Health officials worry about long-term consequences of weight loss medications
Insurance denials and high prices leave patients with obesity looking for other options.
With millions of Americans using weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, there’s now a growing conversation around what happens when you stop taking them, from weight regain to muscle loss and hormonal shifts.
There are also growing concerns about side effects and long-term dependency along with psychological and physiological factors contributing to the rebound in weight gain.
It’s an important moment to discuss the importance of sustainable lifestyle change.
“While these GLP-1s can suppress appetite, they don’t work well with metabolism — they slow metabolism. There’s been a pretty severe nutrient deficiency along the way because they’re just not eating nearly as much and they’re not getting enough protein, they’re not getting enough electrolytes, and this is the huge concern is that they’re going to be left with other medical concerns that could have implications down the road,” said Shawn Wells, scientific and advisory board member at Tonum Health.
More than 9-million prescriptions for GLP-1’s were written last year. Many users face rebound weight gain and muscle loss after discontinuation.
People say they want natural, sustainable solutions, not just pharmaceutical fixes.
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