We noticed it right away in 2005 when the first GLP-1 medication for people with diabetes hit the market.
I was part of a team of registered dietitians and certified diabetes educators at the time.
Our patients were not exactly thrilled when they learned this new medication required two daily injections with a needle.
But they were over the moon when they experienced the main side effect: weight loss.
As word of this new class of diabetes medication spread, many of my overweight patients who did not have diabetes wished they could use it to help lose weight.
They couldn’t.
Fast forward a couple of decades.
This particular category of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1) is still used to treat type 2 diabetes.
But this same class of medications has now been approved to treat obesity as well.
For example, semaglutide and newly-approved orforglipron are now marketed specifically for weight loss with a simple once-a-week injection or once-a-day pill respectively.
The result?
Many overweight people – with or without diabetes – are losing weight with these medications.
And along with weight loss come some side effects.
Rapid weight loss associated with these drugs has caused some experts to coin the term “Ozempic face” to describe what happens when a person loses a significant amount of facial fat. (Ozempic is the brand name for the preparation of semaglutide approved to treat type 2 diabetes.)
Wrinkles become more apparent, eyes appear to sink in and cheeks begin to sag.
Slower, but steady, weight loss can sometimes prevent this.
Rapid weight loss can also cause weakness due to a sudden loss of muscle mass.
To prevent this, the body needs a daily intake of protein and a steady habit of exercise.
ALSO READ: The GLP-1 workout: Targeting the muscle loss from taking these drugs
Most experts recommend 20g to 30g of protein at each meal or three times a day.
For perspective, one egg contains about 7g of protein; a tablespoon of protein powder provides about 16g of protein; and a small (3oz or 85g portion) of meat, fish or poultry supplies about 21g of protein.
And don’t forget that we also get protein in beans, nuts, vegetables and grain-based foods.
GLP-1 medications also slow digestion.
So plenty of dietary fibre and fluids is recommended to avoid constipation.
Find fibre in plant foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts.
These drugs work because they reduce hunger and increase a feeling of fullness after eating.
That means that every bite needs to count nutritionally.
Precious bone mass can be lost, for example, if you skimp on calcium as you lose weight.
Dairy foods like milk and yoghurt provide this essential mineral.
They are also a good source of high quality protein to maintain muscle during weight loss.
Bottom line with any weight-loss technique: Nutrition really does matter. – By Barbara Intermill/Tribune News Service
Barbara Intermill is a registered dietitian nutritionist in the United States.
