How to explore taking weight loss medication with a client

In today's video (link below) I talk with a client who is thinking about taking a weight loss medication. The client is worried about several things - side effects, if it will help with her emotional eating, and weight regain if/when she stops taking the medication. These are very common questions for clients to have!

These medications include but are not limited to Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, GLP-1's.

Medication for weight loss is not a 'quick fix' or 'magic bullet'. When both prescribed and used appropriately, it is just one tool within a framework of support that all clients can utilise to achieve their goal of better health and wellbeing. It's very important for clients to understand that simply taking a medication, without also making diet and lifestyle changes AND doing deeper work where emotional/binge eating is a factor, is never going to have a long term or permenant impact.

Weight loss medication will not resolve emotional eating or binge eating. Although reports state that weight loss medications reduce 'food noise' in the mind, without deeper work to undertand triggers for emotional eating or binge eating, the problem will not resolve itself with weight loss medication alone.

Equally when taking a weight loss medication, in order to reduce the side effects and help mediate weight regain if they stop taking medication, changes in diet are required. It is even more important to eat the right food and drink plenty of water along with taking these medications.

Ultra processed foods, foods high in 'bad' fats and non-nutritious carbohydrate foods can contribute to higher levels of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and/or constipation - all common side effects.

Taking a weight loss medication is a temporary solution to reduce food cravings. In order to maximise any impact or results from taking a weight loss medication, you must work with clients holistically to develop and implement their new "eating plan for life" whilst they are taking any medication. This will potentially help a) reduce the well-reported incidence of weight regain once they stop taking medication and b) help them feel more in control of their food and eating.

The bottom line is, there is a place for weight loss medication in our toolkit of supports for clients. However in my professional opinion, they are most helpful at the more extreme end of the weight related health spectrum. For adults in a significantly larger body, with serious health conditions and/or where surgery is on the table as an option, it's likely that medications will help to reduce food noise and appetite so clinicians can do other work on diet, lifestyle and deeper psychological triggers and drivers of unhelpful eating.

I hope you found this video 'session' helpful and as always, feel free to contact me with any questions you have around supporting clients with emotional/binge eating.

Warmly,

Emma

PS: Do you like the new video style of a ‘session’ with a client?! Let me know!

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