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By Elizabeth Magee, LRD
Warning: You will most certainly have the jingle from a particular commercial in your head after reading this.
Losing weight for most of us is a hard task, and sometimes it’s a long-term battle. It can be frustrating and gratifying at the same time: Gratifying if you lose, frustrating if the scale isn’t moving. Many Americans have been told they need to lose weight and they have tried all the things. So many of us are waiting for a magic pill, but let’s be real, it can be hard to make the right choices even if your health depends on it. Life gets in the way, it takes preparation as far as grocery shopping, meal planning, and getting workouts in. It’s not easy, but it is doable.
Medications for Type 2 diabetes sort of swooped in and are acting like this magic weight loss pill so many people are waiting for. But is it a good option?
There are a few different types of medications people are using, but all seem to have the same effect. They lower blood sugar and A1c (the number that holds a lot of info on how blood sugars are doing over time). This is great news for people battling the daily blood sugar battle. A side effect they are seeing is the weight is falling off. As much as 20% of your body weight could be lost with the help of this drug. This also may be great news for people who are fighting obesity. And losing weight can help with blood sugars (not to mention a whole list of other health issues). So that’s all a plus.
Basically, your stomach is emptying slower and you don’t feel as hungry all while lowering blood sugars. And all it takes is a weekly injection. It sounds simple. But what happens when you stop taking the med? Chances are you’ll gain the weight back. What are the long-term effects of staying on the med? We don’t know that yet.
For those with Type 2 diabetes using the medication, there is worry they won’t get it due to the off-label use. And that’s a scary feeling and why I personally am not in favor of using this medication for weight loss, except for people struggling long term with obesity. We still have so much to learn about these meds: long term use, who they really should be used for and what’s already been attempted in the past.
Whether taking an injectable or not for weight loss, it’s still important to go back to the basics and remember that a healthy diet paired with exercise benefits everyone - even when weight loss isn’t your goal.
Elizabeth Magee is a licensed registered dietitian. Her posts appear monthly on OYT.
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