‘Diet: Die with a T’

If you happen to be a devotee of the cartoon series Garfield, I’m sure that you’ve heard Garfield declaring that the word “Diet” is simply “Die” with a “T.”

The flippant remark is meant to poke fun at advocates of dieting and apostles of “body shaming” but to some degree it may represent a growing “Die-t” trend among medicine popping Filipinos who gulp down the latest miracle drug, whitening pills, fat burners, Viagra without consulting with a medical doctor or doing research.

Their first question is usually “where can I get it” but not what the medication is for, its benefits, side effects and if it is a short-course solution or long-term dependency.

The latest trend or medication now growing in popularity are GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro, etc., originally meant to control diabetes and an unintended side effect of these drugs turns out to be weight loss.

Users swear to high heavens that the drugs are effective, great for weight loss and there are more and more Filipinos now using them. This May, I learned about Ozempic from three different persons using the drug.

Young and old use them, pharmacies and drug stores even have signages telling customers that you can buy the medicine in their store. OTCs are NOT over-the-counter medicines. They can be both potent and deadly without supervision.

To be honest, when I first heard of these weight loss medicines, I simply shook my head in disapproval because in the many years I have lived, I have learned that such quick fixes come with risks.

I once tried a “fat burning” capsule and the only thing it did was drive up my body temperature. Whether it’s for weight loss, energy boost or overall health, nothing beats eating right and resting well. All those quick fixes are artificial or temporary.

What complicates matters is that in the Philippines, there is not enough studies or monitoring on the long term effects of such medications. I once blanked out after taking a popular prescription pain killer and only after did I learn that it has known adverse reactions.

Many employers now warn employees about heavy use of or drinking energy drinks because these causes many side effects such as elevated heart rates, kidney stones, insomnia, all of which become a medical concern and cost to employers.

After the initial excitement over Viagra among men suffering erectile dysfunction, huddles now include a word of caution on the “regular” use of the blue pill that was originally meant for blood/heart management because of potential risks long-term such as stroke or MI.

What is scary about GLP-1 medicines is that they could end up being today’s miracle drugs and then tomorrow’s opioids or highly addictive medicines that have created so many addicts in the United States.

Based on what I have heard, read and watched concerning Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications, very close and regular doctor monitoring or checkups are non-negotiable.

These are not “instant coffee” type meds that give you overnight results and increasing doses or frequency can or will cause serious damage.

On the side of advocates and users with positive results, they say the drugs help with diabetes, weight loss, allegedly even improve complexion and mental state.

Perhaps this is all a combination of outcomes. Weight loss makes you feel good, regulates the diabetes and subsequently impacts looks and mental health.

On the flesh and vanity side, GLP-1 meds are said to cause an initial “thinning of the face” but in extremes, result in loss of facial muscle, sagging skin and premature aging. They call it “the Ozempic face.” There are also claims of foul or Ozempic breath.

Unfortunately, based on the claims of critics, the damage far outweighs the benefits of GLP-1 medicines. Depending on the individual, the first bad effect is in the stomach or gastrointestinal side effects. It can be as benign as common diarrhea, vomiting, constipation or nausea.

In the worst case, adverse reaction to the medicine can cause lesions or parts of the intestine dying off, according to the testimony of one user I watched.

In an interview with CBS Mornings, Juanita Gant shared her medical episode where she used GLP-1 drugs to reduce her weight and avoid type 2 diabetes. After several months she was found unconscious at home, “doctors found that parts of her large intestines had died and had to be removed.”

Another study claims that a lesser known side effect is pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas that causes abdominal pain. Other bad effects are gall stones and blockage of the intestinal tract, loss of bone mass as well as loss of vision.

It is one thing to take medication to manage diabetes or some life threatening disease, but when we use it for something it was never intended or for vanity and convenience ignorantly, we place ourselves and our bodies in danger.

The bad news for many weight watchers depending on GLP-1 meds to lose weight is that once you get off the medicine, your fat comes back.

As St. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…Therefore honor God with your body.”

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