Can there be an excess of less?
Just today, a journalist in the Boston Globe wrote about achieving her goal weight with Zepbound — at the cost of $449 monthly to maintain, plus nausea, fatigue, and hair loss.
And the most-commented article in the New York Times this morning was a report about some test subjects quitting a trial of Retratrutide, because their rapid weight loss was too much.
We’ve known for some time that rapid weight loss on GLP-1 drugs causes excessive muscle loss, which hurts metabolism and overall health. We’ve known about possible bone loss, and about malnutrition — particularly but not exclusively vitamin D, calcium, protein, fiber, and sufficient fluids.
When people take these drugs, they don’t automatically start eating health food. Absent the help of a nutritionist and care team, they simply eat less of what they normally would — which in the case of obesity, is likely low-nutrition foods. Or if they experience gastric side-effects, as 15-20% of patients do, then perhaps they are happy to be able to keep down some saltines and broth.
And we know that most people regain the weight they lost within 2 years of stopping the medications. This means the prescription is a lifetime medication — just as cholesterol and blood pressure medications are. However, cholesterol and blood pressure medications don’t facilitate malnutrition.
When these drugs are meant to improve health, it’s troubling to see the ways they can interfere with health.
However you manage your weight — be sure you’re doing it in a way that also adds to your health, and doesn’t hurt your health. That should include nutritious food, supplementation if necessary, testing as required, exercise to maintain muscle mass, and professional support as needed.
Weight management should primarily be health-focused. Looking better will naturally follow from adhering to health-forward goals.
iDiet stands ready to help you by becoming your new “food operating system”, and is 100% compatible with GLP-1 use, diabetes treatment, and good medical practices.
