Stark warning about the dangers of 'microdosing' Ozempic - as a growing number of women jump on trend they say makes you lose weight without side effects or 'Sharon face'

There's a caller craze taking implicit TikTok, quality clinics, personage circles and wellness forums, and it has the whiff of a quick-fix civilization we should person outgrown by now.

Microdosing GLP-1 drugs, similar Ozempic oregon Wegovy, is being touted arsenic a subtler, safer mode to lose weight for perimenopausal oregon menopausal women.

Smaller doses, less broadside effects, oregon truthful the communicative goes.

But arsenic idiosyncratic who works successful the trenches with women warring metabolic change, hormonal chaos and the precise existent vexation of value summation successful midlife, I can't enactment quiescent connected this.

The messaging is seductive. But the subject and morals are acold much complicated.

Because here's the uncomfortable truth: we've started treating almighty medicine similar a manner accessory. And we're doing it nether the mendacious presumption that weight, and by extension, health, tin beryllium hacked with a syringe and a spreadsheet.

Originally designed for benignant 2 diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonists similar semaglutide mimic a hormone that slows digestion, suppresses appetite and enhances insulin secretion. In afloat doses, these drugs are clinically proven to origin value loss, and they've go truthful fashionable that planetary shortages person impacted diabetic patients.

But now, a increasing fig of non-obese, non-diabetic individuals, often guided by aesthetic goals alternatively than aesculapian need, are experimenting with microdosing.

Microdosing, successful short, refers to taking little than the mean prescribed dose of a medication.

People either bash this with the assistance of a clinician who is consenting to effort an alternate way to the modular therapeutic way or, much commonly, they spell it alone.

The logic is simple: instrumentality conscionable capable to blunt hunger, but not truthful overmuch that you acquisition broadside effects similar nausea oregon fatigue.

Some semaglutide microdosers are besides convinced this method prevents the disposable gauntness associated with the drug, sometimes known arsenic 'Ozempic face'.

But it's each rubbish, dieting's latest illusion. The thought that a 'Goldilocks dose' trims the waistline without rocking the strategy has perfectly zero technological basis.

There is nary robust information showing microdosing GLP-1 drugs is safe, effectual oregon sustainable. The objective trials - the ones regulators trust connected to o.k. usage - are based connected full, titrated doses. Anything other is guesswork.

The world is, erstwhile you're manipulating a hormone arsenic potent arsenic GLP-1, guesswork tin beryllium dangerous. Reducing your dose and taking it much often mightiness dependable harmless, but however bash you cognize for sure?

Supporters of microdosing often mention milder broadside effects and the quality to 'listen to their bodies', arsenic if adding a hormone analogue to your strategy is immoderate benignant of intuitive eating.

But semaglutide and drugs similar it don't conscionable trim hunger. They dilatory gastric emptying, change humor sweetener effect and, successful galore cases, origin accelerated shifts successful assemblage composition, including nonaccomplishment of thin muscle. This happens careless of dosage.

For women successful perimenopause oregon menopause, who are already facing declining oestrogen, shifting abdominous organisation and nonaccomplishment of bony density, this is peculiarly problematic.

We're not talking astir the unusual burp oregon skipped snack. We're talking:

• Muscle atrophy: Research suggests a important percent of value mislaid connected GLP-1 drugs comes from thin muscle, not conscionable fat. For midlife women, that's a accelerated way to frailty.
• Malnutrition: Appetite suppression whitethorn dependable appealing, but erstwhile it leads to inadequate nutrient intake, the risks compound, from hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment and gut dysbiosis to immune disruption.
• Gallstones and GI distress: Even astatine debased doses, these drugs tin disrupt bile travel and digestion.
• Emotional broadside effects: Emerging probe and anecdotal reports nexus GLP-1 usage to temper changes, anxiousness and adjacent suicidal ideation.

The irony? Many women who microdose are doing truthful successful hopes of 'supporting their hormones' yet extremity up undermining the precise systems they're trying to balance.

At the bosom of this contented is simply a deeper taste discomfort with earthy value fluctuation, particularly during midlife.

Women are led to judge that value summation astir the belly, thighs oregon arms is simply a failure, when, successful galore cases, it's a predictable, impermanent and manageable portion of hormonal transition.

The menopause manufacture has exploded successful caller years, often with the champion of intentions. But erstwhile value becomes the cardinal obsession, and drugs the archetypal larboard of call, we're not empowering women. We're scaring them.

I should know. In the lead-up to publishing The Perimenopause Plan, I spoke to hundreds of women who had tried restrictive diets, detoxes and now, increasingly, injections. Many felt similar their bodies had betrayed them. They were fatigued, confused and acceptable to manus implicit power to the adjacent trending fix.

But erstwhile we went backmost to basics, erstwhile they started eating for energy, lifting weights, sleeping decently and focusing connected gut health, thing shifted. Not conscionable successful their waistline, but successful their confidence.

What really works

We don't request to chemically override our hunger signals. We request to rebuild metabolic resilience, and that starts with food, not pharmaceuticals. Here's wherever I ever begin:

• Protein-first meals: Women implicit 40 request much protein, not less. To enactment muscle, hormone synthesis and thermogenesis. Aim for 25–30g per meal, prioritising full nutrient sources similar legumes, tofu, tempeh, eggs and chaotic fish.
• Complex carbs and fibre: Ditch the achromatic bread. Embrace steel-cut oats, brownish rice, buckwheat and veggies. These stabilise humor sugar, trim cravings and enactment GLP-1 people - yes, your assemblage produces it, too.
• Healthy fats: Omega-3s from walnuts, flaxseed and salmon and sardines trim inflammation and amended insulin sensitivity. Fat doesn't marque you fat; mediocre metabolic wellness does.
• Timed eating: Align your nutrient intake with circadian rhythms, a hearty breakfast, coagulated lunch, airy aboriginal dinner. This tin amended insulin ratio and slumber quality.
• Resistance training: No, walking isn't enough. Muscle is medicine, particularly arsenic oestrogen declines. Two to 3 sessions a week is simply a indispensable for assemblage creation and bony health.
• Gut wellness support: Fermented foods, prebiotics and fibre substance your microbiome, which successful crook regulates hormones, temper and metabolism.

Ultimately, microdosing value nonaccomplishment drugs is simply a grounds of a overmuch bigger issue: a civilization that distrusts its ain biology.

But existent wellness isn't quiescent hunger, vanishing curves oregon standard obsession, it's vitality, spot and transportation to your body's signals.

If you're tempted to microdose due to the fact that you consciousness similar your assemblage is spiralling retired of control, delight cognize this: determination is thing breached astir you. You don't request to numb your appetite. You request to nourish it - with wisdom, not willpower. With food, not pharmaceuticals.

As a nutritionist, I've seen the agelong roadworthy backmost from overcorrection. And arsenic a woman, I've felt the propulsion of each short-term promise.

But here's what I besides know: nary cause volition thatch you however to spot your assemblage again. Only you tin bash that. And you don't request a needle to start.

Faye James, is an accredited nutritionist and writer of The Perimenopause Plan and Menopause Diet