Weight loss medications: Are they the answer?
Injectable medications used for weight loss are the latest fad, but are they the only answer?
Pharmacist and ReMed clinical nutritionist Melanie Makris explores what they are, and how they are being used but argues the basics cannot be overlooked in anyone's weight loss journey.
Covered in This Episode
1:10: Meet Melanie Makris: Pharmacist to Nutritionist
Melanie shares her journey from pharmacy to clinical nutrition, influenced by personal health struggles and exposure to integrative medicine.
5:24 Understanding GLP-1 Agonists and Weight Loss
Explanation of GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic—how they work, their original purpose for diabetes, and their growing use for weight loss.
7:19 Side Effects and Muscle Loss
Discussion on common side effects, including nausea, pancreatitis, and gallstones. Melanie highlights concerns about muscle loss and metabolism.
11:02 The Basics of Weight Management
The importance of muscle mass, protein intake, and metabolism in weight management beyond pharmaceuticals.
18:12 Environment Toxins and Weight Gain
How endocrine disruptors in plastics, cosmetics, and food contribute to hormonal imbalances and weight gain.
21:19 Supply Issues and Final Thoughts
Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and aluminium are neurotoxic and can impact brain function, cognition, and executive function. Sam explains how heavy metals contribute to neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, worsening ASD symptoms in susceptible individuals.
6:09 Environmental Toxins Beyond Heavy Metals
It’s not just heavy metals—other pollutants like endocrine disruptors (e.g., bisphenol A, pesticides, and plastics) also affect neurological development and behaviour. Many of these toxins are difficult to test for but must be considered in case history and exposure assessments.
7:43 Genetic Susceptibility and Testing
Why Ozempic shortages exist, the financial influence of pharmaceutical companies, and the need for holistic weight management strategies.
Resources and Links
Book with ReMed Clinical Nutritionist, Melanie Makris: Melanie has been working as a pharmacist for 22 years. It is through working in both hospital and retail pharmacies around the world that Melanie was motivated to commit to her studies in clinical nutrition. Melanie has seen more and more that her patients are asked to resign themselves to a lower quality of life, simply because there is no more that general medicine can offer for their symptoms. This inspired Melanie to study nutritional medicine, as she knows that a greater sense of health and wellbeing can be achieved through using both pharmaceuticals and natural therapies.
