“Wonder Drug OR Too Good to Be True—OR Somewhere in Between???”

Rachel’s Ruminations Book Review On:

Magic Pill:  The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs

By Johann Hari

OZEMPIC.  WEGOVY.  MOUNJARO. 

Have you heard some of these names lately on the news, social media, YouTube, etc?

Or maybe accounts from famous stars that have lost substantial pounds with the latest weight loss drug? 

The names in caps listed above are all brand names for a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) agonists, originally studied for diabetes.  These drugs work by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide which stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin when blood sugar levels rise after eating.  GLP-1 meds are usually taken by injection once weekly, but some can be taken orally daily.  Although the cost to manufacture them is about $40 per month, many people are paying $1100-1800 and insurance coverage is dicey along with supply shortages due to high demand.

I had been hearing more and more about these medications in the past year or so, but my curiosity was especially piqued when doctors I hold in high esteem began posting intriguing social media and YouTube commentary.  I learned about Hari’s latest book release in early May (I have reviewed his book Lost Connections for my column in the past), so I promptly devoured it after special ordering a copy from my favorite Indie bookstore and have recommended it countless times since to patients, family, and friends.

Hari does a magnificent job in collegial fashion of combining his own personal experience with this peptide RX, the science behind them, the future potential economic impact on the food industry (snacks and alcohol in particular), and philosophical use.  The book is an enjoyable 250 page read with a vast variety of food for thought.

Here are some pieces of “trivia” that I learned:

·        This med class decreases cravings for both food and alcohol; it has a bigger impact on your brain than your gut.

·        5 reasons why we eat:  sustenance, pleasure, “emotional eating”, psychological patterns (learned in childhood); psychological protection (fat as a protective layer, fascinating must read to truly understand this concept)

·        90% of US women feel negative body image, 70% of men (in the 1950s this perception was largely non-existent)

·        This medication might be an absolute disaster for someone who already has disordered eating.

·        This medication is absolutely not safe for pregnant women.

·        5-10% of overweight people are discriminated against daily.  28-45% if obese

·        Landlords are 50% less likely to rent to a fat person with the same qualifications (horrifying statistic!!!!)

·        Fat people are more likely to be convicted of a crime by juries

·        Ozempic reduces strokes and heart attacks by 20% within five years

·        Japanese cooking rule:  each meal should have five tastes (sweet, salt, sour, bitter, umami), five skills (cut, simmer, grill, deep fry, steam), and five colors (black, white, green, yellow, red)

Hari offers ways to embrace positive body image strategies and delves into the “healthy at any size” movement, where you choose health as your goal, as opposed to weight loss.  In one of the later chapters, he addresses the shame associated with being overweight and how it is perceived as a sign of failure; this discourse really forces one to evaluate why you might want to take the drug, is it for vanity or for actual health?  He points out that we have two self-love tasks ahead of us:  1.)  to learn to love our bodies however they are; 2.)  to learn to make our bodies as healthy and functional as we can.

His conclusion is a masterpiece—it really brings together his research along with his theoretical treatise.  I have told several people that this book reads like a captivating PhD thesis (not that I have a lot of experience in this area), probably the most thought-provoking nonfiction book I have ever read!  I cannot recommend this book highly enough no matter where you sit with these meds--whether you view them as WONDER DRUG or TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE…or somewhere in between???

Rachel Oppitz, ND