Popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy impacting gyms
BROOKLINE - Popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are having an impact on gyms in Massachusetts and across the country.
The medications fall under a class of drugs known as GLP-1. Some patients take these shots to help battle diabetes. However, a popular side effect is weight loss.
Judy Bolton-Fasman began taking the GLP-1 drug Mounjaro because she lives with diabetes. She was told the medicine would help control her blood sugar. To her, the weight loss is just a welcome side effect.
"I mean I have gone down a couple sizes, and yes I definitely noticed it," she told WBZ-TV. "It was like two to three pounds a month, and it adds up."
Loss of weight and muscle mass
Nonetheless, she has been a member of the Healthworks gym network for 20 years, and regularly works with a personal trainer there. Medical experts say the drugs reduce more than weight, they also reduce muscle mass.
"It is important to me that I keep doing strength training, so I can maintain my muscle tone and I don't lose muscle," said Bolton-Fasman.
"When we look at longevity and aging well, one of the most important things is muscle mass. It helps with balance and overall health," said Healthworks group president Mark Harrington Jr. "Your doctor will be prescribing you to take part in a strength training regimen. Take that seriously. You're not going to get the long-term success you're looking for by just taking the drug."
Weight loss drugs hard to find
The weight loss element has made these drugs a hot commodity. In New York City, a city councilor told CBS she received numerous calls from constituents with diabetes who have struggled to get the drug due to its popularity.
"So far so good. I haven't had a problem, but sometimes you have to wait," Bolton-Fasman said of her experience.
Life Time Fitness has begun placing medical professionals in some of their gyms, starting with a pilot program in Minneapolis. While putting together personalized fitness programs, these doctors may prescribe GLP-1 drugs along with other therapies and training. Right now, Healthworks is not following along.
"It doesn't surprise me that gyms are dabbling in multiple ways to do it. Our personal philosophy is we will let the medical professionals prescribe medicine, and we will provide a healthier lifestyle through physical activity," Harrington told WBZ.
