have people seeking weight-loss drugs to help them achieve a more ideal weight, when there are more natural – and longer-lasting methods – to support their goals.
Adolescents and teens are our future, which means it’s our responsibility to educate them on how to make sustainable shifts to their lifestyle. Overweight and obese kids are more likely to get bullied and have low self-esteem; using Ozempic or Wegovy also puts them at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder later in life. Early intervention is the key to tackling this problem. If children were taught about how to live a healthy lifestyle and were given realistic tools to integrate in their daily routine, then perhaps we could end this cycle for good.
It’s never too late to take control of your health. Whether you’ve used Ozempic before, have contemplated using it, or have struggled to lose weight and don’t know what to do, Wholesome Living will guide you to make small, realistic shifts that are easy to integrate in your routine - each and every day. Together, we’ll get to the bottom of what’s really going on in your life. Again, how you feel and how you look isn’t just about the number you see on the scale. Small shifts form healthy habits and healthy habits become a lifestyle.
