We can't scroll on social media without seeing medicated weight loss posts.
Are they good? Are they bad? Will they work? Are they worth the money?
We understand that you have many questions, and here, you will find unbiased answers based on current scientific research conducted by professionals.
What is GLP-1 injection?
GLP-1 agonists are medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes. They mimic the action of a hormone (chemical substance) called GLP-1. Your stomach naturally releases this hormone when you eat food. The most common practice is to inject it into the stomach.
The good
- Enhances Insulin Secretion: GLP-1 stimulates the pancreas to release insulin in response to meals, which helps lower blood sugar levels.
- Reduces Appetite: GLP-1 can help you feel full and reduce overall food intake, which can be beneficial for weight management.
- Regulates Digestion: By slowing the emptying of the stomach, GLP-1 helps regulate post-meal blood sugar spikes.
The bad
- Nausea and Vomiting: GLP-1 receptor agonists can cause gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea in some individuals.
- Risk of Pancreatitis: There is a potential risk of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) associated with long-term use of GLP-1 receptor agonists, though this risk is still being studied.
- Lifestyle Factors: Relying solely on GLP-1 medications without addressing diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors might not be as effective in the long term. 85% of patients who stop using the medication regain the total body weight lost due to reliance on medication and not lifestyle changes.
- Expense: GLP-1 receptor agonist medications can be expensive and hard to source. This means if you can't get your next prescription, you are likely to weaken your metabolism due to yo-yo dieting.
- It Stops When You Stop: as soon as you stop taking the medication, your appetite returns to normal.
- Increased Risk Of Depression: for most obese patients, food is an outlet. With the need to eat decreased, there is no way to help inner feelings. Patients taking both anti-depressants and GLP-1 have increased by 56%.
- Fast Weight Loss: losing weight this quick will weaken your metabolism, making it easier than before to regain weight when not taking medication. This is due to a rapid decrease in muscle mass and not body fat.
- Thyroid Tumours: In animal studies, some GLP-1 receptor agonists have been linked to thyroid tumours. The relevance to humans is still under investigation, but it's something to consider.
- Calorie Deficit: You still need to be in a calorie deficit for weight loss to happen.
Our view
We understand these medications seem like the only way after years of trying to diet. Taking them is your decision.
If you choose to take these medications, it is vital to change the underlying habits that caused your weight gain. If you don't address these, you will be using this medication for no reason, as you will gain the weight back. This means a lot of money and time would go to waste.
Our online Weight Loss Club is a great place for you to start - it teaches you healthy habits, lifestyle changes, cooking tips, hormone issues, and most of all, it motivates you. Using the medication as a tool is great, but you need to do the work not to have to resort back to medication time and time again. Yo-yo dieting is worse for you than continuing to stay obese.
