Tag: psychology

GLP-1 agonists promise weight loss, but what about the consequences of perpetuating the thin ideal?

~ Green Apple Dietitian ~ Leave a comment

Over the last few years, the medical landscape has turned completely upside-down. With all the recent hype around GLP-1 agonists, we don’t need any more proof the world’s gone mad.

Semaglutides are effective for significant weight loss and may have other health benefits. Many great resources explain their effectiveness, so I won’t discuss them here. The main thing to know is they slow down the stomach’s digestion and curb appetite, which can result in weight loss. However, some people lose their appetite completely and stop eating. This is where I have a problem.

Losing your appetite is a serious side effect that can lead to severe consequences

  • Significant weight loss in a short amount of time puts patients on the fast track to malnutrition. Fat cells don’t go away, they shrink. Unintended loss of lean muscle mass diminishes strength, stamina, and resting metabolic rate.
  • Dehydration and constipation are major side effects of weight loss that need immediate attention.
  • Gastroparesis which is claimed to be a rare side-effect of GLP-1 should be assessed by a health practitioner.
  • Significant weight loss and meal restriction are associated with depression, anxiety, and disordered eating.

No one is immune to the pressures of the ideal body weight

I’m not pretending that I understand another person’s struggle with weight or health issues. As a female living in the US, I’d be lying if I said I never experienced negative thoughts like feeling bad about my body size, being unhappy about what I see in the mirror, or feeling guilty after eating certain foods. Conducting medical nutrition therapy sessions over the years has fine-tuned my ability to pick up on the hatred of fat in our society, and how people sell themselves short because of their body size. Let me tell you it’s no picnic to inform patients I don’t specialize in weight loss. The conversation often comes to an incredibly uncomfortable abrupt end. It’s an emotional hot button that’s impossible not to push.

The psychological perspective is always ignored

We all know there are consequences for our actions. The likelihood of maintaining a healthy weight decreases If you are clinically depressed and anxious. There’s no doubt in my mind that mental health issues affect normal eating patterns. So, chances are your weight will go up or it will go down. No matter the direction it won’t be healthy or sustainable if you don’t find a way to deal with reoccurring issues in your life that are holding you back. A healthy mind usually follows a healthy body. Usually. If someone spends most of their time dieting, there’s no way they feel good about themselves. That’s where the focus should be, not on body weight.

What adds to this is when well-intentioned friends, loved ones, and health practitioners validate a person’s bad feelings about themselves and comment on their weight. If you’re somebody who comments on other people’s weight stop it. It’s not helpful and you’re not earning points by doing it. It was once said that if shaming worked everyone would lose weight. Well, it doesn’t. So, knock it off. If people in larger bodies bother you, maybe you should find out why that is.

Are GLP-1 agonists the cure for obesity?

I don’t believe obesity is a disease the way social media preaches it. It’s way too complicated for medication to “make it go away.” As I see it the medical profession continues to ask people in larger bodies to sacrifice way more than thin people to be healthy. As much as it’s proclaimed that side effects are not the norm for most people, it isn’t comforting to those who’ve taken the drug and experienced gastroparesis gotten so bad they couldn’t get through the day without vomiting to the point of severe dehydration. For them, the “rare side-effects” have made a huge impact on their lives. Either way, it’s a lot to expect from folks when there are so many other factors that cause ill health other than obesity.

It’s too early to know what the long-term efficacy will be

If you don’t have an eating disorder, there’s reason to believe you could develop one while taking semaglutides. Medically induced appetite suppression still leaves us with many questions. But what we do know is that severely restricting dietary intake and losing a significant amount of weight messes with the brain and creates an unhealthy obsession with food.

If you’re considering semaglutides for weight loss, you still need to make major lifestyle changes. It’s not a magic pill. You are still responsible for the outcome. An adequate diet and exercise will be necessary to get results. Don’t do it alone. There are plenty of great dietitians out there. Remember no one can predict how your weight will trend within your lifetime. You might need to take the drug for the rest of your life. With the recent shortages, you might not be able to take it the way it’s prescribed. Most importantly, think about how you might feel if your weight doesn’t trend the way you want it to. Semaglutides won’t do much for your mental health.

Increase your awareness by being a devil’s advocate

For every practitioner prescribing this drug, there’s a pharmaceutical company with an inexhaustible marketing budget earning record profits. Semaglutides are already in a nice comfortable space within the diet culture which has welcomed them with open arms. You can be sure there are plenty of weight loss companies vying for the extra dollars by adding them as a weight loss option.

