Weddings & Wegovy: Should You Say ‘I Do’ to the New Weight-loss Drugs?
By • February 15, 2024 0 1119
Blame it on the algorithm. Before you book a venue, say yes to the dress or sign up for your gift registry, an uninvited guest will crash your joyous moment and social media feeds: weight loss ads.
Once you announce your engagement, you’re fair game. Like Cupid’s arrow, these messages —from pre-wedding workouts to the latest cleanse or diet trend — are targeted to hit your heart and your deepest insecurities about your body and appearance. The newest member of the wedding to make an appearance is the semaglutide family or GLP-1 agonists, known variously as Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Originally prescribed as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes (it regulates blood sugar levels), these drugs have been found to eliminate food cravings, control the appetite and slow digestion — all of which combine to reduce body weight. It’s a delicate dance between hormones in the brain and the microbiome in the gut that regulates hunger, satiety and pleasure.
And although the exact mechanism is unknown, the results are undeniably impressive. According to the AMA, patients report losing between five to 20 percent of their body weight, which is enough to make a significant improvement in their health, body image and day-to-day life and forestall or even reverse some of the complications T2D can cause — like cardiovascular disease and nerve damage.
Sounds like magic, yes? But there’s a catch. Unfortunately, these drugs are expensive and, for most patients, insurance will not cover them if prescribed solely for weight loss. Which means you can be looking at a cost of around $1000/month for as long as you take them (usually by injection). And if you want to maintain those results happily ever after, you’ll need to take them forever. As soon as you stop, you’re likely to regain the weight, even with significant behavioral and diet modifications.
Another drawback is the side effects. As the fast-talking ad disclaimers advise, “You may experience nausea, vomiting, confusion, palpitations, allergic reactions or other serious side effects.”
Is it really worth it?
The answer is, of course, it depends. Like everything else in these times, a picture is worth more than a thousand words. We live on social media and the photos and videos we post are how we measure our self-worth, in pixels if not pounds and ounces.
As a health coach working with women on body confidence and self-esteem, I have mixed feelings. I have clients who have done extremely well on these drugs. For the first time in their life, they’re not thinking about food. All. The. Time. It’s great. They’re being treated by specialists and are happy with the results.
On the other hand, for the rest of you, if you’re planning far enough ahead, meet with a trainer and nutritionist or health coach and you can plan a sustainable way forward — one that will support your health and intrinsic beauty now and for a long time to come.
