Touted as a quick fix for weight loss without surgery or extreme dieting, GLP-1s have helped people lose weight fast with fewer physical side effects. But what about their emotional toll?
GLP-1s are a game-changer for people with prediabetes, obesity and other health concerns, as well as individuals who want help jumpstarting weight loss. While maintaining a healthy weight is a big part of long-term health, there’s a lot more to the story of GLP-1s.
It’s time we talk about the emotional toll of weight loss and GLP-1s.
Stigma and Shame
In any society that celebrates hard work, strength and beauty, a quick fix (like GLP-1s) can be seen as a shortcut to success. There’s this idea that GLP-1s make it easy to lose weight, bypassing the traditional pathways to weight loss that usually earn admiration – things like clean eating, self-control, exercise, self-care and healthy habits.
Because of quick results, the use of weight loss drugs like GLP-1s comes with a stigma, almost like the impression that someone cheated their way to a fit physique. Deeply embedded beliefs about weight loss may trigger negative reactions in others, or in oneself. Opinions like the person is “too lazy to get fit” or “can’t control themselves around food” or “doesn’t have the work ethic to keep healthy habits,” so they have to use GLP-1s because they aren’t capable of losing weight on their own.
While endorsements from professional athletes like Serena Williams and Tom Brady have lessened the taboo of weight loss drugs, that stigma and shame hasn’t disappeared. If taking a GLP-1, consider your ability to tune out the noise – how might this stigma affect your sense of self-worth?
Dealing with Side Effects
Like any new medication, there may be physical changes to deal with. For GLP-1s, common side effects include dizziness, racing heart, headaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Though physical, these side effects can have an emotional impact as well. Depending on a person’s ability to adapt and manage the side effects of GLP-1s, there can be a ripple effect on mood, energy, sleep habits and overall enjoyment of life.
“Ozempic Personality”
As GLP-1s gain popularity, another pattern has emerged – the direct emotional side effects reported by GLP-1 users. It’s so common that it’s unofficially referred to as “Ozempic personality.” Essentially, it’s a dampened sense of all emotions, positive and negative. Data suggests GLP-1 users report feeling fewer highs and lows, meaning less joy, sadness, excitement, etc.
Specialists classify these emotional changes as a type of anhedonia, a shift towards disengagement or total lack of interest with life events, good or bad. It’s believed that this emotional side effect is rooted in the science of how GLP-1s work in the brain to cut back cravings and disrupt dopamine signals. Though there’s not yet a proven link between GLP-1s and clinical depression, a pattern of disengagement can be an overlapping symptom in both.
Dealing with Nonstop Commentary on Your Weight
Weight loss tends to be fast and noticeable with GLP-1s, so it triggers people to say something when they see you. Whether positive or negative, these comments keep the focus on only one aspect of you, which is quite risky for mental health.
It’s important to remember that your weight loss journey is just one part of who you are – there’s so much more to you than that! Nonstop commentary and fixation on weight can affect how you manage your own body image, identity and relationships.
So, stay attentive and always tune in to your emotions.
