Weight Loss Medications… Are They the Be All and End All?
February 24, 2025The options for losing weight in the last century are mind-boggling. The most recent craze is the use of the GLP-1 agonists, better known by their brand names: Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, Semaglutide, and others. And it appears as though this “trend” is going to continue to grow in popularity over time, unlike many other seemingly weight loss marvels from days gone by. Although the wave of weight loss medications sweeping the world at this time is, for some, controversial—has there been enough research, do we really know the long-term effects, are there side effects we’re not being made aware of, and will people really need to stay on these medications forever—they remain wildly popular. More versions of these medications are in the pipeline and will continue to hit the market for the foreseeable future. Approve of them or not, they are, for now, the weight loss option of choice for millions of people.
The Reliance of Medications
Personally, what is of utmost interest (and, to be honest, utmost concern) about the use of the GLP-1 agonists is the (possible) mindset of the person taking them. The interest and concern I have about an individual’s mindset also pertains to those opting for a surgical weight loss method, a calorie-restricting diet, or most any other weight loss method. More specifically, are people relying on the medications or their weight loss method of choice to “do all of the work” for them? Tragically, for most people taking them, I think the answer is a magically-thinking-induced, unrealistically hopeful, “YES!” Translated, the mental delusion goes something like this: “All I have to do is take this medication (have this surgery, quit eating carbs for a while, stand on a machine with a strap across my rear end while it jiggles my body)," and the fat will disappear. Forever. The end. Except for many people, the faulty thinking does not end here. The internal dialogue continues, “And when the weight falls off, I will finally be happy.” Other versions of this sentiment include, “I will finally find a partner." “I will finally get the approval of my mother/coworkers/friends/the public,” and the most heartbreaking of all, “I will finally like and approve of myself.”
This, of course, harkens to our tragically unhealthy societal preoccupation with, and fictitious notions that size equals value, workplace competence, relationship worthiness, and human dignity. I believe the national obsession with every woman needing to wear single-digit-sized clothing to be deemed “acceptable” has, blessedly, improved in the past decade, as evidenced by people of every size being featured in advertisements for most products, to include fashion. Sadly, I recently read in a popular online source that the “Twiggy” look of the 1960’s is set to make a comeback, ushering in with it an entire new wave of complicated mental health nightmares, eating disorders, and body image issues. But I digress.
The disease of obesity is a complicated one, something very few people today can scientifically deny.
Numerous factors lead to weight gain. Some factors are resistant to personal effort (genetics, weight-inducing medications, age, ???), while other factors related to obesity are a function of individual choice and behavior (type and quantity of foods/beverages consumed, frequency of calorie intake, the amount of movement/exercise one chooses, and whether or not a person seeks out education related to nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, and the impact that culture, family, and economic status have on weight). Of critically significant importance is a person’s willingness to recognize and seek therapy related to the impact that shame, self-worth, and mental health issues have on weight.
Engaging in Healthy Lifelong Behaviors
No medication, no injection, no calorie-restricting diet, and no butt-jiggling device can address the behaviors necessary to maintain weight loss and physiological health. No weight loss method can help people maintain motivation to eat right and exercise when the going gets tough (or when weight stalls), learn to set boundaries with others, have the courage to stand up for themselves, let go of past shame related to bullying, abuse, or neglect, or learn to believe in themselves, all of which are necessary to maintain weight loss. Engaging in healthy lifelong behaviors, whether related to maintaining weight loss or any other aspect of life, requires a belief and love of oneself. People who don’t value themselves (as evidenced by chronic negative self-talk, ongoing excesses of alcohol, food, gambling, mood-altering drugs, untreated addictions, cutting, chronically unhealthy relationships with others, and abusing others verbally, physically, or emotionally) cannot sustain healthy habits without the willingness to address their problems and seek out positive intervention.
We have all heard the axiom, “Hurt people hurt people.” Hurt people also hurt themselves. You may believe these words to be true, as do I, based on my personal experiences as a “hurt person.” Conversely, you may choose to harbor the fantasy that a pill or injection, a lack of carbs, or standing still while your flesh is being jostled by a machine is all that one needs to get weight off and keep it off.
A Full Aftercare Program
Maintaining weight loss requires a full aftercare program that addresses nutritional information and education about the benefits of movement, stress reduction, and overall wellness. For those with unsolved past trauma, low self-esteem, difficulty sustaining motivation, ongoing self-abuse to include negative self-talk, struggles asserting themselves, difficulty with healthy communication, recurring problems in interpersonal relationships, and unresolved family of origin issues, therapy and/or coaching need to be part of your overall weight maintenance aftercare program.
Connie Stapleton, PhD is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with nearly two decades of experience in the field of bariatric medicine.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Connie Stapleton, PhD is a licensed psychologist, author, speaker and creator of BariAfercare, a comprehensive online weight loss maintenance program. Dr. Stapleton is the author of three books, is a national and international speaker, and appears as the bariatric psychologist on three national television programs. Read more articles by Connie Stapleton! |
