If you’re a person who lives on earth, you’ve heard of Ozempic. (In case you haven’t: It’s a brand name for semaglutide, a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. Other brand names for the drug are Wegovy and Mounjaro.)

ICYMI, I wrote a long article about Ozempic and what it’s doing to our culture — you can find that article here.

Want more information about why diets suck and how you can develop a healthy relationship with food instead? Subscribe to the weekly(ish) Quit Your Diet newsletter!

A little more about Ozempic and semaglutide:​

Ozempic and other semaglutide medications belong to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Ozempic (and Wegovy and Mounjaro) works by mimicking the action of GLP-1, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin secretion, slowing down stomach emptying, and reducing appetite.

Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, is administered as a once-weekly injection. It’s often prescribed, along with certain lifestyle modifications, to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes when other medications and interventions haven’t worked. And, it’s really good at this! Semaglutide has been shown to improve glycemic control and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events some individuals with diabetes.

Another effect of taking Ozempic and other semaglutide medications is weight loss. Ozempic diminishes a person’s appetite, and in some cases leads to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In many (but not all!) people, this leads to weight loss. And because our culture and our medical system are so fixated on weight, Ozempic and its counterparts are now being prescribed to people as weight loss drugs — even when there’s no clear medical indication for the drug.

At Ruby Oak, we don’t promote or encourage the use of Ozempic for weight loss. But, we do work with plenty of clients who are on Ozempic (or another semaglutide) for any number of reasons. These patients really benefit from working with a dietitian!

Myself and the other dietitians at Ruby Oak take a non-diet, weight-neutral approach to nutrition and health. Our mission is to help our clients feel better, stress less about food, and improve their health WITHOUT focusing on weight loss.

That said, we understand that people might take Ozempic for a variety of reasons. Some people take it for better blood sugar control as a way to manage diabetes. Some people take it as a weight loss drug because they’re SO TIRED of their doctor scolding them and dismissing their health concerns because of their weight, and they think that Ozempic could make it easier to get good quality healthcare. Some people take it because they face all kinds of discrimination due to their body size, and they’ve decided that taking Ozempic — even with all the risks, including the risk that it won’t actually lad to weight loss — is worth it to them.

We don’t judge anyone who chooses to take Ozempic, no matter their reasoning. Working with clients who take Ozempic has actually been pretty rewarding, since there are SO MANY things a dietitian can help with.

We’ve helped clients come up with eating schedules to make sure they’re not drastically under-feeding themselves.

We’ve worked with clients to create flexible, convenient weekly meal plans that work for them and their family.

We’ve offered clients a safe space to talk about whether or not they want to start (or continue) taking Ozempic, and they’ve told us that they feel heard and validated in these conversations — which is something that many people don’t feel at the doctor’s office.

We’ve been there to troubleshoot symptoms like nausea and diarrhea, suggesting small tweaks that the client could make to help reduce these symptoms, or suggesting that they bring them up with their doctor if the symptoms seem particularly bad.

If you’re taking Ozempic (or thinking about taking it), talking to a dietitian is a GREAT idea.

Your eating habits will almost certainly change once you start taking the drug. Having a safe space to talk about this, AND a nutrition expert to help you with any eating challenges that come up, can be so, so beneficial.

If you’re ready to stop obsessing about food, feeling guilty about what you eat, or want healthy eating tips, we can help! We’re a group of dietitians who take a non-diet, body-positive, identity-affirming approach to recovery and healing your relationship with food. Go here to learn more about nutrition counseling for kids, teenagers, and adults, in-network with most major insurance companies and offered virtually to clients in North Carolina and over a dozen other states.

Ready to book an appointment? Click here to book online.

Not ready to commit to counseling but want more information about the anti-diet approach? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

You might also like:

Questions to Ask an Eating Disorder Dietitian When Seeking Treatment

Whole30 Review: Junk Science Won’t Lead to Food Freedom

Intuitive Eating 101: What Is Set Point Weight?

The Free 5-Day Intuitive Eating Course