As a consumer, you have the choice to take the wait-and-see approach. Dig your heels in. Don’t let the catchy jingle on the commercials or the celebrity weight loss stories give you false hope. Learn about every side-effect and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. In the grand scheme of things, you are the strongest advocate for your health and well-being. No one knows more about what you need than you do.

DISCLAIMER: The Green Apple Dietitian blog provides nutrition information for education only and is not intended to offer medical advice or cure any health conditions. The content should NEVER be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your diet and health should be addressed to your specific healthcare providers. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

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When everyone else’s way of doing things no longer suited me

~ Green Apple Dietitian ~ Leave a comment

My father died months before my high school graduation. Grief-stricken, the impatience inside me grew. High school classrooms and coursework no longer held my interest. As a good student who got good grades, there were no plans to take the SATs. No more learning. No more teachers, or so, I thought. I already had a job and was ready to go full-time; out of one cage and into another.

My concentration on my coursework waned. I felt trapped in an environment that no longer benefited me. I didn’t belong in school anymore. High school was for kids. Losing my dad at age 17 sped up the maturity process. During my last semester, my grades suffered. Luckily, I passed all my classes and graduated early— just barely.

As motivated as I was to leave school and get my diploma, there was no vision for the future. Freedom was in my sights, but I had no idea what to do with it. Untrained and undisciplined, I left one job after another feeling unfulfilled. My negative reactions to life’s difficulties only made things worse. Once again, I was feeling stuck.

In my youth, the people around me reacted to life instead of planning for it. When bad things happened, we felt the brunt of it. Unprepared, my mom went back to work at a factory to pay the bills after my dad died. She met him at a factory job before leaving the workforce to raise me, so she returned to the only thing she knew. If you don’t know something else exists, you won’t search for it.

I always wanted more from life, but I can’t tell you what “more” was. Desperate to avoid mediocrity, I attended college for a BA degree. There I learned more about myself and the power of education. Still, I was only going through the motions. I wasn’t all in.

After I earned my diploma, I still didn’t know where I was going. I still reacted to life instead of planning for it. The jobs I accepted after getting my degree were no improvement. I still wasn’t all in.

I was one of many out there who started without any big plans. I knew I wanted to be something and ended up a late bloomer. I made decisions on my own without asking for help. Which meant I took the scenic route instead of the major highway. At least I knew there was something different than where my life “wasn’t” heading.

Successful people always discuss having a vision and a plan for a meaningful life. I know many of us didn’t learn that at the starting gate. They didn’t have people in their lives that spoke life-changing words. But celebrating the little victories one step at a time can lead us into a better situation. There will be less blame placed on everyone and everything around us.

What are you doing that’s no longer useful?

~ Green Apple Dietitian ~ Leave a comment

Negative feelings are calling for your attention. They’re nudging you to take responsibility. Full responsibility. Something in your life is not right and needs to change. Change is difficult and it’s scary. When it’s the end of the road, it’s time to plan a new route. Will you go right, or will you go left? It’s all up to you. No matter what you decide a consequence will follow.

What are negative feelings telling you?

There’s comfort in staying depressed while complaining about your conundrum to others. When people give validation, it’s a never-ending cycle. It’s easier to avoid responsibility by blaming other people or circumstances. Your negative feelings might be responding to what you’re saying or doing to yourself or others. Or you won’t admit you’ve made a mistake. Self-reflection isn’t easy but it helps you learn how your actions no longer serve the world around you. When you understand more about yourself, you’ll act in ways that align closer to your core beliefs.

The best strategy to cope with negative feelings is to be courageous.

Get out from under the blanket of depression. Open your eyes. Stand up and stretch. Starting is the hardest part, but once the mind focuses on what to do the rest falls into place. Start small doing what is within your reach. Many small tasks will help you gain the momentum you need to change.

You might fear the repercussions of how you or others will feel in the short term. But eventually, it could be what turns the negative into a positive. What you fail to notice keeps you from going where you want to be.

Deep inside your mind you know the answer. You know what’s best beyond the chatter of advice spewed by others who are clueless about your journey. Owning your decision doesn’t mean you’ll convince others. Someone you care for might not understand. Getting away from negativity might mean discarding belongings, ending relationships, and moving out. Behind those actions is an uncertain future. The unknown keeps people stuck to whatever no longer suits them. Dare to get out of your comfort zone, and you’ll reap the rewards. You’ll learn how to deal with your negative emotions effectively.