If you’ve opened TikTok or scrolled through your news feed recently, you’ve probably seen advertisements, social media reels, and articles about Ozempic. It has generated a lot of buzz as celebrities and influencers have touted it as a game-changing weight loss solution.
But is Ozempic really the magic bullet it’s being touted to be, or are there potential side effects and drawbacks? And is there such a thing as a fast pass to get skinny?
What is high-quality weight loss?
Getting rid of the stubborn belly fat that makes men and women prone to chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, is one of the main goals of losing body weight.
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Skeletal muscle, or lean body mass, is integral for strength & function, overall health, and aesthetics. Furthermore, muscle increases our resting metabolism (calories burnt during rest) and is the largest site of glucose removal, hence lowering diabetes risk. In other words, it is quite clear that we need to maintain our muscles as much as we can during weight management.
Thus, methods that induce fat loss while maintaining or building muscle mass are like holy grails in the industry because they promote high-quality weight loss, e.g., body re-composition.
Lifestyle management: Still the ‘king of the hill!’
There is no doubt that lifestyle management remains the gold-standard for sustainable weight loss. In short, a person loses weight and keeps it off by moving more on a daily basis, exercising regularly, and opting for a more health-conscious diet: Walk or bike instead of taking the car, do strength and cardio on most days of the week, and avoid meals that are high in calories, saturated and trans fats, simple sugars, and processed foods.
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A combination of these lifestyle choices will induce body re-composition, lower all-cause mortality risk, and increase life expectancy. Lifestyle modifications, such as exercise, are also comparatively cheap, with gym costs ranging between ~$200-2000 per year. Exercise is also safe and certainly enjoyable when you find the activities that are right for you.
Are weight loss drugs a good option for men?
Sometimes lifestyle management is not enough (or even possible), such as in clinical populations with morbid obesity, metabolic disease, and associated comorbidities. These patients certainly need weight loss drugs, bariatric surgery, or strict very low-calorie diets to reduce the risk of disease and even premature death.
Others may be tempted by a ‘quick and easy fix’ to reach their fitness goals but should be aware that weight loss drugs are considered as a last option due to their prohibitive cost and potential side effects.
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A combinatory approach that includes lifestyle management is always necessary for sustainable weight loss even in those who opt for pharmacotherapy. In fact, every clinical trial of weight loss drugs is accompanied by exercise and dietary advice.
What is Ozempic?
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) sold under Ozempic® or Wegovy® as type 2 diabetes or weight loss drugs, respectively. GLP-1 RA drugs (and another similar drug that also activates GIP, Zepbound) enhances insulin secretion and inhibits the release of glucagon, which lowers blood glucose levels, supresses appetite, increases satiety, delays gastric emptying, and promotes bodyweight loss.
Does Ozempic promote high-quality weight loss?
On average, semaglutide users undergo an impressive ~5-16% bodyweight loss (e.g., ~11-37 lbs) in studies up to 1.3 y. Although highly effective at weight/fat loss induction, a significant portion of the overall weight loss is lean body mass (up to ~40% of total weight loss), meaning that GLP-1 RA drugs improve the fat: lean body mass ratio but do not promote high-quality weight loss as defined by fat loss concomitant with lean body mass gain or maintenance.
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What are other common side effects from taking Ozempic?
Other factors to consider when weighing pros and cons of weight loss drugs are side effects. Common side effects with GLP-1 RAs include gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea, as well as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and headaches.
Considering these side effects plus the monthly cost for Ozempic (~$300CAD/month in Canada and ~$1,000USD/month in USA), versus getting a gym membership and hiring a personal trainer and dietician for guidance and encouragement, simple lifestyle changes don’t seem like such a bad idea.
What are the best options for men to mitigate muscle wasting during weight loss?
Without lifestyle management, including strength training and daily intake of high-quality protein from dietary sources/supplements (> 1.2 g protein/kg BW/d), muscle wasting and potentially muscle strength can occur form any method of weight loss. While fat loss alone certainly is beneficial for most individuals, losing muscle mass is undesirable for everyone, especially older adults.
Special to Gent's Post by Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, an award-winning Neuromuscular and Neurometabolic specialist, as well as CEO & Founder of StayAbove Nutrition. A respected professor and researcher at McMaster University, high in demand for his expertise on matters of health.
