It seems like everyone is weighing in on medical weight loss these days. So many articles, ads, social media posts – the topic is impossible to ignore. But whose opinions can you trust?
As licensed medical professionals here at Moxie Medispa, we feel that it is our responsibility to share all of the information you need to know about the rise of medical weight loss, the dangers of mail-order services, our advice for finding the best provider for your unique weight loss journey, and how you can reach your goals with tailored treatments at Moxie.
The History of Medical Weight Loss
While medical weight loss might seem like a recent phenomenon, historians can trace attempts to treat obesity back to ancient Greece in the 2nd century. As history progressed, physicians made much greater strides in the scientific method and began forming scientific societies to share their findings during the Scientific Revolution during the 16th and 17th centuries. By the 1800s, doctors started prescribing treatments for obesity, and attempts to medically treat obesity have risen sharply in the last 100 years.
However, research shows that physician’s attempts to treat obesity have been futile, sometimes creating adverse effects in patients as serious as cancer (lorcaserin, sold as Belviq and BelviqXR – withdrawn from the market in 2020) and heart disease (fenfluramine and phentermine, also known as fen-phen – withdrawn from the market in 1997).
These days, over 40% of Americans are obese, and diet and exercise aren’t enough to help many of them reach and maintain their goal weight. People are still looking to science for answers – and finally, there are real solutions.
The Rise of GLP-1 Weight Loss Treatments
Enter the GLP-1 era. The FDA approved the first GLP-1 (glucagon-like-peptide-1) injectable medication back in 2005 to treat patients with type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 drugs can play many roles in the body:
- Triggering insulin release from the pancreas to lower the amount of glucose in blood and maintain normal blood sugar levels
- Blocking glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar levels) secretion – another way to maintain normal blood sugar levels
- Slowing digestion so that the body releases less glucose into the bloodstream
- Affecting the areas of your brain that help you feel full after eating
At first, weight loss was merely noted as a potential side effect; after continued research, scientists saw an opportunity to use GLP-1 medications to treat obesity. In 2014, Saxenda (also known as liraglutide), became the first FDA-approved GLP-1 medication to hit the market with the specific intent to treat obesity. A wave of similar drugs soon followed: Ozempic in 2017, Rybelsus in 2019, Wegovy in 2021, Mounjaro in 2022, and Zepbound in 2023. Many of these were initially used to treat diabetes, but have since been frequently prescribed for weight loss as well.
Are Mail-Order GLP-1 Treatments Safe?
As weight loss drugs have been ramping up in popularity, so have mail-order services that ship medications right to your door. Seems easy, right? No need to go to the doctor or the pharmacy. But while the allure of these mail-order subscriptions is clear, the dangers are a little more obscure.
Counterfeit GLP-1 Drugs
The first hazard you may not have heard about is counterfeit GLP-1s. This is an incredibly widespread phenomenon: as of August 2024, 42% of online pharmacies that sell drugs containing semaglutide are operating illegally without a license and are selling GLP-1 drugs without prescriptions.
Enough people are falling prey to unlicensed online scammers and paying for drugs that contain wrong or even harmful ingredients, that the FDA is actively monitoring fraudulent sites and routinely sends them warning letters. Unfortunately, the problem is so extensive that it still persists.
Lack of Face-to-Face Care
The other clear danger is a lack of interpersonal care from your provider. Telehealth can be helpful in many cases, but it’s always best to play it safe with your health. To us, that means forging a personal relationship with the provider of your weight loss journey.
In-person care facilitates a level of insight that telehealth simply can’t provide. For example, many weight loss patients would benefit from simple tests that can only be performed in person, like weight, height, and waist circumference measurements, blood pressure tests, and any other lab work that your provider may need prior to writing your prescription.
Mail-order providers will never get to know you as well as in-person practitioners. That means online-based weight loss plans will never be as closely tailored to your unique anatomy as a plan from a provider that you get to know face-to-face.
Furthermore, many mail-order services do not let you initially choose your provider. At Moxie, you can get to know Alex on our website before you meet her in person! This alone removes a lot of stress from what may be an uncomfortable appointment for many weight loss patients.
Lastly on this topic, if you’re starting a new treatment, you’ll want a provider that you can contact immediately in case you experience any adverse effects. Online-only services can’t guarantee that. At Moxie, you know where we’re located and how to reach us – and we highly encourage open communication with our clients.
In short, there are some providers of mail-order weight loss treatments that have been proven to be safe so far. However, due to the plague of fraudulent websites and a problematic lack of personal care, we do not recommend this route for your weight loss journey. Your health and safety are paramount.
How to Find the Right Provider for Your Weight Loss Journey
The most important factor in finding the right fit for your weight loss journey is to locate a practitioner that is licensed. A medical doctor that is knowledgeable about weight loss medications and how to best prescribe them for each individual client is absolutely crucial.
Additionally, we recommend you find an environment, whether that’s a clinic, hospital, or medispa, that you look forward to going to. If you’re uncomfortable when meeting your provider, it may dissuade you from going at all. At the very least, it will have a detrimental impact on your relationship with your provider.
That’s why we highly recommend you book an appointment at Moxie Medispa. Alex Foley, owner of Moxie, is a medical doctor who is passionate about keeping up with the latest research in the medical weight loss space.
Also, have you seen how cute our medispa is? We have intentionally curated a warm and welcoming environment so that everyone who walks through our doors feels at ease. We want your Moxie experience to be a good one!
If you’re considering starting medical weight loss treatments, please consider learning more about our weight loss services and booking an appointment with Alex today.
