Beyond the Scale: Rethinking Health and Weight-Loss Medications

The rising use of weight-loss medications such as Ozempic has raised debate over their effectiveness and potential risks. Experts from The Conversation discuss the effects and consequences of these medications.

Despite promises that medications like Ozempic can effectively manage obesity by suppressing hunger and shrinking waistlines, doctors warn against setting unrealistic expectations. They suggest that focusing weight reduction over overall health reinforces a society that prioritizes thinness over general well-being.

Ozempic is hardly the first “wonder” weight-loss treatment, and it joins a long series of comparable drugs that have failed to satisfy long-term promises and have even been removed owing to significant adverse effects.

Studies on Ozempic often highlight average weight loss results, but overlook the significant variability in individual responses. While some experience substantial weight loss, others may not respond at all or may face adverse effects that outweigh the benefits.

Moreover, the effectiveness of weight-loss drugs is contingent upon ongoing usage. Discontinuing treatment often results in weight regain, and the long-term side effects of drugs like Ozempic remain uncertain.

Biologically, obesity involves complex interactions beyond the influence of single hormones like GLP-1. Obesity is also highly influenced by social, cultural, and environmental factors.

Critics contend that a weight-centric strategy ignores the broader determinants of health and reinforces negative fat bias. Moreover, promoting weight-loss drugs as a “cure” promotes binary views of health and reinforces cultural stereotypes.

Weight reduction medications can assist with obesity, but they are not a cure-all.

Source: Inputs from various media Sources