Ozempic, Mounjaro aka GLP-1: The hormone you’ve had your whole life (and why you deserve to understand it)

“Everyone seems to be on Ozempic these days.”

It’s a sentence I’ve heard countless times over the last year.

Whether you have considered taking it yourself, know someone who is, or simply cannot escape the headlines, one thing is clear: GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro have become one of the biggest conversations in health and nutrition.

And I think that’s a good thing.

Not because everyone should take them.

Not because everyone shouldn’t.

But because I believe everyone deserves to understand how they actually work.

Not the headlines.

Not the fear-mongering.

Not the “miracle drug” narrative.

The biology.

Because once you understand the biology, the whole conversation changes.

The hormone you already have.

Here’s something that often gets lost in the conversation.

GLP-1 isn’t a hormone that drug companies magically created.

It’s a hormone your body has been producing every single day of your life.

Every time you eat, specialised cells in your small intestine release GLP-1. Its role is incredibly clever.

It helps:

• Tell your brain you’ve eaten.

• Slow the rate at which food leaves your stomach.

• Stimulate insulin release when needed.

• Reduce glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar).

• You feel satisfied after a meal.

In other words…

It’s one of your bodies natural appetite-regulating hormones.

So what do these GLP-1 meds actually do?

Ozempic (semaglutide) doesn’t replace your bodies ability to produce GLP-1.

Instead, it’s a synthetic version of the hormone that’s been structurally modified so it isn’t broken down nearly as quickly.

Your natural GLP-1 only sticks around for a few minutes before enzymes rapidly degrade it.

Semaglutide has been engineered to last for days.

Which means those fullness signals last much longer too.

That’s one of the main reasons many people experience:

• Reduced appetite

• Less “food noise”

• Feeling fuller with smaller portions

• Improved blood sugar regulation

Understanding this matters.

Because appetite isn’t simply about willpower.

It’s hormonal.

Appetite responds to hormones…and hormones respond to food.

This is one of my favourite things to teach clients.

We often talk about hunger as though it’s a character flaw.

“If I was more disciplined…”

“If I had more self-control…”

But appetite is being regulated by an incredibly complex network of hormones, the nervous system, the gut and the brain.

And whilst medication can influence those signals…

Food influences them too.

No, eating more protein isn’t the same as taking Ozempic.

Let’s be really clear about that.

But we do know that meals rich in protein, fibre and healthy fats tend to stimulate greater satiety than meals high in refined carbohydrates alone. We also know that sleep, movement, stress and overall dietary pattern influence appetite regulation.

Your biology is constantly responding to the environment you create.

This isn’t an anti-Ozempic post. I also want to be absolutely clear about that.

These medications have changed lives.

For people living with type 2 diabetes they have dramatically improved blood glucose control.

For people with obesity and significant cardiovascular risk they have reduced the likelihood of major cardiovascular events.

For many individuals who have spent years battling relentless hunger and constant food thoughts, they have finally experienced peace around food.

Those are meaningful benefits.

And they deserve to be acknowledged.

But I do think we’re missing part of the conversation.

As a nutritional therapist, I don’t think the conversation should stop at weight loss.

Because eating less doesn’t automatically mean eating well.

One of the most common things I see is that when appetite drops significantly, so does the opportunity to meet nutritional needs.

That’s where good support becomes incredibly important.

Not because the medication is “bad.”

But because nutrition still matters.

Perhaps even more than before.

The role of nutrition while taking a GLP-1 medication.

If someone chooses to take a GLP-1 medication, I would love to see them supported by a collaborative healthcare team.

One that helps them:

• Prioritise adequate protein to preserve muscle mass.

• Include resistance training to help maintain strength and metabolic health.

• Meet their vitamin and mineral requirements despite eating less.

• Reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies.

• Manage common gastrointestinal side effects.

• Build sustainable habits alongside the medication.

Because whilst weight loss is important for many people…

How you lose weight matters too.

Muscle matters

One of the potential downsides of rapid weight loss, whether through medication, surgery or very low-calorie diets is that some of the weight lost comes from lean muscle tissue.

Muscle isn’t just there to make us look toned.

It’s one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body.

It supports strength, healthy ageing, blood sugar regulation, mobility and long-term metabolic health.

That’s why preserving it should always be part of the plan.

Protein and resistance training aren’t optional extras.

They’re essential.

Hair loss isn’t always “because of the medication”

Another question I get asked regularly is about hair loss.

Hair shedding can happen during any period of rapid weight loss, regardless of how the weight is lost.

Reduced energy intake, lower protein consumption and inadequate intake of nutrients such as iron, zinc and certain B vitamins may all contribute.

Again…

This isn’t about blaming the medication.

It’s about making sure people have the right nutritional support while taking it.

The question I wish we asked more often

Perhaps the biggest question of all is this:

Why was someone’s appetite dysregulated in the first place?

Was it insulin resistance?

Poor sleep?

Chronic stress?

PCOS?

Menopause?

Trauma?

Ultra-processed foods?

Emotional eating?

A disrupted relationship with food?

Gut health?

Because whilst medication may help regulate appetite…

It doesn’t necessarily resolve the underlying drivers.

And understanding those drivers is where long-term health really begins.

What happens when the medication stops?

For some people, these medications will become part of long-term treatment.

For others, they won’t.

Research has shown that many people regain weight after stopping GLP-1 medications, particularly if lifestyle changes haven’t accompanied treatment.

That’s not because they have “failed.”

It’s because the hormonal suppression is no longer there.

If muscle mass has been lost, eating habits haven’t changed, movement hasn’t been established and the original causes of appetite dysregulation remain, it’s understandable that weight regain can occur.

Which is why building sustainable habits alongside medication is so important.

My perspective

Whether we’re talking about the contraceptive pill, hormone replacement therapy or GLP-1 medications, my opinion remains the same.

I believe people deserve informed choice.

Not fear.

Not shame.

Not blind enthusiasm.

Just honest information that helps them understand what’s happening inside their own bodies.

Because once you understand that appetite is hormonal, that hormones respond to both medication and lifestyle and that nutrition still matters regardless of which path you choose, you can make decisions from a place of knowledge rather than confusion.

And I think everyone deserves that.