Substance Misuse: Weight Loss Drugs
Every way you turn, weight-loss drug medications are being discussed.
In the next few years, there will be a variety of medications to help with diabetes that will be more cost-effective and, potentially, have fewer side effects. Is this good news? Unfortunately, this is a recipe for disaster in the eating disorder and mental health communities.
It’s true that “37.3 million Americans—about 1 in 10—have diabetes. About 1 in 5 people with diabetes don't know they have it,” according to the CDC, and need medication to help aid their health. Yet a new trend has been gaining a lot of attention: using diabetes drugs for weight loss, and this disturbing trend doesn’t seem to be fading any time soon.
The Atlantic recently shared that "The American Diabetes Association meeting in San Diego has delivered a slew of findings which include a new oral medication of semaglutide, along with another pill containing a drug called orforglipron. There may be other medications coming soon that may end up working better than semaglutide, including medications that contain tirzepatide or survodutide that according to the article, “may approach the effects of those of bariatric surgery.” Additional medications that are important to be aware of are pemvidutide, lotiglipron, and danuglipron.
With all of these new weight-loss drugs making headway, there will be trouble on the horizon. And let us not forget the harmful effects of Ozempic and Mounjaro.
Why Worry About These Medications?
First off, we know that some of the current side effects of these weight-loss drugs include nausea, constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, fainting, vision changes, muscle loss, and, possibly, thyroid cancer.
What’s even more disturbing is the fact that those with actual diabetes are now struggling to get their doses of medication. All the while, the cosmetic focus of these drugs is causing severe problems for those with eating disorders or who are at risk for developing an eating disorder. Once prescribed weight-loss drugs, people can become susceptible to eating disorder tendencies, such as body image issues, binge eating, and restrictive eating.
If these problems weren’t enough, it’s also a slippery slope for those who struggle with binge eating. Why? These drugs work by affecting the hunger areas in the brain; meaning, that if someone were to eventually stop using the medications, naturally hunger and appetite return. This can lead to overeating or binge eating behaviors, due to one’s hunger and fullness cues being thrown off.
The use of these medications can cause long-term problems that affect one’s overall well-being.
For example, it is highly likely for those who use weight-loss drugs to regain lost weight if they do not continue using the medical drugs. Thus, the psychological toll of rebounding can be quite damaging to an individual. Additionally, the use of these medications does not help an individual in managing problematic eating behaviors or addressing mental health difficulties.
Samantha Young, the Clinical Director and therapist at Kindful Body, shared: “As the misuse of weight-loss drugs increases, this poses a bigger problem that mental health professionals must grapple with. Frequently, individuals with eating disorders currently do not get the appropriate care that they need, due to the current lack of understanding around eating disorders. This is an uphill battle to continue to improve care, as well as educate professionals about eating disorders. With the addition of these medications, this process becomes more complex. Similar to bariatric surgery, individuals encounter difficulties in establishing a more balanced relationship with food, as the natural cues have been modified, hindering the ability to engage in a more normative process with food.”
Negative Impacts
Disordered eating is developed from unhealthy weight-loss strategies, such as diabetes medications. Every pound gained or lost can have a severe impact on a person, both physically and psychologically.
Weight-loss drugs can become a crutch, by relying on external substances to control eating habits, rather than addressing underlying emotional or psychological factors that may contribute to binge eating, or disordered eating behaviors. Similar to substance use, like alcohol, weight-loss drugs are used as a way to cope with unresolved grief and trauma that would be better addressed with a licensed professional.
Physical Problems
In addition to the aforementioned side effects of weight-loss drugs, there is also concern for gastrointestinal issues, increased heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia or sleep disturbances, allergic reactions, or nutritional deficiencies. Of course, these side effects do vary depending on the specific weight-loss drug and dosage.
Psychological Problems
Another harmful effect can be mood changes and psychiatric disorders. Weight-loss drugs have been correlated with mood changes, such as anxiety, depression, irritability, or can amplify an existing mental health condition. Furthermore, there have been countless cases revealing evidence of dependency and addiction to weight-loss drugs; for example, some may develop a reliance on these drugs which can cause severe mental illnesses.
It’s important to note that some people use weight-loss drugs for health reasons and doctors do prescribe them to patients who actually need them, such as diabetes. But the purpose of this blog is to shed light on the repercussions of weight-loss drugs being “trendy” and using them not for their correct purpose. There are people who are more vulnerable to developing eating disorders, and spreading awareness around this topic is critical in helping those who need support.
Meet with a Kindful Body Eating Disorder Therapist in Orange County, CA
Kindful Body offers online therapy and nutrition counseling for eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Our team would be happy to offer support from our CA-based practice and across the state. We can help you better understand the costs of abusing weight loss drugs and improving your body image. You can start your therapy journey by following these steps:
Contact us to schedule a consultation.
Meet with one of our caring relationship therapists
Start improving your relationship with food!
Other Services Offered with Kindful Body
Eating disorder treatment isn’t the only service our team offers. Kindful Body offers support for emotional eating recovery, nutrition counseling, binge eating disorder, and body image. We also offer trauma therapy, grief counseling, and therapy for low self esteem. When you’re ready, we are here to help you with your eating disorder recovery. We offer eating disorder treatment in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto, San Mateo, Orange County, CA, or anywhere online in California. Learn more about us by checking out our blog and FAQs page!