Whether you’re a fan of singer Grace McGraw or you’re simply fond of scrolling through social media or entertainment news articles, the term ‘semaglutides’ has likely appeared on your radar. Also widely known by its brand names of Ozempic, Wegovy, and Monjauro, semaglutide is currently taking the media by storm, as it has been proven to be very effective with weight loss. According to a study by the Massachusetts Medical Society, a weekly 2.4 mg dosage of semaglutide was associated with sustained and clinically relevant reduction in body weight.
Fans of Grace McGraw are most likely to be very familiar with these terms, as the singer recently made an important announcement concerning them. Grace, the daughter of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, has recently moved to New York to pursue a singing career. Amidst fans supporting her venture, she has opened up about her personal life, particularly concerning her health journey involving medical weight loss.
Medical weight loss and Hollywood
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Weight loss drugs have been attracting a lot of attention in recent months. Many are eyeing the drug for themselves due to how fast the weight loss takes effect, while others view them with skepticism for the same reason, as well as due to the risks that come with taking them. Hollywood is no exception, although celebrities are often less willing to share their weight loss secrets. In fact, some celebrities, such as Jessica Simpson, deny the use of any medication to achieve noticeably slimmed-down physiques.
However, there are some celebrities who have opened up regarding their use of weight loss medication. In particular, singer Grace McGraw has revealed that she has been using weight loss medication to help manage the symptoms of her polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). After all, while popularized for weight loss, semaglutides are actually FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes and are used to treat several other medical conditions.
What is medical weight loss?
Medical weight loss programs are designed to address factors such as diet, exercise, and metabolism in a safe and effective way. They typically include meal replacements which are designed to be nutritionally complete and provide calorie deficit for weight loss, as well as behavioral therapy, which helps with adopting healthy habits in the long term. On top of these, prescription medications such as Saxenda for weight loss, also known as liraglutide, help by lessening the appetite and slowing gastric emptying, which decreases calorie intake.
While semaglutides and liraglutides are similar, the main difference between them lies in the longevity of their effects. The former lasts for 165 hours, while the latter lasts for 13 to 15 hours. Because of this, drugs like Saxenda are primarily used for weight management, while drugs like Ozempic are used to treat type 2 diabetes, PCOS, and various other medical issues.
Grace’s weight and health struggles
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In March 2022, Grace revealed through an Instagram post that she had been diagnosed with PCOS. PCOS is an imbalance of reproductive hormones, causing women of childbearing age to have high levels of androgens, many small cysts on the ovaries, and difficulties with ovulation. According to Grace’s post, out of the 5 diagnostic characteristics of PCOS, she had 4 of them.
Being diagnosed with PCOS made her realize that it may have been one of the underlying factors contributing to the weight issues that she has been struggling with for years. This is because PCOS makes the body more resistant to insulin, which largely contributes to weight gain and makes it difficult to lose that weight. This is why she decided to try going on semaglutide medication, starting with Ozempic and now a low dosage of Mounjaro, after consultations with her doctor.
Through her dosages of semaglutide, Grace has not necessarily been treating PCOS, but rather one of its symptoms which is weight gain and hormonal drive to consume carbohydrates due to insulin resistance. She also opened this up to her fans by stating that her weight loss was an effect not only of the drugs but as well as the lifestyle changes that she implemented. While most people view these drugs with skepticism, Grace has long since come to terms with her use of these medications. They have thus far been helping her maintain a healthy weight and deal with her PCOS. In a comment on one of her posts accusing her of using Ozempic, Grace replied, “No need to accuse when I have been open about it.”