[Newsletter] The Smartest Coach in the Room

Is Ozempic a threat to health coaches? Every Saturday, The Smartest Coach in the Room delivers helpful takeaways on the hottest nutrition and health topics and the world’s most effective coaching techniques. (Did some amazing friend forward this to you? [Subscribe here]( GLP-1 drugs: Coaching threat… or opportunity? In 2017, semaglutide—a synthetic analog of the metabolic hormone glucagon-like peptide 1—was approved in the US as an antidiabetic and anti-obesity medication. Since then—with a sharp spike in 2022—people’s awareness and use of weight loss medications targeting glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) has steadily risen. [A GIF of penguins in a meeting pointing to a board with a line increasing.] Actual footage from a meeting at Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy. For many people with obesity, having access to a medication that helps them lose weight in a relatively safe way is an incredible, long-awaited gain. For coaches whose businesses are devoted to helping people lose fat through dietary, exercise, and other lifestyle changes, this “industry disruptor” might feel like an existential threat. On its own, behavior change isn’t always enough. For most people, losing weight is difficult. 👉🏿 We live in an “obesogenic” environment full of tasty, affordable, easy-to-access, high-calorie foods. (That factor alone makes it harder for us to lose weight compared to, say, our ancestors from 100 years ago.) 👉🏻 In general, bodies tend to resist fat loss. When you try to lose weight, your body may perceive the reduction in fat stores as a threat to homeostasis, triggering physiological and behavioral responses to defend against further fat loss. 👉🏽 Plus, some people are just genetically more prone to obesity, either due to a genetic variation that causes severe obesity at an early age (rare), or polygenic obesity—when two or more genes work together to predispose you to weight gain (more common). And yet, we know fat loss often unlocks other health benefits. Let’s be clear: You can’t assess someone’s health status just by looking at them. Someone in a larger body who’s physically active and has a healthy diet can be metabolically healthy, with a low risk of chronic disease. (Just like someone in a smaller body who is sedentary and has a highly-processed diet can be unhealthy.) But in general, when people who are classified as obese lose 5-10 percent of their body weight, blood sugar, cholesterol, and pressure also tend to drop. Losing 10-20 percent of their body weight might even mean they go into remission for lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and more. So, if a client wants to lose fat, and if it serves their overall health to do so, it’s nice to have another tool in the kit to help them. Medication can enhance the effectiveness of coaching (And vice versa.) GLP-1 drugs work in part by quieting food noise (intrusive thoughts about food) and cravings (the desire for specific foods). They also decrease appetite and slow gastric emptying, which means you feel fuller for longer. With these effects, clients often find it easier to more consistently execute the lifestyle changes that you’ve likely devoted your career to helping them do. And indeed, according to a 2024 consumer trends survey, 41 percent of GLP-1 medicine users reported that their exercise frequency increased since going on the medication. The majority of them also reported an improvement in diet quality, choosing to eat more protein, as well as fruits and vegetables. Clients will still need your help. One of the well-known side effects of GLP-1 drugs is the significant loss of lean mass, such as muscle and bone. ✅ So, optimizing protein consumption and employing a resistance training program is more important than ever. GLP-1 drugs can reduce people’s appetite not only for low-nutrient, highly-processed foods, but for all foods. ✅ Clients may need help finding palatable ways to consume nutritious foods. (For example, fruits and vegetables in the form of a smoothie or pureed soup might be more appealing than a giant bowl of raw salad.) Many people won’t want to stay on these drugs forever (either because of cost or other reasons). And yet, when people go off these medications, cravings and food noise do tend to return. ✅ Building resilient, ingrained, sustainable habits is crucial. And if a client has learned to master slow and mindful eating, and the art of building satiating meals with plenty of veggies and lean protein, and the power of a regular exercise habit, they’ll be much better positioned to weather the return of their old appetites—and maintain their upgraded health status. Truthfully, the above is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the opportunities—and challenges—with working with clients on weight loss medications. To learn more about the topic, read: [Ozempic for weight loss: What coaches (and clients) need to know about GLP-1 drugs]( And if you want to learn the absolute best and most effective coaching methods to help someone through any massive change, check out our [Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification](. It combines the science of nutrition along with the art of coaching—so you can help people get great results, and keep them. [Become a Certified Nutrition Coach - Join the presale list for the #1 rated PN Level 1 Nutrition Certification]( Take care, Alex :) --------------------------------------------------------------- Alex Picot-Annand, PN2, Holistic Nutritionist Editorial Director Precision Nutrition Home of the world’s top nutrition coaches --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think of this email? Precision Nutrition Business Insider's #1 Choice for Nutrition Certifications in 2022 --- To view this email as a web page, click [here.]( Precision Nutrition Inc. 18 King Street East, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4, Canada Finally, nutrition makes sense. Visit us at [www.precisionnutrition.com]( today. Follow us on [Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences](