The Need for Off Ramp from "Ozempic" and other GLP-1 antagonists

My first job while I was still in residency was working for a Kaiser Permanente's Positive Choice Wellness Center which was brainchild of Dr. Vincent Felitti (now best known for his work on ACE or adverse childhood events). At that time, fen-phen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenfluramine/phentermine) was all the rage until side effects resulted in litigations and discontinuation of the use of fen-phen.

Ozempic and other GLP-1 antagonists are all the rage today. Asides from potential side effects (https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/glp-1-diabetes-and-weight-loss-drug-side-effects-ozempic-face-and-more), it appears our society is grappling with high costs of Ozempic and Wegovy.

Also, clinically, there appears to be a weight-loss plateau... and practical considerations make life-time use of the medication impractical for the most.

A recent Atlantic article advocate for the need of an "Off Ramp from Ozempic." https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/05/get-off-ozempic/678451/

I agree. Fortunately, at Memorial Hospital, we have been working on such off ramp options such as:

• Duke Keto Diet

• Optifast

• Healthy Lifestyle

In my next articles, I hope to explore each options in detail.