Are GLP1-s Really the Answer to Our Health and Thinness Prayers?
It seems like everyone and their sister is talking about, or has decided to try GLP-1s.
Firstly I want to say, I don't judge anyone for taking them. I have nothing but understanding and compassion for why they would take them.
There are 2 main reasons people are taking them: 1) to manage diabetes. 2) to lose weight.
I'm going to be straight up, I'm not a fan. Here's why:
1) They are at best a band aid solution. They don't address the root cause. Once you stop taking them, if nothing else has changed, and you're back at square one.
2) They mess with your body. Side effects aren't really "on the side", they are effects of taking a drug. Our body is a whole system. You can't introduce a drug to affect just one area of the body, the whole body will be affected. And some of the not-so pretty effects are: gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and constipation, as well as more serious risks such as gallbladder problems, pancreatitis, and potential kidney damage. It's hard for me to get behind something that negatively impacts your health in so many other ways.
3) The drug is not revolutionary in any way - it's just another product of our cultural black and white belief: "thin good/fat bad". It continues to make people feel like any form of fat on their body is wrong. It keeps people feeling like they aren't good enough if they gain weight. And it keeps peopled fixated on a number on the scale, rather than their overall health (which yes, are actually two different things, despite what the medical system believes). Let's remember there are many things that were once standard medical practice that aren't now (blood letting anyone?)
4) Drug companies marketed this drug for weight loss as a new cash grab, and are winning big time. While it's my belief that in our current time some drugs are necessary (and thank goodness for them), GLP-1s are not one of them. When the primary goal of a drug company is profit, not health, we can't expect they have our best health interests in mind.
5) It makes people dependant. If you're on the drug and believe it's the only way you can be healthy or happy, you're trapped. (Like I said, drug companies are very happy about this.) But it disempowers the individual, when actually, we are much more powerful than we realize.
I could go on, but I may save this for a future podcast episode (hint hint, something new is in the works ;)
To me, I see a fork in the road developing: people can continue to follow the path of thinking they need to manage their body size in order to be healthy or happy (the current, common way). Or they can follow the emerging path of doing the inner healing work to re-establish a healthy, trusting relationship with their body and themselves - which creates well-being.
Obviously, the latter is what I'm an advocate for. Because if I know anything it's this: we are way more powerful than we think we are. Our health and happiness can be changed for the better from the inside out. And feeling good in your body doesn't come from trying to control and manage it, but from how you perceive it, and working in harmony with it.
If you've read all the way here and haven't clicked away yet, I know you're walking the emerging path.
I also know that walking this past can be challenging living in a culture that is so deeply focused on weight loss. I know personally the hard emotions that can arise when you let go of weight supression - the loss of approval from others, the confusion of “what to do” when you’re no longer following a diet plan.
But I also know how powerful and freeing it can be to reclaim your energy and mental space to focus on what truly matters to you: being present in your life and with those you love, and trusting yourself again.
That’s why I offer 1:1 coaching support to help guide you on this path. Whether you’ve just decided to stop dieting and want support to navigate that emotional rollercoaster, or you’re further along and want to move through those stubborn insecurities that arise (like seeing photos of yourself in a bigger body). This is a highly supportive coaching container that meets you right where you’re at. You can book a free 45-min consultation here to see if working together would be helpful for you.