Beyond Weight Loss
Mary Anne Cohen
The weight loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound (GLP-1s) have created a healthcare revolution. People who have struggled with weight loss now have effective medications to help them. But these drugs offer far more than just weight management as we discover in this interview with Bracha Banayan. Bracha is a family nurse practitioner and CEO of IVDrips.com, specializing in GLP-1 therapy.
Mary Anne: You’ve called these drugs “revolutionary.” Can you explain why?
Bracha: These drugs transform our relationship with food and obesity. They don’t just work in the gut—they rewire the brain, allowing people to pause before food choices and interrupt impulsive eating. For the first time, we have medications that simultaneously help with weight loss, improve health markers, and can reverse diabetes. Previous treatments came with negative side effects, but with these medications, the “side effect” is getting healthier.
M.A.: Is this an injection you take to lose weight and then you’re done?
B: Sustainable weight loss requires using these medications alongside lifestyle changes. Studies show minimal success with lifestyle modifications alone—very few maintain significant weight loss for 5+ years because weight loss involves more than willpower.
These medications jumpstart your journey by adjusting hormone levels, resetting your body’s weight set point, creating aversion to high-sugar foods, increasing satiety, and reducing food noise.
Our DROP Method supports sustainable results through proper Dosing, Real-time feedback, Observing body needs, and Developing the Pause factor (delayed gratification). By adopting healthy habits while on GLP-1s, you’re more likely to maintain weight loss long-term.
MA: People report that the obsessive “food noise” disappears with GLP-1s. What happens?
B: GLP1s increase satiety and silence “food noise”—the constant mental obsession about when, what, and how much to eat that dominates some people’s thoughts. Many with weight struggles experience this noise their entire lives, while others develop it later. Some never experience it, making it easy to judge those preoccupied with eating.
These medications make food less exciting to our brains, effectively shutting off this constant mental chatter. For those who’ve lived with food noise, often not realizing how much mental space it consumed, this effect feels miraculous.
MA: Who is a candidate for this medication? Who shouldn’t take it?
B: Many people beyond those seeking weight loss can benefit—those with inflammation, eating disorders, addictions, or anyone wanting better health and longevity.
I wouldn’t recommend these for pregnant or nursing women, those with medullary thyroid cancer history, or people unwilling to change their lifestyle who just want a quick fix.
People not making lifestyle modifications alongside medication won’t achieve sustainable results. If someone’s only goal is “getting skinny at any cost” rather than improving health, they shouldn’t use these medications.
These drugs weren’t designed just for aesthetic weight loss—they were created to reduce cardiovascular risk and extend lifespan.
MA: What about side effects and long-term use?
B: Most side effects result from improper medication use rather than the medication itself. “Ozempic face,” muscle loss, nausea, and osteoporosis concerns can be minimized through resistance training, following a low-glycemic/high-protein/high-fiber diet, avoiding late-night eating, practicing portion control, and starting medication gradually.
Sugar and insulin spikes while on these medications often trigger nausea, which is why the right diet is crucial.
The need for long-term medication depends on the individual. Some people require longer use due to biological, genetic, and emotional factors. Others who gained weight from situational causes can use it temporarily to reset habits.
Those who’ve struggled with obesity their entire lives may have a harder time discontinuing, but it’s not impossible. As they lose weight, their insulin resistance decreases, making maintenance easier.
The good news is that taking these medications is beneficial for your health. Some can use them as a jumpstart toward healthier habits, while others may need them longer. If you could “cheat” your way to better health, why wouldn’t you?
MA: How do you individualize treatment?
B: Dosing is both art and science. Customized care is essential for success, not just following standard protocols.
The first few months should be treated as a learning period. Going on and off these medications without proper guidance usually results in weight regain.
Everyone’s optimal dose varies. We evaluate effectiveness by monitoring changes in both brain and gut—not just increased satiety, but also changes in habits and thought processes.
When we find that “sweet spot” where brain patterns adjust, behaviors change, and optimal satiety is reached, we maintain that dosage. For patients ready to discontinue, we use our specialized maintenance program with a gradual titration formula.
MA: Where do you see these medications in 5 years?
B: These aren’t just weight loss drugs but longevity drugs. They help you live longer by recalibrating glucose and insulin levels while rewiring your brain’s approach to eating.
When you lose cravings for alcohol, carbs, and sugar, you gain the ability to decline harmful choices. The medications create a delay in instant gratification, reducing dopamine-seeking from addictive behaviors. Instead, you naturally increase physical activity and eliminate junk food—all extending your lifespan.
The key to longevity is managing glucose and insulin levels. While weight loss is visible, what’s happening internally is a slowing of the aging process, potentially adding years to your life.
For more information about GLP-1 medications and the DROP Method, contact Bracha Banayan, NP, at IVDrips.com.
Mary Anne Cohen is Director of The New York Center for Eating Disorders and can be reached at EmotionalEating.Org.
