Ozempic, Rybelsus, Victoza, Saxenda, Trulicity and Byetta…. by now we’ve all heard of them, know someone using them or have tried them ourselves. It is a medical trend that is sweeping our country. Let’s take a moment to understand why these medications may be helpful to a large percentage of the population. In 2022, 1 in 8 people worldwide were obese and 2.5 billion adults (18+ yrs.) were overweight. Also, in 2022, 37 million children under the age of 5 were overweight and 390 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 years were overweight. Obesity is a chronic complex disease resulting from metabolic inflexibility and can lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, as well as poor bone health, reproductive issues and certain cancers. So, what does metabolic inflexibility actually mean? It is an inability of our bodies to switch between different fuel sources, such as fat and glucose. In other words, it is an anabolic state that causes us to store fat as opposed to using it as a fuel source. Some factors that contribute to metabolic inflexibility are nutrient overload, highly processed food, autoimmune conditions, insulin resistance and sedentary behavior.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Weight Management
