I am fairly certain that this blog will raise some eyebrows, ruffle some feathers, and cause some “hmphs.” But here goes…

Obesity is now a public health crisis. The majority of Americans are obese or overweight. According to the Centers For Disease Control, obesity and overweigh “ranges are determined using weight and height to calculate a number called the ‘body mass index’ (BMI), which correlates with your amount of body fat.” A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. A BMI of 25 of higher is considered overweight. During COVID, the percentage of the population with BMIs exceeding both of these ranges exploded. I have often joked about the COVID 15, referring to the amount of weight that many of us added during the two years of enforced isolation that we had to endure as that crisis engulfed the globe.

However, struggling to maintain a healthy weight is no laughing matter. There are many factors that can contribute to excess weight, including genetics; diet; level of physical activity; amount of time spent watching TV; engaging with a computer, or talking and texting on the phone; sleep habits; medical conditions or medicines; and where and how people live, including their access to and ability to afford healthy foods and safe places to be active. Struggling to maintain a healthy weight is no laughing matter. A healthy weight is crucial for an enjoyable life. Being overweight and obesity increase the risk for many health problems, such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, joint problems, liver disease, gallstones, some types of cancer, and sleep and breathing problems. Beyond these factors, there are also the relational, social and identity issues that ensue when one is uncomfortable with how they look and feel. No amount of body positivity can compensate for the long-term benefits of maintaining a healthy weight.

The pharmaceutical industry has now come marching Into this struggle to maintain a healthy weight waving the banner of success and bearing gifts. They have developed and are now marketing and distributing a new collection of drugs including—Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Rybelsus—all of which purport to help manage and reduce weight gain. According to the Food and Drug Administration, these drugs work “by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake.” Considered wonder drugs, they work by reducing cravings. By all accounts, their impact is drastic and immediate.

Interestingly, the drug that has become synonymous with this craze is Ozempic—which isn’t even considered a weight loss medication! Although approved by the FDA in 2017, and is designed to treat people Type 2 diabetes, Ozempic also accelerates weight loss—so millions of people have taken and are taking it. I read an article last week that Novo Nordic (The Danish Company that manufactures both Ozempic and Wegovy ) can hardly keep pace with the demand for these drugs. Curiously, people with Type 2 diabetes are having to wait months to have their Ozempic prescriptions filled because people without diabetes have cornered the market for that drug. Last year, the profits of Novo Nordic exceeded $25 billion dollars, making them the largest and most profitable company in Europe. Sidenote: injections of Ozempic average $936 per month.

Now cometh the hammer.

I find this craze over Ozempic deeply troubling. I find it concerning not because I lack compassion for those who are struggling to maintain a healthy weight, but primarily because I don’t like shortcuts. I have profound empathy for those who are struggling to lose weight. I have come to understand that changing your eating and exercise habits are often inadequate methods to losing weight. I have also come to understand that in many cases, obesity is an addiction that requires therapeutic and medical intervention.

And while I am not a conspiracy thinker, I still worry that far too many of us fail to appreciate what Ray Monyihan and Alan Cassles pointed out in their book “Selling Sickness”, which is that many of these pharmaceutical companies have less than honorable motives. Moreover, I do not think that a pill or shot is the answer to every problem. The commercials blast the benefits. But the side effects are rarely mentioned, or when mentioned, they are always mentioned last and fast.

Here’s my bottom line: I am deeply suspicious of any remedy that does not require effort, sacrifice, and time. I find the the idea that you can take a pill or a shot, and be instantaneously healed of a decades- long problem inherently problematic. I just don’t think that’s the way that life works. In Proverbs 20:17, the Bible says that “the bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterwards, his stomach will be filled with gravel.” Eating the bread of deceit is sweet, because the idea that we can have results without labor, sacrifice or time is immensely pleasurable. But that idea is flawed: you are eating the bread of deceit. There is always an “afterwards.”

Before you take any action, it is wise to consider what happens “afterwards.” How am I going to feel afterwards? How is this going to look afterwards? What is going to happen afterwards? Whether it’s taking a pill, taking a shot, taking a promotion, taking a vacation, taking a risk, taking an opportunity, or even taking down a number, always research and ruminate on the side effects.

Mahatma Gandi said that there were 7 deadly sins:

Wealth without work.

Pleasure without conscience.

Knowledge without character.

Commerce without morality.

Science without humanity.

Religion without sacrifice.

Politics without principle.

Maybe there are 8: taking actions without believing there are side effects.

P.S. It remains to be seen if Ozempic offers refunds