No more Thanksgiving ‘food orgy’? Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro change how users think of the big meal

By JONEL ALECCIA | AP Health Writer

For most of her life, Claudia Stearns dreaded Thanksgiving. As a person who struggled with obesity since childhood, Stearns hated the annual turmoil of obsessing about what she ate — and the guilt of overindulging on a holiday built around food.

Now, after losing nearly 100 pounds using medications including Wegovy, a powerful new anti-obesity drug, Stearns says the “food noise” in her head has gone very, very quiet.

“Last year, it felt so lovely to just be able to enjoy my meal, to focus on being with friends and family, to focus on the joy of the day,” says Stearns, 65, of Somerville, Massachusetts. “That was a whole new experience.”

As millions of Americans struggling with obesity gain access to a new generation of weight-loss drugs, Stearns’ experience is becoming more common — and more noticeable at the times of year when cooking, eating and a sense of abundance can define and heighten gatherings of loved ones and friends. Medical experts and consumers say the drugs are shifting not only what users eat, but also the way they think about food.

For some, it means greater mental control over their meals. Others say it saps the enjoyment from social situations, including traditionally food-centric holidays like Thanksgiving, Passover and Christmas.

FILE – A barbecue spiced turkey appears in Concord, N.H., on Oct. 27, 2014. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research looks at the state of the country’s Thanksgiving favorites. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead, File)

FILE – A plate of roasted turkey and gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and glazed carrots appears in Concord, N.H., on Oct. 2, 2012. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research looks at the state of the country’s Thanksgiving favorites. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead, File)

This combination of photos shows various pieces of pie, from left, pumpkin, pecan, apple and sweet potato. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research looks at the state of the country’s Thanksgiving favorites. (AP Photo)

FILE – A bowl of brown butter rosemary mashed potatoes appears in Concord, N.H., on Oct. 5, 2015. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research looks at the state of the country’s Thanksgiving favorites. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead, File)

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“It’s something that really changes a lot of things in their life,” says Dr. Daniel Bessesen, chief of endocrinology at Denver Health, who treats patients with obesity. “They go from food being a central focus to it’s just not.”

The new obesity drugs, originally designed to treat diabetes, include semaglutide, used in Ozempic and Wegovy, and tirzepatide, used in Mounjaro and recently approved as Zepbound. Now aimed at weight loss, too, the drugs delivered as weekly injections work far differently than any diet. They mimic powerful hormones that kick in after people eat to regulate appetite and the feeling of fullness communicated between the gut and the brain. Users can lose as much as 15% to 25% of their body weight, studies …read more

Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment