Ozempic (Semaglutide, Wegovy) - What is it?

Let’s talk about Ozempic… (other names include Semaglutide and Wegovy)

TLDR: Read the bolded words/ sentences.

Before we get into this, I want to preface this email by saying you have the right and ability to do what you want with your body. As a Registered Dietitian in the eating disorder space, I recognize nothing is one-size-fits-all. You have your own lived experiences and know your body best. This email is not meant to serve as treatment or counseling. My goal of this email to help provide you with the information so that you are able to have more informed consent and decide what is best for you. Alrighty. Grab your favorite beverage or food, get comfy, and let’s get to chatting!

What is it?

Ozempic is a prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. It works by helping the pancreas produce insulin to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. Think of insulin as a key that unlocks the door to the cells in your body. When you eat food, your body breaks it down into sugar (glucose), which is like a package that needs to be delivered to your cells. But, the cells need the insulin key to deliver and use sugar. When you have enough insulin in your body, it unlocks the door to the cells, allowing the sugar to be delivered to them. This helps to lower the amount of sugar in your blood. Without enough insulin, the sugar stays in your bloodstream, causing high blood sugar levels, which can be harmful over time.

Why is this important?

As said above, Ozempic is used to treat type 2 diabetes. After patients were taking this medication for sometime, doctors began to notice weight loss may be a side effect. So, what did they do? They doubled the dose and touted it as a “miracle drug” for weight loss. Ugh.

Okay, so what…?

Let’s use the previous lock and key analogy. When people who are not diabetic take Ozempic, this sends signals to the body of “Hey! You’re not working properly!”. The body sends out an influx of keys (insulin) to your pancreatic cells that are already equipped with keys to unlock and take up sugar. This exhausts the cells as they work harder to keep up with the influx of keys (insulin). Over time, the pancreatic cells will become reliant on Ozempic to signal the need for keys (insulin) to lower blood sugar. Other considerations/ side-effects:

• Financial: Ozempic (and it’s counterpart Wegovy) used for weight loss is not covered by insurance. This can cost an upwards of $800-1,300 per MONTH.

• Appetite: Digestion slows down and lowers appetite, causing the person to eat less and lose weight. With an altered digestive system comes some pretty nasty side effects…

• Side Effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach, heartburn, gas, stomach pain, stomach flu symptoms, headache, dizziness, tiredness. Yikes. Vinny Welsby has an amazing podcast episode I will link here that covers the side effects in more detail, and centers people’s lived experiences. In other words, our society and diet culture prioritizes weight loss over financial, mental, and physical health. And that sucks.

Whew. That was a lot. Let’s check in.

How are you feeling after reading this email? It’s natural to have many different emotions when realizing we are sold a lie through diet culture, or that the reality of a “weight loss miracle drug” is quite scary. Any feelings you are having after reading this email are valid.

Before I end this blog, I want to leave you with a few things to be curious with.

1. What do I believe will improve/change if I lose weight?

2. How long have I had this belief? Where did it come from (growing up, friends, media, etc.)?

3. What is the ideal relationship I’d like to have with my body?

4. How many diets have I tried without success (or, with success but with lots of sacrifice)?

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. Most importantly, thank you for being here. If you are struggling with body image and are ready to have your ideal relationship with your body, click the button below for a FREE 30 minute Discovery Call with me. Together we will find a solution that best fits you.

www.abbeyroberts-rd.com

Health At Every Size | Weight-Neutral | Food Freedom Dietitian

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