EXPERT ADVISORY – MAY 28, 2025 – R0066
While it was once considered taboo to publicly acknowledge the use of medication to shed stubborn pounds, times are changing and diet culture is evolving, say Brock University experts.
They agree some drugs, such as Ozempic, may be effective interventions for obesity and metabolic disorders. Where the concern lies, Brock researchers say, is the use of these drugs as tools for weight loss, and the associated long-term physical and psychological effects that may come along as a result.
This hasn’t stopped personal wellness brands that originally focused on nutrition — including WeightWatchers, which recently filed for bankruptcy — from now offering their members access to the drugs that have turned the industry on its head.
This shift is reflective of society’s evolving views on weight loss, says Professor of Kinesiology Kimberley Gammage, who researches positive body image and physical activity across diverse populations.
A change in the way people think about weight loss has long been — and continues to be — needed, she says.
“I do believe the ‘eat less, move more’ philosophy of weight loss is dated, since we know much more now around how genetics and biology play a very large role in weight,” she says.
However, long-term consequences are unknown for people taking drugs merely to improve their appearance, Gammage says, since most of these medications are not approved for weight loss only.
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology William Gittings, who studies musculoskeletal physiology, says weight-loss drugs aim to affect the body’s energy balance by increasing energy expenditure while simultaneously inducing appetite-suppressing effects.
If people taking the drugs don’t consume adequate essential nutrients in their diet and aren’t physically active enough to stimulate muscle and bone growth, there could be serious health impacts down the road, he says.
“A short-term medical intervention to target weight loss should not come at the cost of critical bone and muscle tissues, as this may translate into greater risk of sarcopenia, osteoporosis and frailty in late adulthood,” says Gittings.
“There are important gaps in our understanding of how strategies involving diet and exercise may be used to support medically supervised management of obesity and metabolic disorders,” he says.
Gammage notes the “quick fix” approach also comes with other concerns: the drugs don’t necessarily work for everyone; work only as long as people are taking them; aren’t tolerated well by all; and are often prescribed online by physicians who may not know if it is the right treatment for an individual, as a prior relationship hasn’t been built.
Professor of Kinesiology and exercise physiologist Nota Klentrou says childhood, adolescence and young adulthood is the time to set lifelong habits of exercising and eating nutritious foods, patterns that help maintain a healthy weight and a robust musculoskeletal structure and function.
“Drugs should never be the first step to weight loss, which needs a long-lasting strategy instead of rapid, Band-Aid solutions,” says Klentrou, who studies how exercise and diet affect bone development and lifelong bone health.
“In addition, more research is needed across the lifespan before we know age-appropriate dosage and the long-term effects of these drugs before expanding their usage.”
Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies Danielle Sirianni Molnar, the Canada Research Chair in Adjustment and Well-Being in Children and Youth, says disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and rigid control over food and appearance are consistently linked to perfectionism.
Perfectionists rely heavily on others’ evaluations to determine their self-worth, making them exceptionally sensitive to criticism or perceived judgment, says Sirianni Molnar, who studies teen perfectionism.
“The medication’s promise of rapid, visible results can feel like a controlled, ‘flawless’ solution or in other words, a direct route to meeting the excessively high demands for success and approval that perfectionists impose on themselves,” she says.
Professors of Kinesiology Kimberley Gammage and Nota Klentrou, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology William Gittings and Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies Danielle Sirianni Molnar are available for media interviews on this topic.
For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
*Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483
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