While being on a GLP-1 can help to accelerate weight loss and regulate blood sugar, it also has the potential to change how people interact socially.
As the holidays approach, sitting down for meals with family and lots of indulgent food may be challenging for those taking obesity drugs, as they tend to decrease appetite, lower tolerance for alcoholic beverages, shift mood and even affect mental health.
Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen, a board-certified endocrinologist, weight loss specialist and author of the upcoming book "Weightless," shared the severity of these changes in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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"For the first time in history, we're having masses of people achieve weight-loss goals that never were possible before," said the New York-based doctor.
"Some patients have never seen themselves at that new weight — or for some, their spouses met them at a different weight. Many patients have decades of trauma from [struggling with] their weight — shame, guilt."
"We're not doing anything for the psyche part of weight loss," Salas-Whalen went on. "The psyche doesn't move as fast as the weight loss can happen."
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Some may be faced with physical shifts like excess skin, changes in shoe size and intolerance to colder temperatures — but emotional and mental barriers exist as well.
Many of Salas-Whalen's patients have admitted that they struggle mentally with how differently they’re treated after losing weight.
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"Many patients don't see themselves as that new weight," she said. "They see themselves as they were before. Some patients have a hard time understanding how they're being treated better now than before, even though they're the same person."
The doctor said she has also witnessed some patients distancing themselves from spouses and friends because social eating and drinking doesn't fit into their new lifestyle.
In some cultures, it may be considered rude to turn down food at family events, Salas-Whalen mentioned — and some family members tend to pressure people to eat and make claims like "you’re too skinny."
Instead of overindulging — which can make people feel sick while on medication — the doctor recommends being open about weight-loss journeys and setting clear boundaries.
"I think many people feel ashamed or embarrassed or are even shamed by other people for being on weight-loss medication," she said. "It’s going to be very hard for somebody to not say, ‘Are you sick? Why are you not eating?’"
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"Your body has changed completely, you've lost 80 pounds, and now you're eating half of what you normally would eat, and maybe you're not drinking," Salas-Whalen went on. "So, people are going to wonder."
The best way to approach this, according to the expert, is to share that your eating habits have changed due to GLP-1 medication and that you don't want to feel pressured in social situations.
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"It's harder if you want to keep it a secret, but even if it's kept a secret, you can just say, ‘I am full and this is it, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't keep pursuing,'" she said.
"It's just setting boundaries that we sometimes don't have with family — but I do encourage patients to share their [journeys]."
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Disclosing GLP-1 use can also help to remove the stigma associated with using medication to help with obesity, Salas-Whalen added.
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