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I read an article this week that was celebrating GLP-1 drugs (think Ozempic and Wegovy), while also raising a lingering unanswered question about them. Scientists know that GLP-1 drugs are effective because they affect the brain in specific ways. In essence, they disrupt the release of dopamine by the brain, which is what creates pleasure. For example, this allows us to break the cycle of overeating, which our brain finds stimulating. However, the brain doesn’t have a separate section for stimulation that leads to eating and all the other stimulation that prompts other behaviors. Dopamine rush comes from all sorts of things we crave and desire – when we get it. It’s not always about consumption, either. Playing music, painting pictures, helping others, and learning new things can also cause that response in the brain.
Scientists know that GLP-1s suppress all sorts of cravings. It’s been noted that it has reduced the usage of alcohol and drugs, for example. That’s great, of course, as are the other side benefits of these drugs. It appears that GLP-1s reduce kidney and liver problems, and they even benefit those with Alzheimer’s. Despite all of that, however, there is a lingering concern that shutting off too much of the body’s natural reward systems and the accompanying emotions can have other side effects. The article wondered, for example, the extent to which a GLP-1 might reduce the desire to sit down and read with a child (which can be very rewarding) in the same way it makes us less likely to eat junk food.
It's too early to know. Cravings and liking a thing may be separate enough that we can resist the things that are bad for us, and continue the things we like, or are good for us. So far, it seems that people in an Ozempic study described that they still enjoy eating, even if they don’t feel a compulsion to do it as much. Some reported craving healthier foods instead of junk foods. Another line of inquiry is trying to figure out if GLP-1s can simply tamp down only the peak of cravings and desire. Time will tell. I’m not sharing this because I’m anti-GLP-1; I’m not. I just found it a fascinating study area with a drug that is as close to a miracle drug as we’ve seen in a while. I know several people who have been greatly helped by these drugs, and with almost 1 in 10 Americans reportedly using or having used them, they are helping move the needle on our obesity epidemic and all that goes with it.
I don’t think GLP-1 use will turn us into a culture of robotic people who don’t have any passions, music, art, philanthropic vigor, or motivation to succeed (although if it did, we’d still look fabulous!). The idea of reducing desires for good outcomes alongside bad ones seems to generate other questions for me, outside of the medical world. What are the other ways that our lives are being filled in such a manner that we don’t desire much else? Perhaps we are satiated and therefore blissfully content to accept the status quo as a result. We have what we want, so we don’t pursue more – for us or others. There’s food in my fridge, and I don’t go hungry, and not being hungry, I don’t give much thought to those who are, for example.
Or perhaps the economy is great for us right now, leading to a similar effect. In the short term, we’re riding high, and things look great. So, we don’t dig deeper to see if markets are soft or overly volatile. Maybe we don’t notice that long-term strategy has taken a back seat to short-term performance. And, because we have the investment returns to fall back on, we don’t really stop to consider if and how industries, jobs, wages, and savings may be affected now and in the future. There’s a tremendous upside, but that upside might have some downsides, too. These are just two examples that get my brain spinning.
Many GLP-1 users (not all) are attracted by the idea of weight loss and the health benefits that come with it, and those drugs are very efficient in that regard. Success in one area, in this case, weight loss, doesn’t negate the need to monitor other outcomes and adjust accordingly. In fact, it reinforces the importance of intention. One of the truths of our faith is that any blessing we are given bears responsibility along with it. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus cautioned, “Woe to you who are full now, for you will go hungry.” It wasn’t a promise or assertion of unavoidable fact but an invitation to reflection. It could also be seen as an indictment for those who refuse to engage in reflection and repentance when taken with the whole of Luke’s gospel. Moreover, Jesus is speaking to the truth of the human heart, which affects ten out of ten of us, not just one in ten.
There aren’t any theological “woes” for those who take GLP-1s. This reflection is only to be taken far enough to explore the implications of unintended consequences, especially when we’re blessed or experiencing the miracle of God’s grace. All medications have side effects that must be monitored, and it seems that life of any kind has side effects, too. Our faith calls us to be aware of the side effects of our lives, the good and the bad, and to be intentional about how we live. We have much to celebrate and give thanks for, and we have the responsibility that comes with it.
The article I referred to can be found here, although it appeared in my Apple News feed: “The one, big unanswered question about Ozempic: Millions more people will be taking a GLP-1 soon. What’s the catch?” https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/420418/ozempic-glp-1-drugs-pill-forms-science
