opinion: in my ozempic era
Make it stand out
trigger warning: ya'll may not agree or even like what I have to say here but I encourage you to hang in and hear me out!
For those of you who don't know me- welcome to Revisions Aesthetics + Wellness blog! I'm Jenna, board certified women's health nurse practitioner and OMA certified weight management provider.
Weight is a VERY hot button topic. This is not news. We know that individuals who are overweight and obese are at risk for associated co-morbidities ranging from high blood pressure to diabetes and even cancer. I think we can all agree these are diagnoses no one wants on their charts. We all want to live long, healthy, happy lives. I've many times now heard the analogy comparing weight management drugs to those of any other chronic illness i.e: if you had asthma no one would fault you for puffing your inhaler, so why is this any different? For some reason though, especially in American culture, we just can't get past the idea that weight management drugs are somehow "cheating". If only she would move a little more, eat a little less, drink more water, take more supplements, take different supplements, follow this plan... no wonder we're all frustrated and confused as hell.
The truth of the matter is- it's just not that easy sometimes. Actually, MOST of the time. Rarely is it easy. Some of us are blessed with the metabolism of a racehorse and a body like an Olympic athlete. But one thing no one can escape is the biochemistry of aging. As we age, our body chemistry flips the script on us. As women, we lose endogenous estrogen which helps manage a multitude of bodily processes, a major one of which is to maintain our hunger and satiety, or fullness, cues.
Not too long ago I had my third and final- surprise!- baby. Between working 50-60 hours a week in surgical oncology, raising a toddler and a preschooler, and having a husband who worked out of state 5 days a week- I was struggling HARD postpartum and my health was my lowest priority. Had I had a personal trainer, private chef, full time nanny and like 100 extra hours in a day might I have been more successful "on my own"? Possibly. But such was not my reality, and I tried semaglutide to help me lose the 25 pounds I had tagging along from my final pregnancy. And it worked. Within about 4 months I was within 5 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight; not only was I healthier from a cardiovascular risk standpoint, I was so much happier. My knees didn't hurt (as bad) after long days in the OR. I fit back into the clothes that made me feel cute. I had more energy which I desperately needed to keep all these dang kids alive. And best of all it was the catalyst I needed to maintain a healthier lifestyle for myself.
Like anything the media gets their paws on, semaglutide and similar pharmaceutical agents have come under fire recently as the latest fad. Just another "out" for people who are overweight and don't want to "put the work in". I'm here to proclaim there is nothing farther from the truth. GLP-1 and GIP agonists work to mimic our natural hormonal responses to hunger and eating. They work to potentiate, or make better, our natural processes.
Are they for everyone? NOPE- is any drug?
Are there side effects? YEP- when are there not?
Are there serious risks involved- for the most part, no but again, this is not a decision you should make in a vacuum without consideration of all the risks/benefits and without a thorough discussion with your healthcare provider.
Let's stop letting the media and celebrities and other peoples' uninformed thoughts dictate our health. In the grand majority of cases, the risks associated with a higher BMI and benefits of losing that weight are going to outweigh (no pun intended) the risk profile of these medications. Educate yourself. This is just another tool at your disposal to use to promote a healthier lifestyle. It is not magic, it is not the solution to all your problems- no medication ever will be. And anyone who tells you otherwise is a salesman, not a healthcare provider. But it is a medication that can and has changed the lives of a multitude of women trying to advocate for a better life for themselves.
