The rise of GLP-1 drugs troubles me hugely.
Yes, they “work.” They suppress appetite by slowing and effectively paralyzing the stomach. Biology is overridden. Hunger is muted. Calories drop.
But in the process, something far more important is outsourced: Self-regulation, restraint, and the daily practice of discipline.
It’s the equivalent of saying, “Why study when there’s a drug to pass the exam?”
You might get the result— but you lose the transformation.
Because the process is the point. In my opinion, that’s part of the point of the human journey. Shortcuts don’t build resilience. They erode it. And this is not just an individual issue. It’s cultural and yes, even spiritual.
Civilizations don’t decline because people suffer. They decline when people stop believing effort matters. And this always backfires. You cannot bypass biology without consequences.
The side effects are already becoming more well known. Muscle is lost. Bone weakens. Organs like the pancreas and thyroid show problems. Metabolism slows. Dependency grows. And something deeper quietly erodes— confidence, identity, self-trust.
Eventually, the bill comes due.
This isn’t about shame. It’s not about moral superiority. It’s about reality. Your body was never meant to be silenced or subdued. It is your temple. Your vehicle through life. Something to be respected, trained, and protected— not medicated into submission.
There’s a reason greed, sloth, and gluttony were named among the seven deadly sins. Not as insults, but as warnings. Ancient wisdom about what happens when restraint disappears and effort is abandoned.
I have deep compassion for people who are struggling. Modern life can be genuinely hard. Many feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and defeated. But compassion without truth isn’t kindness. The truth— uncomfortable as it may be— is also deeply empowering:
There is no real version of health without effort. There never has been and there never will be.
The good news? Effort doesn’t require perfection. It doesn’t require extremes. It requires ownership.
Walking when you don’t feel like it. Lifting something heavy. Eating real food. Saying no when it would be easier to say yes.
These aren’t punishments. They are acts of self-respect.
We are living in a moment where the easy path is everywhere. Where shortcuts are celebrated. Where responsibility is quietly handed off to systems, pills, and excuses. And sadly the medical profession perpetuates this culture.
It’s planned that during the upcoming Patriots Seahawks Super Bowl broadcast, one of the greatest athletes of our time, Serena Williams, will appear in an advertisement promoting GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
Let that sink in.
An athlete whose greatness was built on discipline, sacrifice, pain tolerance, repetition, and relentless personal effort — potentially endorsing a shortcut that removes those very principles.
That’s exactly why choosing effort now matters more than ever. In an age obsessed with shortcuts, choose discipline. In a world outsourcing responsibility, take it back.
Not loudly or performatively. Just consistently.
Be a shining example. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s timeless.
