Will Ozempic Weight Loss Drugs Fix My Body Image Issues? [Podcast Transcripts]

Title: Will Ozempic Weight Loss Drugs Fix My Body Image Issues?

Podcast Date: May 20, 2025

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Description

In today's "Me vs. ChatGPT" episode, Heather tackles the topic of Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonist medications that are now being prescribed to people for weight loss. She uses ChatGPT to help answer the question, "Will Ozempic fix my body image issues?" and is surprised to find ChatGPT to be very informed and aware of the limitations that weight loss has on healing body image issues. 

This episode will encourage women who are using these medications along with women who are surrounded by others who are using these weight loss drugs. There's no shame or blame if you've chosen to get the shots, but Heather outlines the risks and how, as Christian women, they can lead some of us further into issues like body image idolatry or distract us from our real purpose on this earth. Confidence doesn't come in the form of a weight loss shot, so Heather discusses how healing body image issues requires more than just weight loss.

Listen to Heather's other thoughts on Ozempic here: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/ozempic-and-oprah-have-i-changed-my-mind

Learn more about Compared to Who? by visiting: Https://www.improvebodyimage.com

The 40-Day Body Image Workbook: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-Day-Body-Image-Workbook-Christian

The 40 Day Journey (starts week of June 16): https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Transcript

Disclaimer: This transcript is AI-generated and has not been edited for accuracy or clarity.

[00:00:02]:

Life audio. Hey there, friend. Thanks for listening to the Compared to Podcast, the podcast for Christians who struggle with their bodies and the way they look and the way they think that they should look and all the things. And if that's you, you are in the right place. We're so glad you're here. Hey. We've got great resources at improvebodyimage.com. Have you been there yet? You can download the free mirror fast.

[00:00:29]:

All kinds of good stuff. Today, we're gonna talk about Ozempic or Wegovy or all the other names that there are for these weight loss drugs that are out there everywhere. If you're not using it, you know someone who is, and maybe you're wondering. Maybe you're the one using it wondering this. Maybe you're the friend of someone using it wondering this. Could these weight loss drugs take all of my body image issues away? Could these weight loss drugs solve the problem for me? I can feel good because I lose the weight, and will that fix my body image issues? And I've got an answer for you. And ChatGPT has an answer for you too because remember our series is me versus ChatGPT. And you know what's kinda interesting? ChatGPT did a pretty bang up job on this one.

[00:01:22]:

I'm gonna add some more layers to it, but we're gonna dig into that question. I'm glad you're here for it. Hey. Are you ready for the forty day journey? Because more than Ozempic, more than Wegovy, more than any of these weight loss drugs, what can really get you started on your way to body image freedom where you actually feel better about the way you look is the forty day journey. Find out more at improvebodyimage.com. Now let's get to today's episode. So today, I'm gonna start with chat GBT's answer. So the question I asked it was, will Ozempic solve my body image issues? And candidly, friends, old chat did a pretty good job.

[00:02:09]:

It says this, Ozempic and similar medications like Wegovia Mongeiro may change your body size, but it won't directly solve body image issues. Here's why. Body image is about perception, not just appearance. Many people lose weight and still struggle with body image because the core issue isn't the body. It's how they feel about the body. Friend, child GBT has read my book, I think. It's important for you to understand. Body image issues are not about the way your body looks.

[00:02:48]:

Models, supermodels, the people in your life that have bodies that you always thought, like, you would feel awesome if you had. Like, those women struggle with body image issues too. And so Chat GbT is spot on here. Body image isn't about how you look or what your body looks like. And so maybe Ozempic, Wegovy, Mongero, maybe they change what your body looks like, but they do not have the power to change your body image. And, friend, I hear this over and over and over again. The women who fight and battle and starve themselves and work their bodies to death trying to get to that number on the scale. And maybe it's now taking a shot to try to get to that number on the scale, And they get to that number on the scale, the number that they always thought would make them happy, the number that they thought would solve their body image issues.

[00:03:43]:

And when they get there, they don't feel anything. It's like the flat line of the heart rate monitor, like buzz. It's like, wait. Where's the rush I was supposed to get from this? Where's the kick? Like, I'm supposed to be happy now. I'm supposed to feel awesome now, and it just doesn't happen. And the reason for that is because your body image issues are not actually about your body or your weight or size. Right? They're about how you feel about it. And so many of these women I've talked to have just said to themselves, five more pounds.

