A Dietitian's Take On Weight Loss Medications

A lot has changed over the past year regarding the weight loss injection trend. What used to be taboo is now ostensibly as common as taking a multivitamin.

In fact, anyone who’s recently lost weight has been probably been asked and accused of taking weight loss medication at least once. It’s natural and understandable to assume that weekly injections are the reason why anyone is losing weight these days. But the reality is that there are still a myriad of methods to achieve your healthiest, happiest weight. And almost all medications and drugs come with some kind of side effect.

Here is a dietitians’ take on weight loss medications.

The biggest question around Ozempic and Wegovy usage is what happens when you stop? How sustainable is weight loss when it’s achieved through a prescription?

In one randomized controlled trial published in The Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Journal based on almost 2000 participants, two-thirds of the subjects studied regained their prior weight loss after one year of withdrawal. These findings affirm the nuances of obesity and suggest ongoing treatment is required to maintain improvements in weight and health.

The hard reality is that those who find the most long-term success from taking weight loss injections are usually on a maintenance dose for life. There is no quitting and if you do have to stop cold turkey, weight loss maintenance is not a guarantee and rebound weight gain is more likely without a proper maintenance plan in place.

Does that mean you shouldn’t even give it a try? We don’t believe it’s a waste for everyone and no matter what, it’s a personal choice that should be discussed with your doctor, dietitian and anyone else on your healthcare team.

With any medication or decision around your health and well-being, there is always an upside of the downside so doing risk-benefit analysis is paramount. On the other hand if you’re only interested in this weekly injection to lose a few pounds for an event and you also are paying an exorbitant out-of-pocket fee to gain access, then we hope you reconsider knowing that it probably isn’t worth it for a short term result. In fact, rapid weight loss and weight gain can put an unnecessary amount of stress on your body, including your organs, metabolism and your mental health.

And taking weight loss injections rarely comes without a cost, financially or physically. Some of the more common side effects include nausea, vomiting, stomach aches and even depression. Long-term and more serious side effects include pancreatitis, intestinal blockages, malnutrition, cardiac issues, thyroid cancer and gallbladder problems.

At the end of the day, our biggest hope is that more doctors make it mandatory to meet with a dietitian and a therapist first before resorting to weight loss injections. We hope you learn all the risks and rewards involved so you make the most informed decision around your health and well-being.