The Hidden Downsides of Medical Weight Loss

Medical weight loss - using prescription drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), tirzepatide (Mounjaro), or phentermine - has exploded in popularity. While these treatments can deliver dramatic results, they come with serious drawbacks that are often downplayed.

1. Muscle Loss, Not Just Fat
GLP-1 drugs suppress appetite so aggressively that up to 40% of weight lost is lean muscle, not fat. Consequence: Slower metabolism, frailty in older adults, and a "skinny-fat" body composition.

2. Rebound Weight Gain (The Yo-Yo Trap)
Stop the drug - hunger returns - most regain all (or more) weight within 1 year. Why? No behavioral change - just chemical appetite control.

3. Gut Chaos & GI Distress
Up to fifty percent of users report nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Gastroparesis (stomach paralysis) is a rare but severe side effect. Pancreatitis & gallbladder issues are marked on the product labeling as possible side effects.

4. Mental Health Side Effects
Ten to Fifteen percent of users reported anxiety, depression and irritability.

5. Long-Term Unknowns
These drugs are basically approved for diabetes, not lifelong weight control and so no long term studies have been carried out. Ozempic carries a black box label warning for thyroid cancer. Another concern which is being studied is bone density loss.

You may have seen advertisements that encourage you to speak to your doctor about weight management. This is really just an invitation to be put onto a drug for weight loss with all the possible side-effects.

A pill or an injection will never be able to replace improving your diet and exercise habits. And even if you do decide to go down the medical path, you can't stay on it forever. There are many healthier options and that is the key point. It's not just about losing weight, it's about getting healthy at the same time. After all, the majority of people want to lose weight to improve their health. Using a drug solution won't achieve that goal.

The Pitch

We couldn't end this article without at least offering to show you Herbalife's healthy weight loss programmes. Tap/Click the image below for more...