🚨Warning: Possible Trigger Language 🚨
With the media hyping semaglutide as the new best thing for weight loss, we are forgetting about the huge scope of disordered eating that permeates our society.
Weight loss treatment should be carefully considered on a highly individualized basis. As healthcare providers, it is our responsibility to assess our patients fully before we prescribe ANY medication. However, I have heard it so often lately; people casually being offered semaglutide just because of the number on the scale.
“Oh your back hurts? It would help if you lose some weight. Let’s see if Wegovy is right for you.”
“I am sorry to hear your periods are irregular. It could be related to your weight. Would you like to try semaglutide?”
“You have been gaining weight over the last few years? No problem, with your BMI you qualify for semaglutide.”
And the list goes on and on. Many women that join my practice have been yo-yo dieting for years, already unknowingly restrict their calories and have a dodgy relationship with food. So why would a medication that further suppresses your appetite be an appropriate treatment? It is NOT!
If we are only looking at the number on the scale when we treat patients, then we are not honoring our promise to do no harm. Because suppressing the appetite for someone who already under-eats is going to cause more problems in the end. We need a full lifestyle focused approach, but in the insurance based healthcare world, where is the time for that?
So, here are my top 3 reasons I won’t prescribe semaglutide for weight loss
- Any history of disordered eating or body dysmorphia
- No current exercise and weight training habit
- Declines to meet with a dietician while starting treatment
Cool Creek Family Health is a direct primary care (DPC) clinic. DPC is a model of value based healthcare that allows the patient (you) better access and a more personal relationship with your healthcare provider. Contact us today to learn how we put you in the driver’s seat of your healthcare and can make you love your primary care experience again!
