How do GLP-1 drugs work? This book answers all your questions
Dresses are shrinking. Menus are shifting. Supermarkets are changing.
Ozempic, or the 'fat shot' medication, as United States President Donald Trump calls it, is transforming the way America eats, dresses and shops. Alexandra Sowa, who just released 'The Ozempic Revolution: A Doctor's Proven Plan for Success to Help You Reverse Obesity, End Yo-Yo Dieting, and Protect Yourself from Disease'(published by HarperCollins) says that as a doctor specialising in obesity, GLP-1s are the most effective tool she has to treat patients today. She adds that one in eight Americans use the medication at this point, leading to huge cultural shifts in the country.
'It has changed how people buy clothes and how they shop at the grocery store. There is a reduction in the sale of junk food. When you are on it, your tastebuds change, you want healthier food,' she says, over a Zoom call from New York, where she runs SoWell, a clinic and brand tailored to support GLP-1 users. GLP-1s are Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist drugs that include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
There is still a lot of confusion about the medication, which is why Dr. Sowa, who is a dual board-certified physician in internal and obesity medicine with more than 10 years of experience working with GLP-1, says she felt the need to write the book. 'I was one of the first doctors using this in the US, so this is the first comprehensive user guide out in the market. People have so many questions: how does it work, how you eat, how do you think, how do you move… I try to answer all that.'
She adds, 'You see people on social media talking about 'Ozempic face' and 'Ozempic hands', but those are headlines wrapped around the fear people have of these medications.' She cautions that the weekly injectables, hailed as a miracle drug by actors and influencers, do not guarantee a cure. 'Medication is not an easy fix… We need to take lifestyle into account,' she says, adding 'We have to make sure we are focussing on protein. We have to strength train.'
As she says in her book 'You still need to put in the work. You still have to do the work to change your underlying habits and thought patterns related to food and weight. The drug only provides a window in which making these changes is easier and more effective long-term, because the medication normalises the underlying hormonal dysfunction. GLP-1s will almost guarantee you'll lose weight, but only by using them in partnership with lifestyle changes will you maintain the loss long-term.'
Also, contrary to what social media tells you, not everyone can or should take it. 'I still advocate just diet and lifestyle changes for some people,' says Dr. Sowa, adding 'What I fear is with this widespread acceptance there has been abuse. I only prescribe it for someone who has a BMI of 27. For people who have high cholesterol, insulin resistance and significant weight gain on their waistline. This is not about getting skinny.'
GLP-1 medication will also evolve. 'We have a lot of new drugs in the pipeline — they are going to become tailor-made for specific needs. Maybe one for fatty liver or one that is very effective with diabetes. We are going to become better at how we make it, and with the pill version, access will become easier,' she says.
While this is certainly altering the weight loss industry, she says that it does not make it any less relevant. 'I don't think gyms are going to go away — we need to embrace how people are using these places, welcoming them with open arms and no judgement. I think there is going to be less of that multi-billion industry for 'quick weight loss in 30 days', and instead people will go back to the basics of health.'
('The Ozempic Revolution'is available on Amazon.in and is at a listed price of ₹499)
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