“What are those needles in the fridge?” asked my eleven-year-old daughter Nell, peering at the pack of Ozempic that I had not exactly discreetly placed on the top shelf of our fridge.
“Oh, it’s Mom’s new medication,” I said nonchalantly, desperately trying to figure out how to handle the fact that I was taking a rather controversial weight loss drug with my teenage daughter.
That night, I knocked on Nell’s bedroom door as she was getting ready for bed. I asked her if she wanted to talk about the medication she had found. We ended up cuddling in her bed and I explained that my doctor had recommended the medication because it would help me balance my blood sugar levels.
“I’m healthy, but the drug will help me get even healthier,” I explained. At this point, Nell didn’t know what Ozempic was, nor had she seen any videos online or heard of celebrities taking the drug. We focused on my desire to get stronger and healthier, and I explained to her that one of the side effects is that my body might change.
“I love my body now and I will love it when it changes,” I explained. I had a similar conversation with my 9-year-old. We agreed to keep in touch and we did so for the next few months. Sometimes I was particularly tired and explained that this was one of the side effects of my medication. When we saw a commercial for Ozempic on TV, we talked about the message of the commercial and why the media was talking more and more about the drug.
“Not everything the media says is true,” I explained, which led to a deeper analysis of media literacy.
“That’s what we learned in school,” Nell added.
After six months, I decided to stop taking Ozempic for a variety of reasons: my insurance wouldn’t cover it and the side effects were affecting my quality of life. My kids didn’t ask, so I didn’t mention I’d stopped taking it until they happened to notice the drug had disappeared from the refrigerator.
How to talk to children about semaglutide and weight loss.
Nicole Rodera licensed therapist from Columbia, Maryland, has personal and professional experience in having these kinds of difficult conversations with your children: Roder has also been prescribed semaglutide in the past. “I try not to tell the parents what they should or should not do. However, I think it is appropriate to tell your children if you are taking a semaglutide like Ozempic,” Roder told HuffPost.
Roder recommends having an age-appropriate conversation with your children. For older children who have been informed about Ozempic in various media, it is best to keep the communication channels open.
“The best way to balance these perspectives is to encourage an open dialogue so you know what they’ve heard and can provide corrective information if needed. I recommend letting them ask questions. This applies to any sensitive topic, not just weight loss medications,” Roder said. She added that you can also ask open-ended questions, such as, “What have you heard about this medication?”
Roder said she had an open conversation with her own children while taking semaglutide, explaining that the drug was prescribed to improve her health. Her children especially wanted to know if the needle hurt.
“It’s best if we focus this conversation on our health, not our body image,” Roder said. “Talk about your health reasons for taking the medication and the health benefits you hope to gain from it.”
She added that it’s important to instill a healthy attitude towards body image in your children. Never make derogatory comments about your body and focus on positive comments, such as your strong arms or the fact that your stretch marks remind you of the joy of bringing your children into the world, she said.
Samantha DeCaro, psychologist and director of clinical outreach and education at The Renfrew Centrehas a different opinion on this issue.
“Parents should not discuss any methods or strategies they use to intentionally lose weight, including dieting or using weight loss products,” DeCaro said. She added that talking to your children about your medication use can increase the risk of them internalizing harmful beliefs about their body image.
If your child notices changes in their body, DeCaro says you should “affirm the child’s observations, but do so in a completely neutral way. Remind your child that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and we can’t tell how someone is feeling or how healthy they are by looking at their eyes.”
Therapist based in Los Angeles Tori Efron Pelton says the decision to talk to your children about your weight loss medication is a personal decision that depends on each child.
“I encourage parents to take a holistic approach to health and focus not on weight loss but rather on health goals and benefits,” she said.
“The first step is for parents to really understand their own motives and goals for taking (the weight loss drug) and what values they want to instill in their children,” Efron Pelton said. “If your child isn’t asking questions or isn’t curious, it’s best to talk to your children the way you would about any other medication or illness.”
If you want to tell your children that you are taking semaglutide, here’s where to start.
As a conversation guide, Efron Pelton recommended the following phrases and questions:
-
“My body and my health have changed, have you noticed?”
-
“Weight loss is a side effect of the changes I’ve made. Here are some cool things about my health improvements and how they will improve my life and yours…”
-
“I’m working with my doctors on my health and I may lose some weight, but ultimately health is what matters, regardless of weight.”
What to do when your child leaves comments about your changing body?
DeCaro suggested responding with these phrases when your child notices your weight loss and makes comments about it:
-
“Sometimes bodies change. Sometimes they get bigger, sometimes they get smaller, and sometimes they stay the same, but we can’t tell much about a person’s health or well-being based on their height.”
-
“Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and our bodies will change throughout our lives. Our genes play a big role in what our bodies look like now and what they will look like in the future.”
-
“No matter what size or shape you are or how your body changes, you are always loved and you are valuable.”
