Ozempic, Weight, & Identity— A Guide for Mental Health Providers

Ozempic and related drugs now help people lose up to 20% of their body weight, with generally manageable side effects. As the price of these drugs drops, even more of our patients will take them.

How are these drugs (GLP-1 agonists) affecting couples and families? What about the self-image, decision-making, and sexual choices of individuals who finally lose weight after years of struggle and failure? How are the mates, children, friends, and co-workers responding to familiar people with suddenly unfamiliar bodies? And how are these slimmer people responding to others’ responses to them?

Some of the complexities these patients will face include:
~ More attention at work
~ The loss of eating as a couple’s recreation
~ New dynamics of sexual desire, energy, & loss (or gain) of inhibition
~ The envy of friends & family
~ Guilt or secrecy about using these drugs
~ The loss of one’s lifelong identity

Therapists and healthcare professionals need to address the emotional and systemic effects of these new weight-loss drugs. Rather than waiting for patients to raise these issues, we must be prepared to ask lots of questions about their challenges—and help them navigate the complex answers.