[00:04:17]:

It must be five more pounds. Then I'll get that buzz. Five more pounds, and then I'll be like, yay. Now I'm better. I just must have gotten the number wrong. But no, friend. You didn't get the number wrong. Losing weight does not directly solve your body image issues.

[00:04:31]:

Okay. The second answer from chat is if you've internalized shame, fear, or unworthiness, those feelings often don't disappear with weight loss. They can shift to new anxieties, like fear of regaining the weight or still feeling not good enough. Oh, friend. This is so real. And I listened to a really interesting podcast. It was, I always say her name wrong, Ma'im Ma'im Beylik who was on, on, like, Big Bang Theory, and I think she was, like, the host of Jeopardy for a little while. She had a man on who wrote a book about Ozempic.

[00:05:10]:

And in the interview, his name is Johann Harley, I think. In the interview, he says a lot of really interesting things. Okay? So he was a guy who, would stop at KFC and eat, like, three KFC meals at one KFC and then go to another KFC across town and eat three more meals. Like, he had a real problem with food. And so Ozempic was a big help for him. And so his take on these weight loss drugs is really interesting. Right? Because I think most of the women listening to the show, I although I really can't generalize, but the women that I talk to, clients I have, we talk about food noise. And when we say food noise, we mean, like, obsessing over eating something we shouldn't, quote, unquote, shouldn't.

[00:05:59]:

Right? Like, obsessing over eating the cookies in the pantry or the ice cream in the freezer that we bought for our kids, but we're thinking about it all day long because in our heads, we've restricted that food. We've called it a bad food, and we're like, I want that food. I want that food. I want that food. And then finally, like, we maybe give in and, you know, eat a bowl or two of the ice cream or three. You know, we eat a row of the Oreos, whatever. Right? And so we call that food noise. Right? But really, friend, like, I would call that a food noise that comes from perhaps being hungry, perhaps from, like, restriction mindset, like a dieting mindset.

[00:06:35]:

Right? The first rule of intuitive eating is you gotta lose the dieting mindset. So you're actually not doing intuitive eating if you're still thinking about restricting food. But Johan, his deal's a little different. Right? And so if you have, like, an issue with food that's more similar to his or he's actually, like, consuming tens of thousands of calories at a time and not in a binge restrict cycle, just, you know, kinda constantly feeding himself like that. For him, the the drug was effective. It was helpful. But he talks about how it didn't necessarily solve how he felt about himself. He was still the same guy wearing a smaller size.

[00:07:17]:

And he also talks about some research around bariatric surgeries, which, you know, there's conflicting reports as to whether or not this is, like, coming out with research around Ozempic and other weight loss shots too. But there's research around bariatric surgery where, actually, your, suicidal thoughts increase after bariatric surgery. And Johan, in this interview I'm referring to, he speculates that it's because people believe that getting skinny is gonna solve how they feel about themselves, that when they have the body, they're gonna automatically feel better about themselves, and it's gonna bring them this self confidence or this courage that they've always longed for. And they lose the weight and the courage doesn't come. The shame is still there even though they have a smaller body. The fear of being rejected is still there even though they wear a smaller size. Those feelings of unworthiness are still there even though they're eating less. And so I just think it's super important for us to recognize those feelings don't go away with a shot.

[00:08:22]:

Friend, there's not a shot that can fix those things in you. And so, you know, maybe you've been listening to the show for a long time, and you kind of, like, have maybe put off doing the hard work of the internal stuff, the hard work of dealing with the shame and the fear and the unworthiness. Right? And maybe you've even opted for to go on the weight loss drugs. Right? You've opted for the Ozempic. You've opted for the Wegovy because the other stuff feels kinda hard, candidly. I mean, especially those of us who struggle with food and body issues, friends, we're not good at, like, this emotional stuff. It's hard. It feels uncomfortable.

[00:08:58]:

We just want something to fix it. And that's why these shots seem so perfect because it's like, wow. I have always, all my life, longed for something I could just inject into myself to fix this. Is this the thing? But here's what I want you to hear loud and clear. There is nothing you can inject into yourself that will fix your body image issues. The only thing these drugs do is suppress your appetite. They increase your kidney function. Right? They they do some different things in your body so you eat less, so you don't think about food less.

