Henderson says that while New Zealand doesn\u2019t yet have strong data on just how popular they\u2019ve become here, she and her colleagues are seeing more and more people wanting to access them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe key thing that\u2019s being left out at the moment is the long-term outlook in terms of an individual\u2019s health – what wraparound support is there for the individual to build these sustainable habits and incorporate those while they\u2019re taking the medication,\u201d she tells the Herald.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are effective tools, but they\u2019re not a silver bullet. How can we ensure that we\u2019ve set people up for success and support them with good nutrition and an overall healthy lifestyle?\u201d<\/p>\n
GLP-1s work by mimicking the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey suppress our appetite, reduce our food noise so we\u2019re not thinking about food. They slow down our digestion, so we feel full for longer. And then they work on the pancreas and stimulate the release of insulin, so they help us to manage our blood sugars a lot better,\u201d Henderson explains.<\/p>\n
Dietitians NZ spokesperson Lily Henderson.<\/p>\n
But effective as they are for weight loss, she says, \u201cjust because we\u2019re eating in a different way, it doesn\u2019t mean that our bodies\u2019 nutritional needs change\u201d.<\/p>\n
Christchurch-based registered nutritionist and resident nutritionist for women\u2019s wellness brand Everee Women Victoria Biddick says professional advice is key in getting the best results from weight-loss medication.<\/p>\n
\u201cDepending on which drug you\u2019re on, [you\u2019re] going to reduce your daily energy intake by about 19 to 39%. And while that\u2019s going to give you weight loss, it\u2019s going to make it challenging for you to get your nutrition requirements from food alone,\u201d she tells the Herald.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor women especially, we\u2019d be thinking about your calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and different vitamins. We wouldn\u2019t want to drop lower than about 5000 to 6000 kilojoules a day, because if we go lower than that, we risk having some deficiencies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Biddick suggests people might find it easier to have six smaller meals each day, with reminders on your phone, fridge or bag, since you won\u2019t get the normal hunger cues.<\/p>\n
Without those cues or \u201cfood noise\u201d, people have an opportunity to make a shift towards wholefoods, she says. If you\u2019re eating less, then what you are eating needs to have enough nutrients.<\/p>\n
Victoria Biddick is a registered nutritionist based in Christchurch. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cFruits, veges, proteins … they\u2019re going to give you bang for the buck. Adding in healthy fats and seeds are really good ways to make smaller portions of food more nutrient-dense and give a bit more energy in terms of calories.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way we protect our muscle loss is we make sure we have enough dietary protein … lean meat, fish, low-fat dairy products, plant-based proteins. Combining those with some resistance training is important, because that helps the muscle do its thing.\u201d<\/p>\n