The crinkling sounds of the translucent, flimsy plastic window on the large envelope containing 1980’s era school pictures cannot be replicated.
I remember the crinkle when my third-grade teacher handed me my photos to deliver to my mom and dad. I peeked into the envelope before my parents had a look, but it didn’t go without self-punishment. It wasn’t my hair or smile that my eyes were drawn to in that photo, it was my chin. Or, rather, chins. It was my double chin.
I would have to look at that picture, framed on grandma’s wall, for the rest of the year. That photo changed my view of myself forever.
I filled in as host for The Sound of Ideas late this summer and one of the segments featured a doctor discussing Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 or GLP-1 medication. The show dealt specifically with the drugs being prescribed for teenagers. They're seen by many medical professionals as much needed tools in today’s obesity epidemic. Even if common GLP-1’s such as Zepbound and Wegovy were around in the late 1980’s, I doubt my parents would have given me permission to take them. After all, I was just a “growing boy”, as my grandma would say.
A recent Gallup survey found GLP-1 medications are helping lower the nation’s obesity rate. According to the report, the obesity rate dropped to 37% of U.S. adults this year, down from a high of 39.9% three years ago.
Over the last two months, I found myself again exploring weight loss options with my doctor — "growing boy" no longer works as an excuse.
The doctor prescribed a GLP-1. I'd seen success with some friends and family, and I was impressed with the results. I researched the pros and cons and told my doctor I was on board. But losing weight and maintaining the weight loss, I was told, would require more than just a weekly injection. Back to the gym I went.
I’ve had a gym membership for about 25 years now. I’ve been to every fitness club you can imagine and at each new place I usually met with a hard-bodied trainer who inspired me for about a week. The discipline usually expired while I drove home from the new gym as I caught the Wendy’s sign in the distance. It was over. Wendy is stronger than any trainer. Wendy always won.
But being on a GLP-1 medication, so far, is different. As of this writing, I’ve been on the medication for about a month and half and have dropped about 20 pounds. I have more energy and love that my current double chin is shrinking. I may be ready to sit for a new portrait soon.
The best part for me is I’m not constantly thinking about food. Experts call that “food noise.” The voice encouraging me to consume my next sweet treat or snack has quieted down. I am left to wonder what happened to the hungry man inside of me.
The journey has not been easy. I’ve experienced several unwelcomed side effects, and the cost is a sting in my monthly budget. But I want to get healthier and after years of blaming myself and my extra weight for holding me back on different levels, I’ve decided it's worth it.
This is just the beginning of my journey, but I also believe it to be the beginning of the impact GLP-1 medication will have on American society. The drugs are starting to become more widely available and hopefully soon they will be more affordable. If I can prevent diabetes or get off my blood-pressure medication, it will be worth it. Looking better in a pair of jeans isn’t a bad incentive either.
I still love food, but I’m learning to love myself more. That said, I hope the medication won’t stop a portion-appropriate craving for something deliciously bad every now and then. After all, I’m still a growing boy. And Wendy is still a knock out.
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