[00:09:33]:

Right? And that may or may not be a good thing depending on where you're at with food. If you're already restrictor, if you already have restrictive anorexic type tendencies, I think this could be really, really dangerous for you Because eating less isn't going to be your path to freedom. That might be your path to even more health issues because our bodies run on nutrients you were designed to eat. A friend of mine was talking about going to a hairdresser, and her hairdresser started talking about Ozempic and how many women she's seeing now that are losing their hair that just have a lot of hair loss hair thinning because they're on these weight loss drugs, and that's a side effect. It's really a side effect of being malnourished, undernourished. Right? You also lose muscle when you go on these drugs unless you work really, really hard to try to maintain that muscle. But it's really hard to eat a ton of protein when you're just not hungry because these drugs are super effective at making you not hungry. And when you're not hungry, you don't want to stuff yourself with protein and and lift weights afterwards.

[00:10:42]:

So it's really difficult to maintain muscle mass. So, anyway, shame, fear, unworthiness can't be fixed by a shot. We'll talk more about whether or not Ozempic can solve your body image issues right after this quick break. Okay, chat. Chat GPT, props to you for this next one. It says Ozempic can't solve body image issues directly because Ozempic is a medical tool, not an emotional solution. Man, I you know, chat, you did just fine. It says it can be part of a health journey, especially if prescribed for diabetes or other concerns.

[00:11:21]:

Okay. Yep. I agree. But emotional healing around body image usually comes from self acceptance, therapy, and unlearning harmful messages around bodies, not from changing size. So let me add some color to this. Right? Friend, I think it's more than just an emotional issue. I think our body image issues are spiritual issues. We have a real enemy who, John ten says, comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

[00:11:50]:

Steal, kill, and destroy. And, friend, most of the women I talk to in this space I'm talking to about body image issues, they've been robbed their whole lives of confidence. They've been robbed their whole lives of feeling secure in the body that they're in. They've been battling their whole lives these thoughts that that want maybe even that are telling them to kill themselves. Right? These thoughts that are stealing their joy, killing them, and trying to destroy who they are and destroy God's plan for their lives. Friend, that could be you. That could be you. Friend, Ozempic is not your answer.

[00:12:39]:

Only Jesus is. Right? And I don't I don't mean that in any kind of cliche way, friend, but this is a spiritual issue. This is a battle in your heart. This is spiritual warfare. This is a battle for your soul, a battle for your life. Will you boldly be a follower of Jesus and do what He has put you on earth to do and called you to do? Or will you shrink back because you don't like how your body looks and you wish your body was smaller, and you wish you looked different? Will you not do the things that you would like to do, like be in family photos or go on vacation or apply for a new job because of your body. Now, friend, I do know that fat bias is real. I know fat shaming is real.

[00:13:25]:

And so I know some of you have had been given a really hard time for the way you look, and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry that that is a real thing that some of you have had to live through. I understand that. I'm sorry that our culture is so confused about what makes a person valuable. I'm sorry that our culture is so disturbed into believing the lies. Disturbed into believing the lies that people who have a smaller bodies are smarter or work harder or aren't lazy. Fran, like, I understand the ways that you may have been sinned against by someone who treated you unfairly because your body size and how desperately you just want that to go away. I get that.

[00:14:14]:

But I also know the truth is that it doesn't automatically go away when you get a smaller body size because these are issues you need to do battle in your heart with with Jesus. And maybe that's looking back at, like, why did I first start believing these things? Right? Like, who told me these things? Who told me my body is where my value was? Why did I believe that? Is that what Jesus says about me? Is that what the Bible says about my body? And maybe it's just as simple as that. Maybe it's more complex. Maybe you've been wronged. You've been hurt. And maybe some of those things, those wrongs and those hurts are showing up on your body. You've been hiding in your body because of those hurts from this. That's all very real.

[00:15:02]:

But I would encourage you, don't believe that a shot can fix it, not for one minute. Get the real help that you need. And the real help that you need is someone who can guide you to the truth. Right? Who can give you the answers that are in the Bible, that your heart longs for, truth and encouragement. Okay. So this is funny. I Chad asked me if I would like suggestions for books, podcasts, or resources that explore body image healing more deeply. And so I said to chat, yes.

[00:15:40]:

Give me suggested podcasts for Christian women about body image. I was a little nervous as to what it would come back with, but it came back with the compared to podcast by Heather Creekmore. So, hey, I feel like that's a win. I'm on I made chat GPT. It says, Heather is a Christian speaker who tackles body image struggles with biblical truth and vulnerability. She speaks honestly about how comparison, diet culture, and shame affect women and how to find freedom through faith. And it Chad says it's especially great if you're looking for a scriptural lens on these issues. So yay for Chad GPT all around on this one.

