When Amy Kane began to take Mounjaro in 2022, she expected to lose weight – and managed, eliminating more than 77 pounds.
What Kane, a 36 -year -old creator of Chicago, did not expect the effects on her health to become contagious. Shortly after starting the medication, her husband and children began to feed healthier – and also became more physically active.
As drugs like Ozepic transform the health of millions of Americans, some families are discovering a surprising side effect: family members who are not taking medicine are changing their relationship with food and, in some cases, also losing weight.
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There is still no data that indicates how often this occurs, but medical experts have long seen similar effects with other weight loss treatments, according to Dr. Lydia Alexander, former president of Obesity Medicine Association.
A study with patients undergoing bariatric surgery found that two thirds of partners lost weight within one year after the spouse’s operation, and overweight partners had the most significant changes. Another study, with diabetic participants in a weight loss program, revealed that spouses that were not undergoing any treatment lost, on average, almost 2.3 kg and consumed significantly fewer calories from fat. And, in anecdotal, health professionals across the country claim to be observing similar effect on families of patients who take medications such as Ozepic.
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“These medicines not only change their appetite, they transform family dynamics,” said Dr. Joey Skelton, pediatric professor at Wake Forest University School. By 2024, about 1 in 8 adults in the US had already taken Ozempic or a similar drug-which means dozens of millions of spouses, children and other family members may be experiencing some effect of these medications without ever having them ingested.
Kane, who had dealt with eating disorders for decades, said her previous attempts at weight loss made family outings and meals becoming moments full of restrictions. But “this time it looks like it’s part of my lifestyle,” she said. “It’s not like I think ‘oh, I don’t want to eat these things’ or ‘I don’t want to go to such a restaurant.’
After losing weight, family time has become more active: Kane now has enough energy for hiking to the park and makeshift dance parties with her three children, 10, 7 and 5 years. And, on medical recommendation, he started to consume more lean proteins and fiber -rich foods – changes that also helped her husband feed and feel better.
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“Obesity is a familiar matter,” said Yelena Kibasova, corporate event manager in Minnesota, who saw her family’s approach to food and the exercise change after we started taking Wegovy last year. “Either you make these changes and your family follows, or, over time, returns to old habits,” he added.
For some families, these changes are extremely positive. But they can also bring risks – especially for children. Unlike bariatric surgery, which requires hospitalization and longer recovery, parents may injects weekly injections of medicines such as Ozepic without their children.
“Seeing one of the parents to lose weight without understanding why it can give a very negative message to children,” said Dr. Keeley J. Pratt, teacher of human development and family sciences at Ohio State University. Children can start eating less or jumping meals, thinking they are following a healthy example of their parents, she explained.
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Kibasova was concerned about the impact that the use of medication – which reduces appetite and diminishes what many describe as “mental noise about food” – could have about her 12 -year -old son.
The medicine helped her lose 13.6 kg in six months, but she feared that her child, who also faces difficulties with weight, interpret her loss of appetite and weight loss as a validation that restricting food was the right way.
Therefore, she tried to explain that obesity is a disease, and that she takes Wegovy to control her symptoms – just as someone takes medicine for mental health issues or high cholesterol.
And when Kibasova invited his son to participate in his new strength training routine – to combat muscle mass loss, a common side effect of these drugs – she presented the goal as “building strength” and not as “losing weight”.
His son soon lost body fat, gained muscles and had improved self -esteem, according to Kibasova. She also realized that shared training helped her focus on her own goals.
The medications and food changes that often accompany them can also have negative effects on love relationships. “If you and your partner love to cook or go to restaurants together, and suddenly it changes, it’s like something between you is interrupted,” said Skelton.
Studies indicate that people who have bariatric surgery are more likely to separate or divorce than the general population. (On the other hand, research has also shown that single patients who have undergone the procedure have more than double chances of starting new relationships compared to obesity people who did not have surgery.)
Pratt, who has developed resources to help bariatric patients prepare and deal with these challenges, is now elaborating similar guides for patients who take medications such as Ozepic and their families.
The ideal, she said, would be that doctors talk to patients when starting these treatments and ask, “Are you in a relationship? Do you have children at home? Here are some points you should reflect on.”
For 42-year-old Kia Griffin-Thomas, one of the most amazing parts when she started taking a weight loss medicine was having to recalibrate as she planned and cooked her family meals, even when she was bad.
“Just because I’m not eating, it doesn’t mean they are not hungry,” she said.
Then he decided to involve his 8 -year -old son and his 6 -year -old daughter in the preparation of meals a few times a week.
“They feel a lot of joy to cook and prepare things, because they say,” Look, daddy, look what we did, look what we cooked, “he said.
These family activities extend beyond the kitchen. Her husband turned the house’s sunroom in the northwest of Indiana into a gym so they could exercise together after the children sleep – rekindling a passion they shared before they had children.
“We were able to dance, go out, work out together,” said Griffin-Thomas. “This has strengthened our relationship.”
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