Does Ozempic Stop Binge Eating?
Ozempic has been prescribed for type 2 diabetes management and weight management, and now some doctors are prescribing it as a potential treatment for binge eating and binge eating disorder.
Ozempic is a new medication gaining attention in the media for its ability to induce weight loss and “curb appetite”, for some. Originally meant for individuals with type 2 diabetes, Ozempic has taken over Hollywood and doctors office alike. Celebrities and influencers everywhere are promoting this new “weight-loss miracle”. Recently, some Doctors have also started to prescribe Ozempic as a potential treatment for binge eating and binge eating disorder.
What is binge eating?
Binge eating, according to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) , is:
“Eating in a discrete period of time an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat under similar circumstances”
Characterized by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode
What is binge eating disorder (BED)?
Binge eating disorder (BED) involves the following criteria:
Ongoing binge eating episodes (as mentioned above)
Episodes described as 3 or more of the following:
Eating faster than normal
Eating past fullness or discomfort
Eating alone
Feelings of depression, guilt, shame, or embarrassment following the eating episode
Binge eating frequency of at least one time a week for 3 months or more
Feeling distress before, during, or after the eating episode
Binge eating occurs out of context with other eating disorder diagnoses
Why are doctors prescribing Ozempic to treat potentially treat binge eating and BED?
Doctors are prescribing Ozempic to treat binge eating for three primary reasons:
1.Ozempic can decrease appetite and desire for food *for some in the short-term.
Ozempic affects the part of your brain that controls whether or not you’re hungry and what you’re hungry for. When taking Ozempic, individuals report a reduced a
2. Ozempic can mimic fullness signals.
Ozempic mimics a hormone that is responsible for signaling to your brain that you’re full and don’t want any more food. In other words, it says, “We’re done eating now” long before you're actually satisfied with your meal. In cases of binging, doctors believe if the fullness signal happens sooner, then the individual will stop eating and will avoid overeating/binging.
3.Ozempic May temporarily reduce how much food can actually be consumed.
Another effect of Ozempic on the body is known as “delayed gastric emptying”. This is when your food sits in your stomach for longer, giving you the sensation that you’re still full. For some this may reduce how often food is eaten, which doctors hypothesize that this could reduce how much food is consumed. Doctors believe that if an individual feels full, they’ll no longer have the desire to binge. ppetite and low desire for food. Doctors believe that because of this, Ozempic could lower the urge to binge.
4 Reasons Why Using Ozempic to "Treat” Binge Eating is Problematic From An Eating Disorder Dietitian:
Problem #1: Ozempic cannot treat binge eating.
Ozempic might reduce the frequency of binging (potentially, we don’t know this yet as there is no research currently to support this), but Ozempic can’t fully treat binge eating disorder or stop binges from occurring. Binge eating disorder is a complex psychiatric condition and not just a behavior. Even if Ozempic could reduce the frequency of binge eating, it’s not a substitute for eating disorder treatment of binge eating disorder. One important goal of BED treatment is to address one’s relationship and history with food. Using Ozempic to treat binge eating is like using a band aid to treat a deep cut: it won’t ever heal!
Proponents of Ozempic for the treatment of binge eating disorder treatment say that the medication “quiets food noise”. In other words, they say that Ozempic allows you to tune out the desire to binge. But it begs the question, what happens when you stop taking Ozempic? One of the goals of binge eating disorder treatment is to lean into binge eating desires, eat consistently, challenge food fears, and listen to the eating disorder voice to seek more understanding. Individuals can learn so much from paying close attention to binge eating behaviors and thoughts, and it’s encouraged to listen to the food noise rather than ignore it. This gives those in treatment a deeper understanding of why they binge in the first place.
Problem #2: Using Ozempic for weight loss reinforces harmful messages from diet culture that actually worsen binge eating behaviors.
As you may have seen, celebrities and influencers are using Ozempic even though they don’t have diabetes. Some are losing weight rapidly, but they arn’t disclosing the full picture of what they may be doing. Many of them may also be engaging in restrictive eating patterns and over exercising.
Both celebrity and Doctor endorsements of Ozempic for weight loss only perpetuates toxic diet culture messages and weight stigma, and treats people in larger bodies like a problem to be solved. It reinforces ideas that thinner is better and “healthier”, everyone should pursue weight loss, and people should do whatever it takes to physically manipulate their bodies to be more physically desirable regardless of the cost to their physical and mental wellbeing.
These messages are incredibly harmful to individuals struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating and body image challenges, and especially for those struggling with binge eating and BED.
Problem #3: Binge eating treatment DOES NOT and SHOULD NOT involve more food restriction.
The purpose of binge eating disorder treatment is to heal your relationship with food, reduce the frequency of binges, eat consistently and regularly, eliminate food fears and understand the root of the desire to binge outside of the need for nourishment and food restriction . What doctors fail to tell you is that most binge eating is rooted in food restriction, and isn’t a problem with “lack of control”.
Those who struggle with binge eating and binge eating disorder often have a long history of dieting and restriction. In BED treatment, the goal is to eliminate all restrictions on food and give unconditional permission to eat while adding more structure and consistency to eating and meal times. Enforcing more restriction and control, like using appetite-curbing medications, doesn’t address the main issue at hand which will make binge eating much worse in the long-term.
One has to consider the long-term picture here, such as what will this look like once I stop this medication and after my body has been undernourished for some time? This is an important question to consider because many people coming off of taking Ozempic report having a voracious appetite and binge eating symptoms worsening.
Problem #4. Ozempic use can cause the development of DISORDERED eating and other eating disorders.
While Ozempic may temporarily reduce the frequency of binge eating, it can also cause other disorders eating behaviors or worsen and may lead to the development of an eating disorder. People on Ozempic report feeling full much faster than normal, eating less often than normal, and eating less food variety than normal. They report feelings of physical “emptiness” and happiness with their weight loss.
These behaviors, feelings, and sensations put people who are at risk of developing at eating disorder at high risk. People using Ozempic can grow to like to these feelings which puts them at great risk for developing other eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa (which happens to people in all size bodies!)
In addition to this, common side effects of Ozempic are nausea and diarrhea. This combined with the fact that not everyone loses weight on Ozempic, or at least not in the way they are told, can lead to people seeking out more extreme measures to lose weight.
As a dietitian, I believe that the risk of developing disordered eating or an eating disorder due to taking Ozempic,is high. There is currently no screening tools for eating disorders when prescribing this drug, which means that many people with eating disorders are being prescribed Ozempic which will only make the eating disorder worse long-term.
The best solution to treat binge eating and binge eating disorder is to treat the eating disorder, not the body size of someone and not the amount of food they’re eating. And the solution to one eating disorder is not to give someone another one.
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Do you have binge eating disorder? Do you want help and support with binge eating? Have you been prescribed Ozempic and aren't sure how to navigate this?
Binge eating can feel so isolating, and healthcare providers can make you feel even more alone in your struggle. If you’re looking for binging eating treatment and are unsure if Ozempic is right for you, come see us at Bravespace Nutrition! Our caring, Seattle-based dietitian nutritionists are here to ensure that you feel safe and supported in your binge eating disorder or binge eating treatment. To get started, schedule a free 15 minute discovery phone call today!