[00:16:18]:

Fran, if you're thinking, okay. Ozempic's gonna fix it. I'm just gonna go get the shot. I just I just wanna encourage you. Right? No one's shaming or blaming you for getting the shot. This is seeming like the answer we've all been looking for all of our lives. You mean there's a shot that can make you skinny? I think it's more difficult than that. I think we're still waiting to find out what the impact of this is gonna be.

[00:16:43]:

I still have some concerns. If you are in the situation where, like Johan Harl, you, you know, are consuming thousands and thousands and thousands and tens of thousands of calories at one sitting and you have a problem with food at that level, then, of course, I see I see that the medical intervention might make complete sense for you. But, friend, if you're just a woman who has been battling the same body image and the same ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty pounds for your whole life, I just I wanna encourage you that it may not be the answer that you're looking for. But talk to your doctor. This isn't medical advice. Please talk to your doctor about it. But also make sure you're informing your doctor perhaps that you have a history of disordered eating or an eating disorder because there should be parameters in place with most medical professionals to not give someone who has a history of an eating disorder or disordered eating a drug that would help them eat less and thereby basically be a medical induced eating disorder. So please, please be aware of that.

[00:17:54]:

Losing weight, changing your body, even changing your health. Right? Because, you know, everyone says, I don't wanna get skinny. I wanna get healthy. Right? But even changing your health is not gonna fix your body image issues because they're rooted in a deep misunderstanding of your identity in Christ, who God made you to be, what he put you on this earth for. You need to know how precious you are to him in the body you have right now and how valuable you are just because you are his creation. You are his child. And the path isn't get skinny and then find your identity. You don't find your identity in Christ because you wear a smaller size.

[00:18:40]:

In fact, I think what happens too often is we get skinny, and that becomes our identity. Right? Like, we go from maybe this, like, fat person identity to then a skinny person identity. I was talking to a friend recently who said, like, all of our friends are on Ozempic, and she said all they talk about all the time is how little they eat. Like, this is constant conversation banter. Like, do you want to know how little I ate today? Do you want to know how I was not hungry all day. Do you want to know, like, the little bits of food I ate today? And it's baffling to me, friend, because you are a Christian woman made in God's image with a real purpose to do here on Earth. You are more interesting than that. You're supposed to boast in Christ and in the gospel.

[00:19:25]:

Why are we boasting in what we ate or how little we ate? Like, that's not a thing to boast in. Like, what a topic of conversation. How boring. Right? Like, God has done amazing things for us. God is amazing. We serve an amazing God. The gospel is the good news. Making your life about how little you eat thanks to a shot, friend, that's not the good news.

[00:19:52]:

And so, friend, yeah. Okay. You might wear a smaller size, but you will not arrive. That's not where confidence comes from. It's dangerous to find your confidence there because it's not gonna last. Even if your size lasts, oh, friend. Like, even if you stay on the shop forever and that that size can last for you. It's a horrible place to find your identity.

[00:20:17]:

That's not where your identity is to be found and how little you eat or what size you wear. Friend, Jesus has something for you to do here on this earth. If these shots are helpful to you to living out your purpose for him, then you go for it. But if these shots make your body and food and your body size and idol something you focus on all the time, something you're worshiping or tempting tempted to worship, friend, then they're not solving your real problem, which is spiritual. K? I hope this has encouraged you. If you need more help around this, if you just need someone to talk it through, sort it out with, we're here for you. We're doing coaching this summer. You can join the forty day body image group.

[00:21:06]:

Hey. No shame or blame. Everyone gets to make their own decision around these drugs. So we're not condemning anyone if you've chosen to go on it, but we wanna help you. Because if you've chosen to go on it, even if you stay on the rest of your life, again, it may not solve your body image issues. In fact, I can pretty much promise you it won't. You might feel good for a couple months. You might have a buzz for a year, but then you're probably gonna find yourself facing the same old questions, insecurities, and problems you faced before you went on the weight loss drug.

[00:21:35]:

So reach out. We can help you. Hey. Thanks for listening today. I hope something today has helped you. Stop comparing and start living. Bye bye. The Compare To Podcast is proud to be part of the Life Audio Podcast Network.

[00:21:49]:

From our great Christian podcasts, I hope you go to LifeAudio.com.